Tag: Black Death
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Dr. William Gilbert Grace (W.G.)
JMS PearceHull, England By the time he qualified in medicine in 1879, William Gilbert Grace (1848–1915), known as “WG”, had established himself as the world’s greatest cricketer. Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack and the annals of cricket amply chronicle his career1 but are replete with boring statistics,… Read more
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Kuru, the laughing disease of New Guinea
New Guinea is the second-largest island in the world that is not a continent (after Greenland). It is divided into the Republic of Papua-New Guinea in the east and a western area that belongs to Indonesia. In both parts, indigenous populations face significant health challenges… Read more
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Nicholas Cusanus
Avi OhryTel Aviv, Israel Non-medical scientists and scholars often contribute substantially to medicine. Nicolaus Cusanus (1401–1464), also known as Nicholas of Cusa and Nikolaus Krebs von Kues, was a German cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, philosopher, jurist, mathematician, and astronomer. In Padua he earned… Read more
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Dr. Mary Edwards Walker: A trailblazer for female surgeons
Shabnam ParsaLeshya BokkaLiam ButchartStony Brook, New York, United States Dr. Mary Edwards Walker (1832–1919) was the first female surgeon in the United States—a pioneering educator, clinician, and medical innovator.1 Her academic path was paved by her parents’ dedication to education. Vesta and Alva Walker established… Read more
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Onchocerciasis, a continuing cause of blindness
Among the various illnesses that deprive humans of their sight, onchocerciasis ranks highest. It affects millions of people in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as substantial numbers in Yemen and isolated areas of Brazil and Venezuela. Transmitted by infected blackflies that breed near fast-flowing streams and… Read more
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John Caius, MD (1510–1573)
JMS PearceHull, England Eminent physicians are remembered in different ways. A few have a street, statue, university department, or hall to perpetuate their name. But to have a college named after you is an uncommon distinction. John (Johannes) Caius—usually pronounced Keys—was born in Norwich, son… Read more
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Chocolate created a commotion in Chiapa cathedral
Howard FischerUppsala, Sweden “Beware the chocolate of Chiapas.”—Mexican saying The cacao bean, the essential ingredient in chocolate, is native to Southern Mexico, Central America, and South America. There is evidence that chocolate was used in Ecuador over 5,000 years ago.1 The Aztecs produced a ceremonial… Read more
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Sand flies, leishmaniasis, and kala-azar
Sand flies are about three millimeters long and gray, brownish or golden, with long, piercing mouthparts adapted for sucking blood from their hosts. These seemingly innocuous creatures, classified as belonging to the genus Phlebotomus or Lutzomyia, have long legs and hairy wings held in a… Read more
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Bioarchaeological findings support ancient representations of surgical limb amputation, part two: Examples from the New World
Peter de SmetNijmegen, Netherlands See Part One for examples from the Old World Case 4: Finger amputation among the ancient Maya Iconography1 The vessel in Fig. 1 is in the collections of the Ethnologisches Museum in Berlin (inv.no. IV Ca 15186 a). It was found… Read more
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Bioarchaeological findings support ancient representations of surgical limb amputation, part one: Examples from the Old World
Peter de SmetNijmegen, Netherlands See Part Two for examples from the New World Surgical amputation is defined here as the cutting or chopping off a protruding part of the body (as a whole or partial limb). It has been known for a long time that… Read more
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Fasciola hepatica, the liver fluke of sheep and cattle
The liver flukes Fasciola hepatica and gigantica are parasitic infections that affect humans and animals—cattle, sheep, and goats—in all inhabited areas where they are raised, on all continents, and in over eighty countries. People acquire the disease by eating raw vegetables such as watercress that… Read more