Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Emma Ryan

  • John B. Murphy, “The surgical genius of his generation”

    Barbara MeraEmma RyanJulius BonelloPeoria, Illinois, United States At the end of the 1800s, the art of surgery was changing. The almost universal usage of anesthesia, coupled with the growing support of germ theory and the beginnings of antiseptic surgery, enabled people to undergo less painful and much safer procedures. More complicated operations could now be…

  • The man behind the bottle

    Mariam BanoubEmma RyanJulius BonelloPeoria, Illinois, United States “Ahhh, the pause that refreshes.” “Things go better with Coke.” “Taste the feeling.” “So refreshing, so welcome, so everywhere.” These phrases may elicit a feeling of warmth and joy. Or the feeling of a crisp, cold Coca-Cola on a hot summer’s day. They are meant to encourage the…

  • Doc Holliday: The deadly legacy of a dying man

    Mariam BanoubBarbara MeraEmma RyanJulius BonelloPeoria, Illinois, United States Throughout history, tuberculosis (TB) has been known by names such as the white plague, king’s evil, consumption, and scrofula. Estimates state TB has claimed the lives of up to five billion people throughout human history. While COVID-19 temporarily claimed the title of the world’s most lethal disease…

  • Mary Ann Bickerdyke

    Julius BonelloEmma RyanPeoria, Illinois, United States The colonel had had enough of her disrespect. He would consult his general about this nasty old woman. “I didn’t know we had any nasty old women in our Army,” General Sherman remarked. “Who might she be now?”  “I believe she calls herself Bickerdyke, sir.” “Mother Bickerdyke?” the general…