Tag: History Essays
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The Semmelweis Museum of Medical History, Budapest
Arpan K. BanerjeeSolihull, England Museums on medical themes are uncommon and generally scattered worldwide. Budapest features the Semmelweis Museum, dedicated to one of Hungary’s greatest physicians and the history of medical advances in Hungary. It is the birthplace and childhood home of Ignaz Semmelweis, born there on July 1, 1818. His father had a grocer’s…
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The early death of Alfonso XII
Nicolas RoblesBadajoz, Spain ¿Dónde vas Alfonso XII?¿Dónde vas triste de ti?Voy en busca de MercedesQue ayer tarde no la vi. Where are you going, Alfonso XII?Where are you going so blue?I am looking for MercedesYesterday I did not see her. —Popular Spanish song King Alfonso XII of Spain was born in Madrid on November 28,…
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Below decks, a different war
Richard de GrijsSydney, Australia In October 1770, H.M. Bark Endeavour limped into the port of Batavia, capital of the Dutch East Indies (present-day Jakarta, Indonesia), after having almost foundered on the Great Barrier Reef. The hardy crew of Captain James Cook (1728–1779), although renowned for their good health throughout the three-year voyage (1768–1771), soon fell…
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Louis XIV’s anorectal fistula and its influence on surgical innovation
Neal ChanBoston, Massachusetts, United States King Louis XIV—also known as the Sun King—ruled France from 1643 to 1715. He not only expanded France’s territorial and cultural influence but solidified his status as a sovereign ruler only a half-step below a god. Through absolute control of the nobility, gentry, and landowners, he made France the dominant…
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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…
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The cosmonaut’s body: Medical politics and Soviet space medicine
Martine MussiesUtrecht, The Netherlands When Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth on April 12, 1961, his body represented more than human achievement—it embodied a radical reimagining of medicine’s role in space travel.10 The Soviet space program transformed cosmonauts into living laboratories where medical science, political ideology, and technological innovation converged. This transformation reveals how the USSR weaponized…
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Bells, whistles and rattles: Something to get your teeth into
Christopher DuffinLondon, United Kingdom In the past, teething was seen as a dangerous period in the life of a young child. Nicholas Culpeper (1616–1654), an English herbalist and apothecary, believed that this time of childhood development was a “necessary evil” and that children were in considerable danger of dying from fevers and convulsions that came…
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Criminal physicians
Avi OhryTel Aviv, Israel Several doctors in history achieved notoriety for committing murders or for participating in reigns of terror. They range from the British murderer Hawley Harvey Crippen (1910)1 to Joel Le Secournec,2 convicted in France for crimes against hundreds of victims. The surgeon and historian Dr. John Alexandre Olivier Exmling (or Esquemeling) (1646–1798)…
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Medical monuments throughout history
Humanity’s fight against disease finds its expression in monuments that serve as enduring historical markers. They document medical progress and recognize those who devoted their lives to significant advances. Throughout history, civilizations erected temples for sacred healing rituals. The ancient Greeks dedicated temples to Asclepius where patients spent nights in hope of receiving divine guidance…