Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Hungarian Democratic Forum

  • Takotsubo syndrome in art: A tale of broken hearts

    Rafiq YusifliSevil YusifliBaku, Azerbaijan The role of emotional factors in the development of cardiovascular diseases has long been a focus of attention for physicians and researchers. Some acute cardiac pathologies that arise following intense emotional stress were only defined as independent entities toward the end… Read more

  • Serbia: History, war, and medicine

    The territory of present-day Serbia has been inhabited since prehistoric times, most notably by the Vinča culture (c. 5700–4500 BCE), one of Europe’s earliest advanced societies. This sophisticated civilization produced early forms of proto-writing and advanced ceramic artistry as well as early medical awareness, including… Read more

  • Hamlet and everyone after

    Panayiota AntypasTasmania, Australia For most of my life, I believed that suicidality was a direct consequence of acute and unmedicated mental illness. I thought that if we admitted the patient, removed the means, and administered treatment, they would be quickly reinvigorated with a will to… Read more

  • The ghost in the steel: What we lose when old instruments disappear

    Yogesh SalphaleChandrapur, India In the modern operating theater, the soundtrack is one of high-frequency whines and digital pings. We have entered the era of the “power-driven” surgeon, where battery-operated drills, robotic arms, and navigated arrays have turned the once visceral act of orthopedics into a… Read more

  • Where music is medicine—Lessons from the waiting room

    Elena IliadisWashington, D.C., United States “Can I give you a hug?” Her words cut through the air as I looked up from my music stand at the woman standing over me, her face flushed and wet with tears. I shot up from my seat, too… Read more

  • The deal and discharges

    Vartika MishraLucknow, India “This is all I have ever wanted. I have worked hard for this, and now is the time to rise and shine,” I reminded myself as I entered the shabby gates of the hospital. As a first-year resident in obstetrics and gynecology,… Read more

  • Montenegro: The Black Mountain

    Montenegro is a small Balkan country of fewer than 700,000 inhabitants. It has rugged mountains, medieval villages, and a narrow strip of beaches along its Adriatic coastline. Venetian merchants travelling along its coast named the country Monte Negro from the dark, forested mountain peaks of… Read more

  • Malta: History and medicine

    Humans have populated the Malta archipelago since at least 2400 BC, leaving behind temples that appear to have served as centers of religion and healing. The Phoenicians colonized the archipelago around 700 BC and ruled it until they were conquered in 218 BC by the Romans.… Read more

  • Stem cells and their promise in treating disease

    Ashok SinghChicago, Illinois, United States Stem cells represent a fascinating and promising frontier in modern medicine. As they multiply, stem cells are unique in their ability to differentiate themselves into cells with different properties. This ability is observable in the development of a complete body… Read more

  • Book review: Roman Emperors and Their Illnesses

    Arpan K. BanerjeeSolihull, UK Books about illness in political figures are not a new phenomenon. Lord Moran, Winston Churchill’s personal physician, wrote an important work based on his experience. David Owen, a physician and distinguished Foreign Secretary in the British Labour Government under Prime Minister… Read more

  • Snake bite in Panama

    Enrique Chaves-CarballoKansas City, Kansas, United States Rikki-tikki had a right to be proud of himself. But he did not grow too proud, and he kept that garden as a mongoose should keep it, with tooth and jump and spring and bite, till never a cobra… Read more

  • The seed and the stone: Loss in a Harare GYN clinic

    Rachel ChitofuHarare, Zimbabwe In the Harare gynecology clinic, the air is thick with antiseptic and held breath. For four women today, the womb is less a sanctuary and more a ledger of what has been lost or never allowed to begin. ​For the first woman… Read more