Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: placenta

  • The satirical side of William Osler, M.D.

    Howard Fischer Uppsala, Sweden   Cartoon of William Osler as a cherub in charge of a cyclone banishing all disease from Johns Hopkins Hospital. Drawing by Max Brodel, a medical illustrator at the hospital, 1896. National Library of Medicine. Public domain. “But whatever you do, take neither yourself nor your fellow creatures too seriously.”1 –…

  • A brief history of menstruation

    Fangzhou LuoPortland, Oregon, United States After a few failed attempts to redirect a flirtatious student to “higher pleasures” like music, the Ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician Hypatia resorted to revealing where she was in her menstrual cycle to deter him. The philosopher who recorded this—Damascius—does not specify if this student was Orestes,1 who remained a…

  • Cancer and eye diseases: two birds killed with one stone, anti-VEGF antibody

    Ashok Singh Chicago, IL, United States   Tissue Richly Endowed with Blood Vessels Loss of blood vessels after the same tissue was treated with Anti-VEGF antibody Various cells in the human body, such as lymphocytes, monocytes, and all tissue cells release small proteins that, unlike hormones, which act at distant sites, have powerful effects on…

  • Labor of love

    Mary OakSeattle, Washington, USA Each week my elderly father and I watch babies being born. In the silver-shadowed flickers of a television, we sit as we often did in my childhood. Now in the spectral shade of his decelerated years, I care for him. He spends a lot of time watching TV. I join him…