Tag: Spring 2025
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Book review: Our Brains, Our Selves
Arpan K. Banerjee Solihull, England The world of popular science publishing is replete with neurologists who have been fascinated by the workings of the brain gleaned from the study of neurological disorders in their patients. Famous recent writers of this genre include Oliver Sacks, whose books have provided the public with insights into aspects of…
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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…
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Pigeons and doves
The deeper you get into pigeons, the more complicated they get. Are pigeons the same as doves? What are squab and what are quail? Which may you eat, which may you feed, and which may you shoot? It seems to depend on where you live. If pigeons spread disease, why are so many allowed in…
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Psychiatry and homosexuality in E.M. Forster’s Maurice
Jennifer ParkerBristol, England Introduction “The man in my book is, roughly speaking, good, but Society nearly destroys him,” E.M. Forster wrote in 1915 when describing the eponymous character in his novel Maurice.1,2 Anti-homosexual sentiment saturated British society in the twentieth century, overseen by intertwined medical and legal institutions that both constructed and constricted homosexuality on…
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The cow in culture and history
Cows are domesticated bovine animals that have been used in human agriculture for thousands of years. As ruminants they have a four-chambered stomach system that allows them to digest grass and other plant materials that humans cannot process. There are hundreds of cattle breeds worldwide, ranging from dairy breeds like Holstein and Jersey to beef…
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Michelangelo’s poetry
JMS PearceHull, England The poetry of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) is often overlooked. In it we can discern that behind his sublime sculptures, painting, and architecture lurked a devout man disturbed by deep personal conflicts. Michelangelo, born in Caprese, considered himself a Florentine, although for many years he lived in Rome.3 In the Church of Santo…
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Lead poisoning—not vanquished
Humans began to introduce harmful lead into their bodies thousands of years ago, causing symptoms that the Greek philosopher Nikander of Colophon recognized around 2000 BC. The lead entered the body through pipes, paints, gasoline, and countless other applications and was distributed by the bloodstream to the brain, kidneys, liver, and bones. Stored in bones and…
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Famines throughout history
Since times immemorial there have been numerous famines in the world. Droughts, floods, and crop failures have claimed millions of lives, often the consequence of wars, injudicious policies, repressive measures, but frequently described as inevitable or attributed to supernatural causes. The earliest famines recorded in history occurred during the first dynasties of ancient Egypt,…
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The anti-vaccination movement
The anti-vaccination movement, a diverse coalition that opposes the use of vaccines, represents a serious public health challenge. Amplified by the internet and social media, it threatens society’s wellbeing by contributing to the resurgence of infectious diseases and undermining trust in established science. Its arguments, often rooted in misinformation, personal anecdotes, and distrust of authority,…