Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: The psychological impact of facial injury in the First World War: outcomes from the Queen’s Hospital Sidcup

  • Theodor Zwinger (1533–1588)

    To the twentieth century tourist, the name Zwinger brings to mind the beautiful palace built in Dresden in 1709 by King Augustus the Strong of Saxony. In German, Zwinger means an open area between two surrounding walls built to defend a city. But none of… Read more

  • Historical and modern diagnoses of Darwin’s chronic illness

    Stephen KentWarrington, United Kingdom Introduction Charles Darwin has been the subject of intense study over the last 140 years, not only because of his publication of The Origin of Species through Natural Selection, but also because his extensive correspondence gives a clear insight into the… Read more

  • Quinine and global health

    Diego AndradeStalin Santiago CeliQuito, Ecuador Quinine is considered to be one of the most important medical discoveries historically, as it marked the first successful use of a chemical compound to treat malaria. Malaria is an acute febrile disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, which are transmitted… Read more

  • Thomas Dover, physician and entrepreneur (1660–1742)

    Oh, Dover was a pirate and he sailed the Spanish MainA hacking cough convulsed him and he had agonizing pain.So he mixed himself a powder, which he liked more and more.Ipecac and opium and K2SO4 1 Thomas Dover was an English physician who in 1732… Read more

  • Down’s syndrome

    JMS PearceHull, England Amongst the residents he attended at Earlswood Asylum for Idiots in Redhill, Surrey, John Langdon Down in 1865 began to use an anthropological classification. He identified a group of patients who were mentally delayed and showed a remarkably similar, but previously unrecognized… Read more

  • Book review: Life Unseen: A Story of Blindness

    Arpan K. BanerjeeSolihull, United Kingdom In her new book, Selina Mills, an award-winning journalist who is legally blind, takes us on a journey through the cultural history of visual impairment and blindness. It is both informative and empowering, weaving together research and the author’s personal… Read more

  • What can the candiru (Vandellia cirrhosa) do?

    Howard FischerUppsala, Sweden “[N]o one has stepped forward to observe the candiru’s life cycle in situ.”– William Burroughs, Naked Lunch Humans, like other animals, are subject to infections, infestations, colonization, and invasion by a wide variety of organisms. We are preyed on by viruses, bacteria,… Read more

  • Piero della Francesca and Paul Klee (and cancer)

    Scott SikkemaChicago, Illinois, United States “Man’s ability to measure the spiritual, earthbound and cosmic, set against his physical helplessness; this is his fundamental tragedy. The tragedy of spirituality. The consequence of this simultaneous helplessness of the body and mobility of the spirit is the dichotomy… Read more

  • Justus von Liebig (1803–1873)

    Philip LiebsonChicago, Illinois, United States An extraordinary chemist, Justus von Liebig influenced the development of organic chemistry, scientific teaching of chemistry, and the application of chemistry to physiology and agriculture. He was one of the forerunners of the German educators who influenced the evolution to… Read more

  • Marfan syndrome and Abraham Lincoln

    Umut AkovaAtlanta, Georgia, United States Marfan syndrome is a rare, inherited genetic disorder that affects the body’s connective tissues. People with Marfan syndrome often have distinctive physical features such as tall stature, long limbs, joint hypermobility, and a narrow face. The condition is primarily caused… Read more

  • The interplay of spirituality and traditional medicine in Indonesia

    Shabrina JarrellCharleston, West Virginia, United States In the cultural fabric of Indonesia, spiritual healing has thrived for centuries. The practice of spiritual and traditional healing remains relevant alongside modern medical advances. The contrast and interplay of traditional wisdom and contemporary influences is particularly apparent in… Read more

  • I’m listening

    Tulsi PatelChicago, Illinois, United States To the gentle whispers of the summer breeze,The carpenter ants’ chatter in the trees,A firefly’s luminous flash in the night,A saguaro’s water, still and quiet.The ocean’s froth, a fierce collision.Then, hoarse vocal cords, a trach’d admission,Eyes’ wells fill, glistening and… Read more