I am just old enough to remember the horrors of polio. A friend of mine had an older brother who was one of the last to be affected by it – he walked with a stick and his leg was in a brace so he was an object of pity for most of us. When … Continue reading
This is from Patrick Cockburn, award winning war correspondent with the i paper. It seems a far cry from his usual topic, but not really. The criminalisation of the mentally iill is one of the cruellest and most easily avoidable tragedies of our era. He discusses a number of cases of impending executions for the … Continue reading
This is a wonderful, haunting but small museum, a place that should make you fall down and give thanks to whoever you believe in that modern medicine exists. It’s in the attic to provide maximum light for operations. Everything is so small, especially the operating table which I doubt would be long enough for me. … Continue reading
I just found this feature from the Independent newspaper of 15 August 2009 which ran over 3 pages. The article shocked the newspaper and it shocked me enough to keep the whole piece. In the wake of the recent election it is worth looking at it again. Why do the Republicans hate – or fear … Continue reading
This was the headline on the cover l last Friday’s i paper and the first I’ve known to be utterly stupid. It cited a new study from Professor Jennie Connor from the University of Otago in New Zealand which claims alcohol caused about 500,000 deaths from cancer just in 2012, ie nearly 6% of deaths … Continue reading
This is from Thursday’s i paper which is producing some very interesting pieces on science: Despite our advances in technology and medicine we seem to be fighting a never-ending battle against diseases and ailments. As viruses become more complex an bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, it seems the lab-made drugs awe have become so dependent … Continue reading
This is from last Friday’s i and shines a light on current conservation efforts in Africa: Staggering around when you’re woozy with sedatives must be particularly testing when you weigh two tonnes, like Hope. She is a five-yea-old rhinoceros in south Africa who has spent a year being treated by vets after going through a … Continue reading
This is from the Illustrated Police News of November 1898: MEN WHO ARE WEAK Men who are weak, and tired of taking NAUSEOUS and MYSTERIOUS Preparations to no GOOD PURPOSE ought to write to the Physician in confidence, and full particulars will be sent FREE As to how all cases of NERVOUS DEBILITY, LOSS OF … Continue reading
Here’s a great short clip on the parts of our bodies that once served important roles, but now exist only in vestigial forms. As the film says, we are our own museums of natural history. Fascinating: http://www.openculture.com/2016/03/proof-of-evolution-in-our-own-spare-body-parts.html
This is the introduction from the special edition of Scientific American on Alcohol, which serves so many purposes. In addition to those below, alcohol has been used as a preservative, an antiseptic, and in extreme amounts, some spectacular and tragic deaths. Alcohol has long perplexed our species. Wherever we look in the ancient or modern … Continue reading
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