Hormones, Elixirs and Eccentrics
The career of the brilliant physiologist Brown-Séquard is a reminder of the perils of scientific innovation.
Medicine & Disease
Plague and Prejudice
Epidemics spread mistrust, as communities seek to blame their plight on outsiders or those at the margins of society. Yet the historical record reveals that outbreaks are more likely to bring people together than force them apart.
Shameful Secrets: Male Sexual Health
Men’s awkwardness when talking about their bodies, especially sexual health, has changed little since the 17th century. Jennifer Evans looks into the private worries of men and their doctors.
Shell Shock: The Racket and the Fear
‘Shell shock’ is associated in particular with the First World War. Stuart M. Archer recounts the often brutal treatment meted out to sufferers of the condition and looks at how use of the term fell into disrepute.
Britain’s First Female Doctor
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson passed her medical exams on 28 September 1865.
Lister Pioneers Antiseptic Surgery in Glasgow
Joseph Lister's medical technique was first performed on August 12th, 1865.
Queen Elizabeth I and Dr Burcot
In 1562 the young monarch was cured of a dangerous attack of smallpox.
The Black Death: The Greatest Catastrophe Ever
Ole J Benedictow describes how he calculated that the Black Death killed 50 million people in the 14th century, or 60 per cent of Europe’s entire population.
The Founder of Modern Psychiatry
Johann Weyer used his compassion and a pioneering approach to mental illness to oppose the witch-craze of early modern Europe.
Ebola, Plague and Border Control
Few things instil as much terror as a deadly contagion with no known cure.