The need for trained nurses was heightened — and the work of the sister nurses in the Civil War was not forgotten. By Dr. Mercedes GrafFormer Professor of PsychologyIllinois School of Professional PsychologyGovernors State University Introduction Although thousands of patriotic women rushed off to care for the sick and wounded during America’s bloody Civil War[…]
Today we talk easily of viruses, but in Edward Jenner’s day they were completely unknown. The time is ripe to recall the contributions of the physician-scientist who first put vaccines on the map, Edward Jenner. Some claim that Jenner saved the lives of more people than any other figure in history, yet his contributions are[…]
Vaccination led ultimately to the eradication of smallpox, one of the great achievements of medicine. By Arthur Boylston Introduction Early in the 18th century, variolation (referred to then as ‘inoculation’) was introduced to Britain and New England to protect people likely to be at risk of infection with smallpox. This triggered a number of important developments.[…]
Alexander’s connections with Asclepius and his use of these links to portray himself as a healer. Abstract During the expedition and campaign across Asia, Alexander and his army had been involved in a lot of circumstances that deserved the attention of some professionals of the medicine. The relationship between Alexander’s army and the Physicians is[…]
A great deal of Europe’s knowledge of ancient Greek medicine and culture entered Europe through Italy in the fifteenth century. Introduction Many foundations of modern Western medicine lie in Classical Greece, from about 800 B.C.E. to about 200 C.E. During this period, Greek medicine departed from the divine and mystical and moved toward observation and[…]
Cannabis foods and drinks are becoming quite popular in recent years, and it is for a good reason – marijuana has incredible benefits on your body. However, consuming marijuana can be tricky, especially if you don’t follow the right dosage. Perhaps, you have heard numerous stories about individuals who fatally overdosed cannabis and had adverse[…]
Many modern remedies and medicines are based on Native American knowledge of plants and herbs they used for thousands of years. Introduction Native Americans are renowned for their medicinal plant knowledge. It is rumored they first started using plants and herbs for healing after watching animals eat certain plants when they were sick. In order[…]
Scientific disciplines which study traditional medicine include herbalism, ethnomedicine, ethnobotany, and medical anthropology. Introduction Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies before the era of modern medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as “the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on[…]
Modern society has progressed in myriad ways. Smart homes, connected cars, VR gaming, digital money – this is just a glimpse of the numerous technological advancements that have resulted in the fast-paced development of our society. Today, it’s possible to accomplish nearly everything from the comfort of your home. But there’s one crucial aspect of[…]
There are three types of plague infection — bubonic, septicemic and pneumonic — and all are caused by the Yersinia pestis bacteria. The plague is best known for wiping out as much as a third of Europe’s population during the Black Death pandemic of the 14th century, but it’s not entirely a thing of the[…]
Several possible causes have been advanced for the Black Death. Introduction Theories of the Black Death are a variety of explanations that have been advanced to explain the nature and transmission of the Black Death (1347–51). A number of epidemiologists since the 1980s have challenged the traditional view that the Black Death was caused by[…]
Oribasius was considered as one of the most illustrious representatives of intellectual circles. Introduction Oribasius (c. 320-400/403 CE) was the physician and political advisor of the Roman emperor Julian the Apostate (r. 361-363 CE). A native of Pergamon, a rich and powerful Greek city in Mysia, he studied medicine and oratory and belonged to the[…]
His work is the most important surviving medical papyrus and provides information about the history of Greek medical thought. ‘On Medicine’ Overview While only fragments survive of some portions of the text, the papyrus containing the work of Anonymus Londinensis is exceptionally well preserved, with 3.5 meters of the roll largely intact, containing almost 2,000[…]
Becoming a nurse is a fantastic career goal, and, once you are qualified, your degree will open many different doors whether you choose to work in a hospital or try something different such as community nursing, working in a prison or oil rig (or any other unusual place), or working from home doing some of[…]
They were the first to be fully inoculated against polio. Today is a different picture. Introduction Sixty-four years ago, residents of this tiny town in southwestern Kansas set a public health example by making it the first in the nation to be fully inoculated against polio. It’s a different story today. People in Protection, like[…]
Many vaccines were developed and used during the 1918–1919 pandemic. Synopsis The influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 dramatically altered biomedical knowledge of the disease. At its onset, the foundation of scientific knowledge was information collected during the previous major pandemic of 1889–1890. The work of Otto Leichtenstern, first published in 1896, described the major epidemiological and[…]
The microbes in your gut influence how your immune system reacts to bacteria and viruses. Introduction Takeaways Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that are vital for keeping you healthy. Some of these microbes help to regulate the immune system. New research, which has not yet been peer reviewed, shows the presence of[…]
Kratom, which has been linked to many deaths in the U.S., has been grown in Southeast Asia for centuries for tea. Why the ill effects now? By Dr. Christopher R. McCurdyProfessor of Medicinal ChemistryUniversity of Florida College of PharmacyUniversity of Florida Introduction Kratom, a traditional Southeast Asian herbal medicine from the leaves of the tropical[…]
Personal hygiene should be maintained for your self-care. Personal hygiene involves taking care of the body by bathing, cleaning teeth, washing hair and hands, wearing clean clothes, etc. There are many products, including soaps, deodorant balm, creams, nail clippers, etc. that help you to maintain personal hygiene. People who know the importance of maintaining personal[…]
Oh, the marvelous wellness world. It never stops surprising us with all kinds of new products that can help us get healthier in one way or another. What’s more, our animals have now become a part of this world and a wide number of manufacturers have decided that it was about time for our pets[…]
The fast-paced life we live can be stressful and tiring. It is sometimes useful to find an alternative that will help us deal with this fast life’s consequences on a natural basis. A large percentage of the population suffers from anxiety and depression. The other part has problems with acne on the body and face.[…]
Yale’s Dorothy Horstmann solved a puzzle that would lead to the first polio vaccines 65 years ago. Introduction Sixty-five years ago, following the largest public health trial in American history, a killed-virus polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk, M.D., was found to be safe, potent and effective. The news set off a national celebration. Salk[…]
It was in fact during the Napoleonic wars at the beginning of the 19th century that the organized practice of military medicine began. By Dr. Charles Van Way, IIIColonel, US Army Reserve, Medical Corps, RetiredEmeritus Professor of SurgeryUniversity of Missouri – Kansas City School of MedicineDirector, UMKC Shock Trauma Research Center War is an actual,[…]
Exploring how the ancient philosophers from Plato to late antiquity understood mental illness. Abstract This article outlines when, how and in what kind of contexts the phenomenon of mental illness was recognized in the ancient philosophical texts, how mental illness was understood in terms of the body–mind interaction, and how mental disorders of the medical[…]
The “Book on the Conditions of Women” was novel in its adoption of the new Arabic medicine that had just begun to make inroads into Europe. Introduction Trotula is a name referring to a group of three texts on women’s medicine that were composed in the southern Italian port town of Salerno in the 12th[…]
Knowledge preserved in medieval books enjoyed a longevity that extended beyond the period of the manuscript book. Abstract This article examines a fifteenth-century remedy book, Oxford, Bodleian Library, Rawlinson c. 299, and describes its collection of 314 medieval medical prescriptions. The recipes are organised broadly from head to toe, and often several remedies are offered[…]
Venice’s embodied a unique combination that fostered innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity. When Venetians invented quarantine in 1348, the government proclamation was based on the fact that this cosmopolitan city could put two and two together. The Venetian Republic had based its thriving economy on trade by sea and it became obvious that when foreign ships[…]
Whether in the form of a discreet titter or a full-on roar, laughter comes with many benefits for physical and mental health. Introduction Amusement and pleasant surprises – and the laughter they can trigger – add texture to the fabric of daily life. Those giggles and guffaws can seem like just silly throwaways. But laughter,[…]
Exploring some myths about childhood illness and treatment in the early modern period. Introduction One morning in 1630, fourteen-year-old Richard Wilmore from Stratford vomited ‘black Worms, about an inch and a half long, with six feet, and little red heads’. After vomiting, he ‘was almost dead, but a little time after he revived’. The next[…]
The Western medical tradition often traces its roots directly to the early Greek civilization. Introduction Medieval medicine in Western Europe was composed of a mixture of existing ideas from antiquity. In the Early Middle Ages, following the fall of the Western Roman Empire, standard medical knowledge was based chiefly upon surviving Greek and Roman texts, preserved in monasteries and elsewhere. Medieval medicine is widely[…]