313 Items Tagged

Medicine

Warblington, England

Gravewatcher's Huts

These unassuming buildings in the tranquil churchyard of rural Warblington are in fact grave watchers’ huts.

Cirencester, England

World's Tallest Yew Hedge

Trimmings from the record-setting tree line that surrounds Cirencester Park have been used to manufacture chemotherapy drugs.

Temnodontosaurus platyodon skull at the Lyme Regis Museum.

12 Places that Celebrate Women in Science

From pioneers in paleontology to trailblazers of modern medicine.

Jonathan Carey March 15, 2024

A 1908 edition of the <em>Evening Star</em> newspaper covers mad stones in their various forms, and goes on to explain how scientists have found them to be "worthless."

objects of intrigue

The Tale of the Mad Stone, the One-Time 'Cure' for Rabies

Before vaccines, pseudoscientific folks remedies for the deadly virus involved mysterious animal-vegetable-mineral hybrids.

Colin Dickey March 7, 2024

Social campaigners of the 1920s tried to make mocktails glamorous, but today Prohibition is primarily remembered as the era of speakeasies and bootleggers.

7 Wild Stories From the Prohibition Era

The 18th Amendment had some unexpected side effects, from alcohol prescriptions to the rise of NASCAR.

April White January 12, 2024

"Brindis" to Alexander Fleming

Monument to Doctor Fleming

Dr. Fleming's work saved the lives of many bullfighters thanks to his discovery of penicillin.

Ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg are so-called warm spices and the quintessential flavors of winter holidays.

How Ginger, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg Became Winter Spices

These tropical "warm spices," which flavor many Christmas cookies and other holiday favorites, are mainstays of traditional medicine.

Serina DeSalvio December 18, 2023

Boston, Massachusetts

George Parkman House

The former home of a Boston physician whose murder led to a revolution in forensic science.

Honeypot ants feed on sweet nectar and death.

All Winter, These Ants Make the Ultimate Sweet Sacrifice to Their Colony

Their syrupy death is medicinal for humans, too.

Shoshi Parks December 5, 2023

Eyemouth, Scotland

Cholera Monument

A watchhouse constructed from tombstones, to make way for a burial pit, for the victims succumbing to a deadly disease.

Saranac Lake, New York

Saranac Laboratory Museum

A former infectious disease laboratory chronicles how tuberculosis shaped a village nestled in the Adirondacks.

The bright colors of a monarch butterfly (<em>Danaus plexippus</em>), just like the boldly striped caterpillars of the species, warn predators to stay away.

The Monarch Butterfly Steals From Poisonous Plants to Survive

The butterfly defends itself using milkweed, just one of several plants packed with heart-stopping toxins that may also be in your medicine cabinet.

Noah Whiteman October 25, 2023

Cape Town, South Africa

Heart of Cape Town Museum

The first successful human heart transplant is depicted through wax figures at the hospital where it the surgery took place.

Doctors Pond

Great Dunmow, England

Doctors Pond

This Great Dunmow pond was a breeding ground for medical leeches, as well as the testing ground for the world's first lifeboat.

Podcast: Bone Vinyl

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

The Podcast Team July 31, 2023

The hostage drama that took place in this building on Norrmalmstorg in 1973 gave rise to the term “Stockholm Syndrome.” The bank has long since been replaced by a high-end clothing store, but the vaults are still there.

There Are at Least 10 Cities With Their Own Psychological Disorders

Stockholm Syndrome is the most famous, and most relate to tourism or hostage-taking.

Frank Jacobs, Big Think July 21, 2023

Toulouse, France

Musée de l'Histoire de la Médecine (Museum of the History of Medicine)

A journey through the history of medicine throughout the centuries.

A bottle of amaro, with other monastery snacks.

Celebrate Spring With 9 Flower-Based Foods and Drinks

From tulip vodka to fried palm blossoms.

Sam Lin-Sommer May 19, 2023