An astonishing discovery from the oldest known grave in Southeast Asia has revised medical history – the previous known amputation surgery was just 7,000 years ago.
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Articles on History of medicine
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Each of these five drugs have brought some incredible benefits. But they’ve usually also come with a legacy of complications.
The story behind the research can be as compelling as the results. Recording the effects of starvation, a group of Jewish doctors demonstrated their dedication to science – and their own humanity.
The idea that Europeans brought new diseases to the Americas and returned home with others has been widely accepted. But evidence is mounting that for syphilis this scenario is wrong.
This illustrated health manual dating back to the 13th century provides a glimpse of daily life in aristocratic households during the Middle Ages.
Albert Alexander was the first known person treated with penicillin. While his ultimately fatal case is well known in medical histories, the cause of his illness has been misattributed for decades.
Discover the stories of five trailblazing women – Tharp, Nice, Tu, Noether and Wu – who worked in STEM during the 20th century.
None of our authors can see the future, but many do have expertise that offers insights about what’s reasonable to expect.
Public health experts know that schools are likely sites for the spread of disease, and laws tying school attendance to vaccination go back to the 1800s.
On Oct. 1, 1971, Godfrey Hounsfield’s invention took its first pictures of a human brain, using X-rays and an ingenious algorithm to identify a woman’s tumor from outside of her skull.
A biomedical engineer explains the basic research that led to the discovery of insulin and its transformation into a lifesaving treatment for millions of people with diabetes.
When Bostonians in 1721 faced a deadly smallpox outbreak, a new procedure called inoculation was found to help fend off the disease. Not everyone was won over, and newspapers fed the controversy.
Van Leeuwenhoek, who discovered bacteria, is one of the most important figures in the history of medicine, laying the groundwork for today’s understanding of infectious disease.
Though Renaissance concerns about ‘borrowed flesh’ might seem outlandish and out of date, they are surprisingly relevant to the modern surgical landscape.
The beginnings of measuring fever go back more than 400 years.
Americans were tired of social distancing and mask-wearing. At the first hint the virus was receding, people pushed to get life back to normal. Unfortunately another surge of the disease followed.
Though COVID-19 has killed Black Americans at nearly twice the rate as white Americans, Black people are the least likely racial group to say they’re eager to get the vaccine.
A whistle-stop tour of the history of placebos.
We shouldn’t paint all those hesitant or unsure about new medical treatments with the same broad brush. We need a more productive and thoughtful conversation.
Almost 10% of physicians in the US are doctors of osteopathic medicine, and that proportion is rising. Their medical knowledge matches that of other doctors; the difference is the philosophy behind it.
Top contributors
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Assistant Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh
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Chancellor's Professor of Medicine, Liberal Arts, and Philanthropy, Indiana University
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Lecturer, Pharmacology, Women's Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia
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Head of Knowledge, Australian National Maritime Museum and Honorary Affiliate, University of Sydney
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Professor Emerita, Classical Studies, The Open University
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Lecturer in History, University of Leicester
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Visiting Lecturer of History, Georgia State University
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Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellow, University of Pittsburgh
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Assistant Director of the Center for the History of Medicine, University of Michigan
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Lecturer in English Literature, University of Reading
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Associate Professor of History, Rutgers University - Newark
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Professor, School of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Sydney
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Professor of Science Communication and Chemistry, University of Hull
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Associate Professor, Southern Cross University
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Research Fellow, University of Sydney
