Category:
Medicine
Medicine
The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse
Besides having a great porn-movie title, this film starring Edward G. Robinson is just all over the map. Part comedy, part high-society drama, part courtroom drama, part gangster film, it features the loony premise of a medical doctor who becomes a crook for research purposes. Toss in Claire Trevor's weird lisp, and it's a surefire WU candidate!
Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 14, 2009 -
Comments (9)
Category: Medicine, Movies, Stupid Criminals, 1930s
Shoe-Smell and Epilepsy
An article in Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery examines whether "shoe-smell" is an effective treatment for epilepsy. The authors note:Some Eastern parts of the world like India have witnessed since time immemorial, a practice of application of “shoe-smelling” in an attempt to arrest the seizures. The practice consisted of bringing the sole of shoe near the nostrils of the patient during the epileptic attack by near-by attendants or passers-by in the event of the attack occurring in a public place. The practice has continued and still remains a form of first-aid treatment in developing countries especially in countryside and rural areas. Although today, this age-old practice of “shoe-smell” may sound ridiculous apart from being most unscientific, its persistence as a remedy does tempt researchers to provide an insight to the reasons and basis for this continuing practice.
I wondered what kind of shoe-smell they were talking about. Apparently it's stinky shoe smell. The stinkier the better. The authors were skeptical that shoe-smell could work, but they end up concluding that it probably did help:
strong olfaction can aid in halting the progress of an epileptic seizure and/or abort the generalization of a partial seizure especially of temporal origin although more prospective studies are required to establish a clear and firm relation between the two, i.e. strong odor and seizure control. It may not therefore be incorrect to believe that in olden days too, strong olfaction applied in the form of “shoe-smell” did definitely play a suppressive role and thus exerted an inhibitory influence on epilepsy.
Posted By: Alex - Sat Jan 31, 2009 -
Comments (4)
Category: Medicine
Eye Worms
Ear Worms is the term for those annoying songs that get stuck in your head. Eye Worms, on the other hand, are simply worms that burrow through your eye. Their scientific name is Loa loa filaria. You get them from fly bites. All About Worms has some more info:When the Loa Loa worm reaches the eye tissue, it can be easily seen and felt within the eyeball for up to an hour. It is usually removed under local anesthesia if the patient is within proximity of a qualified physician. When an adult worm dies, the surrounding tissue may abscess and require excision. Encephalitis can occur if the worm reaches the brain.
The video below seems to be an attempt to combine ear worms and eye worms. It shows the removal of an eye worm from a patient, set to a cover version of Top of the World by the Carpenters:
Posted By: Alex - Thu Jan 29, 2009 -
Comments (7)
Category: Medicine
Squeekums the Rat Mannikin
Fully articulated and extremely realistic. Comes with detachable tail and the capability of IV access at the caudal vein site. Also, replaceable ear sets. Price: only $729.Or you could trap a real one outside for free. Seem to be plenty in the alleyway behind my house.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 21, 2009 -
Comments (7)
Category: Animals, Medicine
Dr. Seth Arnold’s Great Infantile Regulator
(Looking online, I discover that the entire book has been digitized here, so that you can have your own virtual copy.)
The front and back sections of the volume are full of ads. Here are two for some nostrums that I am sure contained plenty of dope.
No wonder the citizens in the drawings all look so relaxed and peaceful!
Posted By: Paul - Tue Jan 20, 2009 -
Comments (11)
Category: Medicine, Regionalism, Advertising, Products, Babies and Toddlers, Nineteenth Century
Expensive Pets
Alex's post on animal owners seems to have divided WU readers into two camps: those who would pay any sum to heal their pet, and those who would duct-tape a gerbil at the first sign of infirmity.I'm sure both types of readers would like to learn about the experiences of Kim Cavallero.
Due to myriad health issues, Kim Cavallero has racked up more than $20,000 in veterinary bills for her cat, Annie, in the past year. Through the employee assistance program at her job, she discovered Feline Outreach. "During a time when people thought I was crazy for continuing to care for my pet through very serious and expensive medical care, Feline Outreach validated me -- especially emotionally,'' she said. "With their grant, they let me know that I was doing the right thing for my cat.''
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jan 12, 2009 -
Comments (12)
Category: Animals, Medicine, Money
Interactive Autopsy
Learn how to perform an autopsy at the Interactive Autopsy site. First, make the Y-incision. Saw off the ribs to expose the internal organs. You may remove all the organs at once (which is known as the Rokitansky method). etc., etc.My favorite part was weighing the organs.
Posted By: Alex - Wed Jan 07, 2009 -
Comments (3)
Category: Death, Medicine
Freddy Flossisaurus
Cheap stuffed puppet: $10.00
Fake dentures from gag shop: $5.00
Toothbrush: $1.00
Total cost of teaching device: $16.00, max. And that's paying retail!
So why does Freddy Flossisaurus cost $316.00 at this medical-supply site!?!
[edit: checking back in 2012, it appears that Freddy is sadly no longer for sale. So I removed the link. -Alex]
Posted By: Paul - Wed Dec 31, 2008 -
Comments (4)
Category: Body, Education, Medicine, Toys
The Surprise Question
In medicine the "surprise question" has a specific meaning. It refers to when a doctor asks himself this question: "Would I be surprised if this patient died in the next year?"
A recent study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology found that the surprise question has high predictive value. Doctors classified 147 dialysis patients into "yes" and "no" groups on the basis of the surprise question. (i.e. No, I wouldn't be surprised if they died.) Sure enough, the No group died within the next year at a rate 3.5 times higher than the Yes group.
Conclusion: "The 'surprise' question is effective in identifying sicker dialysis patients who have a high risk for early mortality and should receive priority for palliative care interventions."
Posted By: Alex - Tue Dec 30, 2008 -
Comments (9)
Category: Death, Medicine
Foot in Brain
A colorado surgeon found a tiny foot, hand, thigh, and parts of an intestine growing inside the brain of a 3-day-old baby. DenverChannel.com has a picture of the brain-foot.It's not clear whether this was a case of "fetus in fetu" (a fetus growing inside its twin) or fetiform teratoma (a kind of tumor).
Wikipedia has a good article on Teratomas, noting that teratomas have been reported to contain "hair, teeth, bone and very rarely more complex organs such as eyeball, torso, and hand." There was even one case of a mature teratoma being "reported to contain a rudimentary beating heart."
For your entertainment, here's a photo (from Wikipedia) of a cystic teratoma containing hair.
Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 18, 2008 -
Comments (5)
Category: Babies, Body Modifications, Medicine
| Who We Are |
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |