Medicine

Charles Davenport’s Eugenics Record Office collected data on thousands of Americans, hoping to support a pseudoscientific theory that would create a more perfect human race. It led to unspeakable tragedy.

Stopping to smell the flowers isn't all it's cracked up to be.

If you suffer from allergies, here are the worst—and the best—places to be.

In the late 1740s, the theologian John Wesley published ‘Primitive Physick, or, An Easy and Natural Method of Curing Most Diseases.’ Can you guess what treatments he recommended?

Prettier to look at than they are to actually swim with.

When it comes to jellyfish stings, urine is often cited as an effective remedy. But does it really work as a first-aid treatment?

The cover of the 1902 Sears, Roebuck catalogue.

Some of the products offered up for sale in the catalogue were downright dangerous.

This puny creature packs a powerful sting.

Asian needle ants may look small, but their stings are no joke.

Feeling fatigued can get in the way of work and other important things.

Fatigue and tiredness are often confused, but it’s important to understand the differences between them.

Johann Sebastian Bach was buried in an unmarked grave in 1750. Nearly two centuries later, a doctor identified the composer’s bones from skeletal evidence of “organist’s disease.”

Room temperature is a frame of reference.

Misunderstanding room temperature can have some surprisingly serious consequences.

People in high-risk groups may want to consider a measles vaccine booster.

If you’re in a high-risk group, you may want to consider getting a booster for full protection against measles.

Tibetan Mastiffs are majestic and expensive.

The upfront costs aren’t the only factors to consider when purchasing a pet.

Sick astronauts on a space mission can’t just pop down to Earth to see a doctor. Here’s how they deal with bumps, bruises, and worse.

Civil War medical officers including Jonathan Letterman, a surgeon who pioneered the ambulance-to-ER transport of wounded patients during the Civil War.

Civil War surgeons learned fast. Here are a few of the MacGyver-like medical solutions that have had a lasting impact.

From Taylor Swift's "22" to Missy Elliott's "Work It," these CPR songs will help you find a life-saving tempo.

An illustration of the vagus nerve’s location in the human body.

The vagus nerve does it all—tells your lungs to breathe, controls your heart rate, and even forms the foundation for a whole new medical field.

Nurse Agnes from Uganda’s Bwindi Community Hospital prepares a vaccination against measles.

Before the measles vaccine, there were between 3 and 4 million cases in the U.S. per year. Now, it’s less than 500.

A detail of Edvard Munch’s ‘The Sick Child,’ a portrait of his sister who died of tuberculosis at age 15.

Tuberculosis may seem like a historic malady, but it’s still the world’s deadliest infectious disease. Here’s what you need to know about its past and current outbreaks.

Spoiler alert: They’re still around.

Several factors make people more susceptible to the flu in winter.

Like clockwork, flu viruses seem to strike more people in winter than in any other season—and there are several reasons for that.

George Washington died after his physician treated his sore throat with bloodletting, but don't let that stop you from learning more about the human circulatory system.

The dogs who pulled off the Nome Serum run might have looked a little bit like this.

From January 27, 1925 until February 2, 20 mushers and 150 dogs heroically transported desperately needed diphtheria antitoxin to the remote town of Nome, Alaska, saving countless lives in the process. But the event wasn’t without controversy.

Feeling like garbage? That’s your immune system at work.

Without our immune system, we wouldn't last very long: this complex network of organs and cells fights off pathogens and helps maintain our health.

The super-contagious gastrointestinal virus is causing outbreaks across the U.S. Here's how to protect yourself (and everyone around you) from norovirus.

The world of medicine is even stranger than you can imagine.

From Alice in Wonderland Syndrome to the real-life version of Benjamin Button’s disease, these rare conditions could come straight out of a storybook.

Cold Spring Harbor: The Long Island Lab that Brought Eugenics to America

25 Worst U.S. Cities for Allergy Sufferers

Can You Guess How These 10 Diseases Were Treated in the 1700s?

Does Peeing on a Jellyfish Sting Actually Help?

11 Bizarre Items Sold by Sears in 1902

What to Know About the Invasive Asian Needle Ants Spreading Across the U.S.

Fatigued vs. Tired: What’s the Difference?

The Phony Disease That Helped Researchers Identify Bach’s (Purported) Body

What Exactly Is ‘Room Temperature’?

Do You Need a Measles Vaccine Booster? Here’s What Experts Say

The 10 Most Expensive Dog Breeds to Own

What Happens When an Astronaut Gets Sick in Space?

5 Medical Innovations from the Civil War

20 Great Songs to Use for CPR

9 Fascinating Facts About the Vagus Nerve

7 Facts About Measles

12 Facts About Tuberculosis, the Victorian “Robber of Youth”

Where Are They Now? Diseases That Killed You in ‘Oregon Trail’

Why Is the Flu Seasonal?

7 Vital Facts About Blood

10 Things You Need to Know About the 1925 Serum Run to Nome, Alaska

12 Fantastic Facts About the Immune System

7 Need-to-Know Facts About Norovirus

6 Super-Rare Medical Conditions