Medicine

A painting by an unknown artist from 1786, appropriately titled The Dying Patient.

Could you imagine rubbing poisonous lead on someone to cure their rectal cancer? Welcome to just one of the remedies in 'The Book of Phisick,' a remarkably legible, handwritten recipe book of natural remedies.

Syphilis by Richard Cooper, Wellcome Images via Wikimedia // CC BY 4.0

Disease terminology can tell us a lot about the (sometimes-misguided) history of medicine.

In 1816, French physician Rene Theophile Hyacinthe Laennec had a young woman on his exam table, and no idea what to do with her. The examination up to that point suggested a diseased heart, but Laennec wasn’t sure how he would confirm that.

These researchers tested 14 recipes in the name of science.

They were able to transplant healthy human pancreatic cells into diabetic mice without triggering an immune response.

It looks like your parents were on to something.

The technology behind it was inspired by a children's toy.

Here is a look at the evolution of this groundbreaking procedure—and the people whose lives were changed by it.

Dvortygirl via Wikimedia Commons // CC BY-SA 3.0

An anti-inflammatory compound in the syrup may inspire new drugs.

Science has given us an idea of the volume of our toots.

“This study will lead to a revolution in neuroscience," Wallace says. "Whether the neuroscientists will accept it is another question."

Everyone has cell phones, so why do physicians still use pagers?

A new study finds that saline water is more effective at cleaning wounds than soap.

Some researchers believe that infection with parasitic worms can stimulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. Others are not so sure.

Lewy Body Dementia affects an estimated 1.4 million people in the U.S.

A hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina has become a Thanksgiving dinner hotspot.

Dr. Henry Heimlich’s innovative research led to this life-saving technique, but he ran into major issues with the American Red Cross.

The DOD recently gave a $10 million contract to a University of Alabama research team to begin human safety testing trials on a synthetic estrogen that may be able to save the lives of wounded soldiers and trauma patients.