Medicine

The phenomenon is so common it even has a name.

It turns out that breathing in farm dust helps protect against allergies later in life.

The expedition's members occasionally got constipated, and relied on Dr. Rush's Bilious Pill.

Today, men still only have two real options: condoms or vasectomy. Meanwhile, women have 11. What's the holdup?

Buzz Heard 'Round the World via Facebook

If a surgeon gets too close to delicate nerves in the throat, an alarm goes off. (But no one's nose lights up.)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mouse Mind, anyone?

Their complexions became something of a scarlet letter—or an indigo letter, as it were.

Before anesthesia, surgery wasn't considered the work of a licensed medical professional.

Inflammatory diseases are common—and hard to live with. Here are five potential treatment breakthroughs.

In one new study, subjects who knew they were taking a placebo still reported feeling pain relief.

Norwegian researchers think chronic fatigue syndrome may be caused by antibodies produced to fight off infection.

A new study finds more genetic mutations that explain chronic insensitivity to pain.

Bernhard Jank, MD, Ott Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Regenerative Medicine

Bioengineered brains, limbs, and organs are being grown in the lab.

Let the zebras and tigers have their stripes. Humans have our own—they're called Blaschko's Lines.

A new scan can identify every virus a person has had using just a single drop of blood.

You don't have to be pre-med (or a fan of medical soaps) to know this iconic textbook. But did you know about the drama behind its title?

John Scott Harrison, onetime Ohio congressman and gentleman farmer, is the only person who was both the son and father of U.S. Presidents: father William Henry was the ninth, while son Benjamin was the 23rd.

The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp by Rembrandt, via wikimedia commons

The Renaissance may have been a time of great scientific and artistic innovation, but the era’s medical treatments still had a ways to go before they became safe and effective. Here are a few questionable cures a Renaissance doctor may have prescribed you

Throw away your night vision goggles. A few drops of this magic liquid is all you need to see in the dark.

A 1000-year-old recipe translated from Old English proves effective at killing MRSA.

Set in 1900, "The Knick" follows life and death in a New York hospital. Oh yeah, and the main character is a surgeon who happens to be addicted to cocaine.

What Makes These Dominican Children Grow Penises at Puberty?

Scientists Discover Why Growing Up on a Farm Helps Protect You from Allergies

Mercury in Latrines Helped Historians Follow Lewis and Clark

5 Promising Male Birth Control Methods

The Real-Life Operation That Works Like Operation

Scientists Find a Way to Erase Memories of Drug Use in Addicted Mice

Why the Fugate Family Has Blue Skin

How Uneducated Butchers and Barbers Became Today’s Skilled Surgeons

5 Cutting-Edge Treatments for Inflammatory Diseases

Placebos May Work Even If You Know the Treatment Isn't Real

Possible Breakthrough for Sufferers of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

'Feeling No Pain' Is Really Bad For You—and It's Genetic

7 Body Parts Scientists Can Grow in a Petri Dish

Our Skin Is Covered With Invisible Stripes

A Minor Blood Test Can Tell You Every Infection You’ve Ever Had

Why It Should Have Been Carter and Gray's Anatomy

The Body-Snatching Horror of John Scott Harrison

11 Strange Remedies Used By Renaissance Doctors

The Strength of the Placebo Effect May Hinge on Your DNA

12 Bizarre Facts About The History of Birth Control

Biohackers Create Eyedrops for Perfect Night Vision

Medieval Medicine Could Help Fight Superbug MRSA

A Brief History of Real Life “Werewolves”

Interview: The Knick Creators Amiel and Begler