MEDICINE

13 People Who Operated on Themselves

From the Founding Father who stuck whalebone where he shouldn’t have to the only known woman to have given herself a C-section.

The vast majority of tonsillectomies are performed on children.

Why Don’t Doctors Perform Tonsillectomies Like They Used To?

The surgical extraction of the tonsils was a hallmark of a 1950s childhood, but now the operation is not nearly as common.

Patient portals unfortunately aren't yet of the teleportal variety.

Why Does ‘Stat’ Mean “Immediately”?

Here’s everything you ever wondered about ‘stat’: its meaning, its origins, and whether ER doctors really shout it all the time.

A spoonful of sugar would definitely taste a lot better.

Here’s Why So Many Medicines Are Cherry-Flavored

There's a reason that cough syrup you're trying to choke down tastes like cherry.

A lock of Ludwig van Beethoven's hair in the collection of San José State University.

Beethoven’s Hair Reveals He Suffered from Lead Poisoning

Researchers speculate that ingesting lead may have contributed to the famous composer’s hearing loss and other unexplained ailments.

7 Common Misconceptions About OCD

Having an intrusive thought doesn’t mean you have OCD. Let’s break down some myths about obsessive compulsive disorder.

Fifteenth-century woodcut of a young woman who represents syphilis with the skeletons of dead lovers behind her bed.

Quiz: Can You Match the Disease to Its Olde-Tyme Name?

Ailments have gone by various names over the centuries. How many of these can you guess correctly?

There are some powerful tools in your arsenal that will help keep the Sunday Scaries at bay.

A Simple Way to Beat the Sunday Scaries

The phenomenon also known as “the Sunday Night Blues” can be daunting—but there are ways you can fight back.

Everything you knew about normal human body temperature is a myth.

The 98.6°F Myth: Why Everything You Think You Know About Body Temperature Is a Lie

The average body temperature isn't actually 98.6°F, a fact scientists have known for at least three decades. So why does this myth persist?

Your gut's microbiome can influence everything from digestion to immune health.

Prebiotic vs. Probiotic: What’s the Difference?

Supplements that promise to restore your gut health are everywhere. But not everyone can stomach them.

11 Facts That Could Save Your Life

We’re covering practical tips (like the scent that will alert you to an impending electrical fire) to decidedly stranger ones (how to get out of a kangaroo attack) in the latest episode of The List Show.

When Drinking Too Much Tea Could Get a Woman Sent to a Psychiatric Hospital

If you were a woman in the 19th century, virtually anything could get you committed to a psychiatric hospital—including drinking too much tea.

“The Plague Hospital,” a painting by Francisco Goya.

13 Facts About the Black Death

The Black Death—the world's second bubonic plague pandemic—decimated the populations of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe in the 14th century. But there was a silver lining.

Watch: Mysterious Footage from a 1950s Psychiatric Hospital

Uncovered on the grounds of the now-demolished Bahr Treatment Center in Indianapolis, this time capsule contained film reels that are still shrouded in a layer of mystery.

Do Sharks Really Not Get Cancer?

As the thinking goes, sharks don’t get cancer, so the pills will keep you from getting it, too. But there’s a problem with that theory.

You can thank Letitia Mumford Geer for this.

Remembering Letitia Mumford Geer, the Nurse Who Invented the One-Handed Syringe

The syringes used by medical professionals today can be traced back to her 1899 patent.

Retro Pepsi-Cola logos from the mid-20th century.

Pop Star: How Pepsi Got Its Name

Pepsi-Cola was named for two ingredients that it doesn't (and possibly never did) contain.

10 Facts About the Flu

Discover the history of the flu and its devastating impact on the world, from the deadliest influenza pandemic to today’s vaccines.

Astronaut Kellie Gerardi conducts research aboard the Virgin Galactic spacecraft.

“Humanity’s Next Giant Leap”: Citizen Astronaut Kellie Gerardi Envisions the Future of Spaceflight

Bioastronautics researcher Kellie Gerardi envisions a future when space is open to all.

What Are Frankincense and Myrrh, Anyway?

Frankincense and myrrh are a fragrant part of traditional Christmas celebrations, but what exactly are these pebble-like perfumes?

Use of the word ‘placebo’ in a medical context is more recent than you might think.

Why Is It Called the “Placebo Effect”?

What is a placebo? Technically, a Latin phrase meaning ‘I will please.’ It’s also a Catholic prayer and a clever insult.

A surgeon waving a dismembered arm might have sparked the Doctor’s Riot of 1788.

The Anatomy Riots: When Americans Protested Grave Robbing by Taking to the Streets

In the 18th and 19th centuries, robbing graves of their corpses for dissection at medical schools was an all too common practice—and sometimes, enraged citizens rose up in protest.

Should she drink about seven more of those?

5 Misconceptions about Health and Wellness

How much water should you really drink a day? Well, it’s complicated.

How an Unfortunate Misunderstanding Spawned a Medieval Mummy-Eating Fad

Eating centuries-old mummies was a hot health trend in medieval Europe.

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