Posts tagged 1882

cabbagingcove:

Today in History - April 19

Downe, Kent, England, 1888

On April 19, 1888, Charles Robert Darwin passed away at Down House, in Downe, Kent, at age 73. He was active in the natural history community to his last, and was buried with great pomp and ceremony in Westminster Abbey, next to Isaac Newton and John Herschel.

Though his earlier works were clearly influential, one of his most accurate and long-standing books was his last - The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Earthworms. In fact, his observations on the anatomy and function of earthworms were so thorough that the species he covered in his book have largely been ignored in basic research until recently, when the concept and ability to test for “gut flora” (bacteria in the digestive system) arose in the early 2000s.

Zonweiss for the Teeth! This clock was one of those “buy X many Zonweiss bottles and get a prize” things - you know, like what you can find on the back of cereal boxes, but way more bitchin’. Druggist’s Annual for 1882. Compiled by H.G. Adam, 1882.

Zonweiss for the Teeth!

This clock was one of those “buy X many Zonweiss bottles and get a prize” things - you know, like what you can find on the back of cereal boxes, but way more bitchin’.

Druggist’s Annual for 1882. Compiled by H.G. Adam, 1882.

Flickr / biomedical_scraps

Manatus australis (now Trichecus manatus) - West Indian Manatee The West Indian Manatee includes the subspecies Trichecus manatus latirostris, the Florida Manatee. This is the species that likes to loll around the river heads of central-southern Florida during the winter, leading to the development of several “manatee parks” that let tourists and residents view the overwintering creatures, while also providing rehabilitation to the injured and an especially strongly protected area for the wild individuals. Manatees belong to the order Sirenia, which also includes dugongs and the extinct Stellar’s sea cow. Unlike other marine mammals, Sirenia are primarily herbivorous, though they are opportunistic feeders and will consume small fish and crustaceans when they’re nearby. Biologia centrali-americana: Mammalia. Edward Richard Alston, 1882.

Manatus australis (now Trichecus manatus) - West Indian Manatee

The West Indian Manatee includes the subspecies Trichecus manatus latirostris, the Florida Manatee. This is the species that likes to loll around the river heads of central-southern Florida during the winter, leading to the development of several “manatee parks” that let tourists and residents view the overwintering creatures, while also providing rehabilitation to the injured and an especially strongly protected area for the wild individuals.

Manatees belong to the order Sirenia, which also includes dugongs and the extinct Stellar’s sea cow. Unlike other marine mammals, Sirenia are primarily herbivorous, though they are opportunistic feeders and will consume small fish and crustaceans when they’re nearby.

Biologia centrali-americana: Mammalia. Edward Richard Alston, 1882.

Michel Bur - Case Study #2 of Dr. von Recklinghausen - Neurofibromatosis 1 Though some characteristics of the disease were already known (namely its heritable nature and its vastly variable degrees of severity) Frederich Daniel von Recklinghausen wrote the first work on the true etiology of NF, which is why it’s still referred to in some textbooks as “[von] Recklinghausen disease”. He noted that the soft-tissue tumors easily visible on the skin arose from the nerve sheaths, and the internal tumors often found on the optic nerves and gastrointestinal system had the same origin. Recklinghausen also recorded several of the diagnostic signs that were unique to (or very rare outside of) neurofibromatosis, such as Lisch nodules on the iris of the eye. Ueber die multiplen Fibrome der Haut und ihre Beziehung zu den multiplen Neuromen. Frederich Daniel von Recklinghausen, 1882.

Michel Bur - Case Study #2 of Dr. von Recklinghausen - Neurofibromatosis 1

Though some characteristics of the disease were already known (namely its heritable nature and its vastly variable degrees of severity) Frederich Daniel von Recklinghausen wrote the first work on the true etiology of NF, which is why it’s still referred to in some textbooks as “[von] Recklinghausen disease”.

He noted that the soft-tissue tumors easily visible on the skin arose from the nerve sheaths, and the internal tumors often found on the optic nerves and gastrointestinal system had the same origin. Recklinghausen also recorded several of the diagnostic signs that were unique to (or very rare outside of) neurofibromatosis, such as Lisch nodules on the iris of the eye.

Ueber die multiplen Fibrome der Haut und ihre Beziehung zu den multiplen Neuromen. Frederich Daniel von Recklinghausen, 1882.

Sciurus hypopyrrhus (subspecies of and may be synonymous with Sciurus aureogaster) - Mexican Red-Bellied Squirrel This subspecies of the Mexican Gray Squirrel is possibly just a variation on Sciurus aureogaster. As it has no distinct population separate from the Mexican Gray, the Red-Bellied and melanistic “subspecies” (all of which interbreed) are often considered nothing more than color variants. Biologia centralia-americana. Edward Richard Alston, 1882.

Sciurus hypopyrrhus (subspecies of and may be synonymous with Sciurus aureogaster) - Mexican Red-Bellied Squirrel

This subspecies of the Mexican Gray Squirrel is possibly just a variation on Sciurus aureogaster. As it has no distinct population separate from the Mexican Gray, the Red-Bellied and melanistic “subspecies” (all of which interbreed) are often considered nothing more than color variants.

Biologia centralia-americana. Edward Richard Alston, 1882.

Dide[l]phis derbiana (now Caluromys derbianus) - Derby’s Opossum This Paraguayan and Central American opossum was named in honor of the 13th Earl of Derby. This particular specimen lived in the Zoological Society’s Gardens, and would viciously attack anyone who came near her when she had young who were not yet on their own. When she was not with her young, she was shy, but not eager to attack. Biologia centrali-americana: Mammalia. Edward Richard Alston, 1882.

Dide[l]phis derbiana (now Caluromys derbianus) - Derby’s Opossum

This Paraguayan and Central American opossum was named in honor of the 13th Earl of Derby.

This particular specimen lived in the Zoological Society’s Gardens, and would viciously attack anyone who came near her when she had young who were not yet on their own. When she was not with her young, she was shy, but not eager to attack.

Biologia centrali-americana: Mammalia. Edward Richard Alston, 1882.

biomedicalephemera: Questionable Health Tips Night: …that way, you can look outside at the lovely happy sunflowers, whilst dying of malarial infection!  Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

biomedicalephemera:

Questionable Health Tips Night:

…that way, you can look outside at the lovely happy sunflowers, whilst dying of malarial infection! 

Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

This is Totsy. He is a python. He likes sparrows. He really likes sparrows. Snakes: Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life. Catherine C. Hopley, 1882.

This is Totsy. He is a python. He likes sparrows. He really likes sparrows.

Snakes: Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life. Catherine C. Hopley, 1882.

Cobra Skeleton, Prepared to Strike I probably posted this from its original source (Owen’s Anatomy of Vertebrates) at one point, but snake skeletons are just too cool. Snakes: Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life. Catherine C. Hopley, 1882.

Cobra Skeleton, Prepared to Strike

I probably posted this from its original source (Owen’s Anatomy of Vertebrates) at one point, but snake skeletons are just too cool.

Snakes: Curiosities and Wonders of Serpent Life. Catherine C. Hopley, 1882.

Those who are passed out are not necessarily drunk!  All I can picture is Victorian London, with roads littered with passed-out drunks, and one man who wasn’t actually drunk being looked past as if it’s totally normal to be unconscious in public. Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. Foote, 1882.

Those who are passed out are not necessarily drunk! 

All I can picture is Victorian London, with roads littered with passed-out drunks, and one man who wasn’t actually drunk being looked past as if it’s totally normal to be unconscious in public.

Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. Foote, 1882.

Medical Myths: Holding your urine in can rupture your bladder

Questionable Medical Advice:

Ok, so this isn’t bad advice per se, but it does relate to an interesting medical myth - that you can die by not urinating out of “politeness” or forcing yourself not to urinate for other reasons. You can hurt yourself and cause UTIs by holding your urine, but you can’t die from a ruptured bladder due to not going to the bathroom.

Truth:

Your urethral sphincters make it physically impossible to build up urine in your bladder to the point of rupture. The kidneys and ureters cannot produce enough pressure to burst the bladder. When there is an obstruction, the kidneys fail first. In the case of trying to hold it, the body would protect the kidneys by reacting violently, forcing urethral sphincters to fail and causing the person to wet themselves.

Historic Notable Case:

Contrary to popular belief, Tycho Brahe never died of “retaining urine at the banquet table out of politeness”. The original cause of death was assumed to be a kidney stone causing him to be unable to pass urine, but even that wouldn’t cause urine retention and bladder rupture before it caused kidney failure.

Either way, Brahe is now believed to have died from mercury poisoning, since bloody urine, extreme difficulty urinating, delirium, and high fever, are all known to be characteristic symptoms of over-exposure/consumption of high levels of mercury. The delirium without hallucination repeatedly noted by his physician in his last days of life is highly unlikely to have appeared in a case of pure kidney failure or peritonitis [which would have been the direct cause of death if retaining urine was why he died].

Recent notable case:


Jennifer Strange - in Jan 2007, Jennifer Strange was widely reported to have died of bladder failure during the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest. The contestants had to drink a full glass of water every 10 minutes and not go to the bathroom to win, so it seemed like a plausible cause of death.

However, the true cause of death was acute hyponatremia [as a result of hyper-hydration], when the electrolytes [sodium specifically] in the blood are over-diluted. Since sodium is critical for muscle function, acute hyponatremia can lead to cardiac arrhythmia. Cellular swelling due to osmotic pressure changes can also cause cerebral edema and bradycardia [decreased heart rate].

Hypotonic cells caused by imbalanced fluid electrolytes

Hyper-hydration has lead to several deaths in marathon runners who consumed plain water instead of electrolyte beverages during long races. It’s also lead to the deaths of a few ravers who, in an attempt to stave off the dehydration that over-exertion after Ecstasy [MDMA] consumption can cause, drank so much water that they went way past the point of staving off dehydration. 

Before death, the brain swelling caused by hyper-hydration can cause symptoms mimicking drunkenness, which in at least one documented case, has tragically lead to those around the patient to encourage water consumption. 

Questionable Health Tips Night: Ok, well, I’m sure these compounds both work to remove hair, buuuuuut: Quicklime was used by Henry III’s navy to blind an invading French fleet Quicklime can be dusty. When it gets inhaled, it burns through the nasal septum and causes intense abdominal pain and vomiting. Hydrosulphate (sic) of soda is the same caustic soda that, when concentrated, is one of the most efficient ways to dissolve a human body. Well, any body. But we generally don’t try to remove hair from non-humans. Arsenic is…ARSENIC. Perhaps the caustic soda being used for the hair-removal was the same caustic soda being drunk as if it were water earlier. Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

Questionable Health Tips Night:

Ok, well, I’m sure these compounds both work to remove hair, buuuuuut:

  • Quicklime was used by Henry III’s navy to blind an invading French fleet
  • Quicklime can be dusty. When it gets inhaled, it burns through the nasal septum and causes intense abdominal pain and vomiting.
  • Hydrosulphate (sic) of soda is the same caustic soda that, when concentrated, is one of the most efficient ways to dissolve a human body. Well, any body. But we generally don’t try to remove hair from non-humans.
  • Arsenic is…ARSENIC.

Perhaps the caustic soda being used for the hair-removal was the same caustic soda being drunk as if it were water earlier.

Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

Questionable Health Tips Night: Well, that’s one way to deal with it. Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

Questionable Health Tips Night:

Well, that’s one way to deal with it.

Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

Questionable Health Tips Night: …that way, you can look outside at the lovely happy sunflowers, whilst dying of malarial infection!  Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

Questionable Health Tips Night:

…that way, you can look outside at the lovely happy sunflowers, whilst dying of malarial infection! 

Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

Questionable Health Tips Night: LAWL CURRY-COMB. I C WUT U DID THAR. I wonder if literally tin-lining the stomach would be less irritating to Dr. Foote than the “curry-comb” that curry is. Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.

Questionable Health Tips Night:

LAWL CURRY-COMB. I C WUT U DID THAR.

I wonder if literally tin-lining the stomach would be less irritating to Dr. Foote than the “curry-comb” that curry is.

Dr. Foote’s Hand-Book of Health-Hints and Ready Recipes. E.B. Foote, 1882.