Position of the spinal cord in the vertebral canal

The spinal cord proper does not extend the entire length of the vertebral canal. It ends between the first and second lumbar vertebra (two vertebra below the last set of ribs - just below the middle of the back), and a bundle of nerves that extend from it, called the cauda equina (“horse’s tail”), extends the rest of the way down the back, and into the sacrum.

In adults, the spinal cord is usually between 17-18 inches long (43-45 cm).

Atlas of Applied (Topographical) Anatomy for Students and Practitioners. Dr. Karl von Bardeleben and Dr. Heinrich Haeckel, 1906.

biomedicalephemera:

Skeleton of the Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Superimposed over the basic form of the fowl, to give a better approximation of how the musculature and feathering of the animal is constructed.

The bird; its form and function. C. William Beebe, 1907.

“Ringworm” - Tinea faciei

As most of you know, ringworm isn’t really a “worm”, or even an animal parasite. The condition is caused by one of over forty species of fungi (called dermatophytes) that live on the skin surface, and feed on keratin. The spores thrive on warm, wet surfaces, but can entrench themselves almost anywhere on the body. The name of the condition is determined by the location of infection - tinea capitis is on the scalp, tinea pedis is on the foot (athlete’s foot), tinea cruris is in the groin (jock itch/”crotch rot”), etc.

As the fungi are extremely easily spread by person-to-person contact, kids and people in institutional settings tend to contract the condition much more often than independent adults.

The original treatments for ringworm included mercury (oral and topical), sulfur, and iodine. Treatment of the scalp (tinea capitis) was considered more difficult than on the body, and frequently, x-ray treatment was used to kill the fungus.

The routine and accepted use of ionizing radiation to cure tinea capitis led to a long-standing incident among the Ashkenazi communities in Europe and the Middle East, called the “Ringworm affair”. Starting in 1910, several hundred thousand people (mostly children) from close-knit Jewish communities were treated for the condition, in an attempt to eradicate it from a population known to routinely harbor or manifest the condition. However, the treatments were poorly-executed, the patients rarely had full information as to what was being done to them, and the excessive exposure to ionizing radiation is estimated to have killed at least 6,000 children shortly after receiving treatment (within 2 weeks). At least 100,000 other people have had long-term effects from the program, such as cancers, genetic anomalies in their children, and thyroid function problems.

The x-ray treatment program, which was for the most part well-intentioned but disastrously-executed, did not end until 1959, when the first effective and relatively safe antifungal compound, griseofulvin, was developed.

Illustrated Skin Diseases, An Atlas and Text-Book. William S. Gottheil, 1906.

Skeleton of the Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Superimposed over the basic form of the fowl, to give a better approximation of how the musculature and feathering of the animal is constructed.

The bird; its form and function. C. William Beebe, 1907.

Bacteriologic Chart

1. Gonococcus spp.
2. Pneumococcus spp.
3. Streptococcus pyogenes
4. Micobacterium tuberculosis
5. Vibrio cholerae
6. Corynebacterium diphtheriae
7. Bacterium typhosum
8. Bacterium dysenteriae
9. Achorion Schonleinii [favus fungus]
10. Bacillus anthracis
11. Bacillus aerogenes capsulatus
12. Yeast cells - With buds and ascospores depicted

Deadly diseases are almost pretty, when stained and smeared on a microscope slide…

Postmortem Pathology. Henry W. Cattell, 1906.

Upper: Lateral view of the permanent teeth
Lower: Lateral view of the deciduous teeth [also known as milk teeth or baby teeth]

The permanent teeth consist of 32 teeth of four different types. There are 16 teeth on each jaw, and each jaw has 4 incisors, 2 canines, 4 premolars, and 6 molars (this includes the wisdom teeth, which are shown here)

The smaller mouth of the child only accommodates 20 teeth of three different types. There are 10 teeth on each jaw, and each jaw has 4 incisors, 2 canines, and 4 primary molars. 

Atlas and Text-Book of Dentistry. Gustav Preiswerk, translated by George W. Warren, 1906

Medieval Medicine: Sinapis alba - White Mustard

Medicinal use: Gout (as a salve, mixed with grease or wax, depending on book), scorpion stings (when ground with vinegar)

Other uses: Aphrodisiac. Mix with mint and one half potel* strong wine to produce aphrodisiac effect on damsels and matrons. 

Remember: one potel = ~3 bottles of wine

British Flowering Plants. W. F. Kirby, 1906.

opaquemountains:

turnofthecentury:

Ernst Haeckel, German biologist and naturalist - Photograph by Nicola Perscheid (1864–1930) - Published in Photographische Gesellschaft, 1906

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