Posts tagged 1907

Left: Testicular torsion and hemorrhage. Testicle removed from abdomen after causing significant pain. Patient maintained one testicle (the one that descended after birth).
Right: Normal testicle, epididymis, and spermatic cord.

Testicular torsion is usually caused by something called a “bell-clapper” deformity, where the testicle is inadequately secured to the scrotum, and can move freely enough to tangle up the testicular cords. If it’s caught early (within 6 hours from the onset of pain), the damage is usually reversible, and during the procedure to untangle the cords, the testicle that became twisted can be secured to the scrotum, so that this does not recur.

However, if the pain is ignored or not treated, irreversible ischemia of the tissues begins to set in around the 6-hour mark, and is usually seen as completely irreversible (meaning castration of the testicle is called for) after 24-48 hours.

A Text-Book of Genito-Urinary Diseases, including Functional Sexual Disorders in Men. Dr. Leopold Casper, translated by Charles Bonney, 1907,

Skiagraphs (X-rays) of the hands and feet of a 12-year-old girl with ectrodactyly

Colloquially known as “lobster-claw syndrome”, ectrodactyly is the congenital absence or deficiency of one or more of the central digits of the hand or foot. It generally manifests bilaterally (on both sides), but not always with identical deformity on either side.

In addition to the loss or shortening of the central digits, “clefting” of the hand or foot often divides the carpals or tarsals down the middle-line, giving the extremity the claw-like appearance that is associated with the condition. While there are many genetic anomalies that can cause ectrodactyly, most of them are autosomal dominant, and parents with the condition have a 50/50 chance of passing it on to their children.

Aside from unusual appendages, a majority of people with ectrodactyly are not otherwise hindered by other mental or physical defects. A large percentage with the most common forms of ectrodactyly have hearing deficits, but normally not to a serious enough degree to require a hearing aid.

The Vadoma (or Doma) people of Zimbabwe, and the Kalanga tribes of Zimbabwe and Botswana, both have significantly higher rates of ectrodactyly than the rest of the world. With the Vadoma, their long-term isolation from other peoples resulted in an inbreeding-depression with an autosomal dominant form of tarsal ectrodactyly. The origin of the higher rate of the condition in the Kalanga is not known for certain, as it is a different mutation than in the Doma.

Röntgen Rays and Electro-Therapeutics. Mihran Krikor Kassabian, 1907.

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Median Section of Skull Showing middle meningeal artery and significant planes of skull. Dura mater that would be visible in typical median section not depicted. Anatomy of the Brain and Spinal Cord. Harris E. Santee, 1907.

Median Section of Skull

Showing middle meningeal artery and significant planes of skull. Dura mater that would be visible in typical median section not depicted.

Anatomy of the Brain and Spinal Cord. Harris E. Santee, 1907.

Frozen transverse cross-section of a uterus from multigravida [twin] at the thirty-sixth week. No contractions have occurred, and the cervix is unshortened, indicating birth was not imminent. Death from eclampsia. In twin pregnancies, there is an increased risk of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia, and delivery is often induced before the due date, either by the body itself, or by an obstetrician. In addition to the increased risk of eclampsia, multigravida pregnancies are at risk for many other adverse events during development and delivery, and as such are treated as “high-risk” pregnancies, even if the mother and fetuses are both perfectly healthy. The Practice of Obstetrics. J. Clifton Edgar, 1907.

Frozen transverse cross-section of a uterus from multigravida [twin] at the thirty-sixth week.

No contractions have occurred, and the cervix is unshortened, indicating birth was not imminent. Death from eclampsia.

In twin pregnancies, there is an increased risk of eclampsia and pre-eclampsia, and delivery is often induced before the due date, either by the body itself, or by an obstetrician. In addition to the increased risk of eclampsia, multigravida pregnancies are at risk for many other adverse events during development and delivery, and as such are treated as “high-risk” pregnancies, even if the mother and fetuses are both perfectly healthy.

The Practice of Obstetrics. J. Clifton Edgar, 1907.

Emperor Penguin - Aptenodytes forsteri. Full adult plumage. Emperor penguins are similarly colored but larger than King Penguins. They are not sexually dimorphous (the males and females are similarly colored and sized), and are one of many species of bird that requires two adults to raise a brood - in their case, a single chick. The bones of the penguin are solid, allowing them to dive to depths with pressures that would crush birds with hollow bones. The hemoglobin in the blood of Emperor and King penguins is also unique - it’s specialized for maximum absorption in low densities of oxygen. Emperor (but not King) penguins are able to shut down many of their internal organs so as to slow metabolism during egg production (in the female) and incubation (in the male). National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904: Natural History - Vol II. Zoology. The Order of Trustees of the British Museum, 1907.

Emperor Penguin - Aptenodytes forsteri. Full adult plumage.

Emperor penguins are similarly colored but larger than King Penguins. They are not sexually dimorphous (the males and females are similarly colored and sized), and are one of many species of bird that requires two adults to raise a brood - in their case, a single chick. The bones of the penguin are solid, allowing them to dive to depths with pressures that would crush birds with hollow bones. The hemoglobin in the blood of Emperor and King penguins is also unique - it’s specialized for maximum absorption in low densities of oxygen. Emperor (but not King) penguins are able to shut down many of their internal organs so as to slow metabolism during egg production (in the female) and incubation (in the male).

National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904: Natural History - Vol II. Zoology. The Order of Trustees of the British Museum, 1907.

McCormick’s Skua - Feet 1. Nestling, right after hatching2. Nestling, two to three weeks old3. Juvenile, around the time of downy feather shedding4. Normal adult5. Piebald morph of adult - Juvenile coloring retained, with adult feathering National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904: Natural History - Vol II. Zoology. The Order of Trustees of the British Museum, 1907.

McCormick’s Skua - Feet

1. Nestling, right after hatching
2. Nestling, two to three weeks old
3. Juvenile, around the time of downy feather shedding
4. Normal adult
5. Piebald morph of adult - Juvenile coloring retained, with adult feathering

National Antarctic Expedition 1901-1904: Natural History - Vol II. Zoology. The Order of Trustees of the British Museum, 1907.

Nestor productus - Norfolk Island Kaka  Nestor norfolcensis is now seen as a synonym of Nestor productus. This is actually a member of the family Strigopidae, which diverged from the Nestor family when New Zealand broke off from Gondwanaland, around 60 million years ago. Though the Maori had been hunting the Norfolk Island Kaka for at least several thousand years before the island was colonized by Great Britain, the bizarre natural curiosity that is common to the Strigopidae (meaning, of course, they were drawn to the penal colonies being built, and prisoners were apparently keen on parrot meat…) lead to a rapid downfall in the species.  By the way, the Kea (a member of the same family) still has that same curiosity. They want to know what’s in everything, and what’s edible, and what’s able to be destroyed. Sooooo…don’t park rental cars where they live. They literally rip apart vehicles, and anything else that’s shiny or interesting-looking. Extinct Birds. Baron Lionel Walter Rothschild, 1907.

Nestor productus - Norfolk Island Kaka 

Nestor norfolcensis is now seen as a synonym of Nestor productus. This is actually a member of the family Strigopidae, which diverged from the Nestor family when New Zealand broke off from Gondwanaland, around 60 million years ago.

Though the Maori had been hunting the Norfolk Island Kaka for at least several thousand years before the island was colonized by Great Britain, the bizarre natural curiosity that is common to the Strigopidae (meaning, of course, they were drawn to the penal colonies being built, and prisoners were apparently keen on parrot meat…) lead to a rapid downfall in the species. 

By the way, the Kea (a member of the same family) still has that same curiosity. They want to know what’s in everything, and what’s edible, and what’s able to be destroyed. Sooooo…don’t park rental cars where they live. They literally rip apart vehicles, and anything else that’s shiny or interesting-looking.

Extinct Birds. Baron Lionel Walter Rothschild, 1907.

The Giant Spider Crab of Japan [Macrocheira kaempferi] This is a big ol’ crab. Bigger than any other arthropod. Some can be 3.8m (12 ft) from claw to claw. They’re really, really big. That is all. Scenes From Every Land. National Geographic Society. Edited by Gilbert H. Grosvenor, 1907.

The Giant Spider Crab of Japan [Macrocheira kaempferi]

This is a big ol’ crab.

Bigger than any other arthropod. Some can be 3.8m (12 ft) from claw to claw.

They’re really, really big.

That is all.

Scenes From Every Land. National Geographic Society. Edited by Gilbert H. Grosvenor, 1907.

Common Sites of Postpartum Hemorrhage One of the many ways to die in the puerperal period. Luckily, most hemorrhages can be stopped if the mother gives birth in a hospital setting, and the death rate from them is far lower than it once was The Practice of Obstetrics, Designed for the Use of Students and Practitioners of Medicine. J. Clifton Edgar, 1907.

Common Sites of Postpartum Hemorrhage

One of the many ways to die in the puerperal period. Luckily, most hemorrhages can be stopped if the mother gives birth in a hospital setting, and the death rate from them is far lower than it once was

The Practice of Obstetrics, Designed for the Use of Students and Practitioners of Medicine. J. Clifton Edgar, 1907.

Toxemia of Pregnancy [this liver damage caused by HELLP Syndrome - “hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme, low platelets”] You can see the breakdown of the liver where incoming toxins and dead tissues are taken up to be processed (around the central vein, which is in the center of that deeper red area at the bottom). When the liver is overwhelmed by all the incoming toxins and dead cells, the liver cells themselves start to die, as they’re destroyed by what they’d normally be able to neutralize. This liver lobule still had normal liver cells on the surface, but would have had little to no processing ability to eliminate toxins in the blood. When the liver fails, death is often not far behind. The Practice of Obstetrics, Designed for the Use of Students and Practitioners of Medicine. J. Clifton Edgar, 1907.

Toxemia of Pregnancy [this liver damage caused by HELLP Syndrome - “hemolysis, elevated liver enzyme, low platelets”]

You can see the breakdown of the liver where incoming toxins and dead tissues are taken up to be processed (around the central vein, which is in the center of that deeper red area at the bottom). When the liver is overwhelmed by all the incoming toxins and dead cells, the liver cells themselves start to die, as they’re destroyed by what they’d normally be able to neutralize. This liver lobule still had normal liver cells on the surface, but would have had little to no processing ability to eliminate toxins in the blood. When the liver fails, death is often not far behind.

The Practice of Obstetrics, Designed for the Use of Students and Practitioners of Medicine. J. Clifton Edgar, 1907.

The Rodrigues Parrot or Reunion Red-and-Green Parakeet. It’s unknown whether or not this bird actually existed, was a sub-population of a mutation of another parrot species of the area, or is actually an extinct species.  Extinct Birds. Hon. Walter Rothschild, 1907.

The Rodrigues Parrot or Reunion Red-and-Green Parakeet. It’s unknown whether or not this bird actually existed, was a sub-population of a mutation of another parrot species of the area, or is actually an extinct species. 

Extinct Birds. Hon. Walter Rothschild, 1907.

Bilharziosis Roundworm -Schistosomum haematobium For all the awful things bilharziosis (or schistosomiasis, depending on your region of the world) does, their reproduction is almost endearing. The female is a “normal”, worm-like shape, but the male is shaped almost like a boat or trough. Once the nematodes reach adulthood, they seek out another of their kind (as they can only reproduce sexually), and pair up. Once paired up, the female nestles into the trough of the male, and the male takes over feeding for both of them. Though they never fully merge (like the anglerfish male does with the female), they can remain together for years, with the female producing their eggs, and the male feeding them both. It’s almost cute. Bilharziosis. Frank Cole Madden, 1907.

Bilharziosis Roundworm -Schistosomum haematobium

For all the awful things bilharziosis (or schistosomiasis, depending on your region of the world) does, their reproduction is almost endearing. The female is a “normal”, worm-like shape, but the male is shaped almost like a boat or trough. Once the nematodes reach adulthood, they seek out another of their kind (as they can only reproduce sexually), and pair up. Once paired up, the female nestles into the trough of the male, and the male takes over feeding for both of them. Though they never fully merge (like the anglerfish male does with the female), they can remain together for years, with the female producing their eggs, and the male feeding them both. It’s almost cute.

Bilharziosis. Frank Cole Madden, 1907.

Thoracic x-ray of newborn. Surgical Diseases of the Chest. Carl Beck, 1907.

Thoracic x-ray of newborn.

Surgical Diseases of the Chest. Carl Beck, 1907.

Relation of thoracic organs to one another. Surgical Diseases of the Chest. Carl Beck, 1907.

Relation of thoracic organs to one another.

Surgical Diseases of the Chest. Carl Beck, 1907.

Non-pathological mammary anatomy

Surgical Diseases of the Chest. Carl Beck, 1907.