Posts tagged 1930s

biomedicalephemera: The first well-preserved coelacanth, shortly after catch Though the coelacanth was confirmed as not extinct by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer in 1938, the first specimen suitable for complete study and display was not caught until 1952. There were even more troubles getting to and preserving this fish than Latimer had with hers, but this time around, the resources and transportation to get to it in time were available. Well, sort of. The Prime Minister of South Africa himself had to get involved in order to have this newly-extant species preserved! The Search Beneath the Sea: The Story of the Coelacanth. J.L.B. Smith, 1952.

biomedicalephemera:

The first well-preserved coelacanth, shortly after catch

Though the coelacanth was confirmed as not extinct by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer in 1938, the first specimen suitable for complete study and display was not caught until 1952.

There were even more troubles getting to and preserving this fish than Latimer had with hers, but this time around, the resources and transportation to get to it in time were available. Well, sort of. The Prime Minister of South Africa himself had to get involved in order to have this newly-extant species preserved!

The Search Beneath the Sea: The Story of the Coelacanth. J.L.B. Smith, 1952.

cabbagingcove: 1936 WPA Poster warning of the danger of playing with firecrackers…still pertinent today, US-people! DON’T BE A FOOL, YO. …also please don’t use firecrackers “safely” at 7 am, lest you unknowingly live somewhere near a human like me who enjoys sleep and will rip your fingers off herself, safe use of explosives be damned.

cabbagingcove:

1936 WPA Poster warning of the danger of playing with firecrackers…still pertinent today, US-people! DON’T BE A FOOL, YO.

…also please don’t use firecrackers “safely” at 7 am, lest you unknowingly live somewhere near a human like me who enjoys sleep and will rip your fingers off herself, safe use of explosives be damned.

cabbagingcove

cabbagingcove:

Today in History - May 14

Ticrapo, Huancavelica Region, Peru, 1939

On May 14, 1939, a girl named Lina Medina became the youngest recorded mother in history, at 5 years, 7 months, and 17 days of age.

Originally thought to have a massive abdominal tumor that was growing at an alarming rate, Lina’s parents took her to the nearest hospital, where she was diagnosed as being seven months pregnant. The doctor who diagnosed her, Dr. Gerardo Lozada, took her to Lima, Peru, to a larger hospital, in order to have his diagnosis confirmed and to have Lina’s condition monitored.

One-and-a-half months later, a caesarean-section was performed on the small girl, and her son Gerardo Medina was born. He was named after the doctor who delivered him, and who mentored and provided medical care to both Lina and the boy, after the birth and through their young adulthood. Until he was 10-years-old, Gerardo was raised to believe that his mom was really his sister, but after incessant teasing at school one year, the doctor and Lina told him the truth. By most accounts, he was a normal child, and fairly bright. He died at age 40, of an unrelated bone cancer.

How did this happen?

Well, precocious puberty isn’t all that uncommon, but extreme precocious puberty is. Some children with extreme precocious puberty reach menarche (first menstruation) at nine months or younger, and if this condition is allowed to continue, the body develops to the point where a full-term pregnancy is completely possible. Today, hormone-suppressing drugs are available, and many of the complications of precocious puberty (both psychological and physical) are avoided, but the early versions of these medications were both dangerous and not terribly effective.

Lina had begun menstruating at eight-months-old, and began developing breast tissue at four-years-old. Though her hips had begun widening significantly beyond where they should be for a child her age, they were obviously nowhere near large enough to deliver a baby at just five-years-old.

Of course, this still leads to the question of who would impregnate a five-year-old. Her father was initially arrested on suspicion of incest and rape, but the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence. Other possibilities included her mentally-deficient older brother, an uncle, or one of the village men, during an Andean fertility festival. Lina herself never gave a clear answer to who impregnated her, and it’s completely possible that she herself doesn’t know.

Lina Today

Lina Medina had a second son in 1972, almost 33 years after her first. She is still alive today, in a poor section of Lima, Peru, and lives with her husband Raul Jurado. Despite living in relative poverty, she refuses media and publicity as much as possible, and prefers her privacy over fiscal gain.

Read More about Lina Medina:

LINA MEDINA, MADRE A LOS CINCO AÑOS

Youngest Mother @ DamnInteresting

Youngest Mother? by Snopes

Time Magazine: Little Mother [similar case]

Calcutta Telegraph

All images from listed sources.

The first well-preserved coelacanth, shortly after catch Though the coelacanth was confirmed as not extinct by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer in 1938, the first specimen suitable for complete study and display was not caught until 1952. There were even more troubles getting to and preserving this fish than Latimer had with hers, but this time around, the resources and transportation to get to it in time were available. Well, sort of. The Prime Minister of South Africa himself had to get involved in order to have this newly-extant species preserved! The Search Beneath the Sea: The Story of the Coelacanth. J.L.B. Smith, 1952.

The first well-preserved coelacanth, shortly after catch

Though the coelacanth was confirmed as not extinct by Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer in 1938, the first specimen suitable for complete study and display was not caught until 1952.

There were even more troubles getting to and preserving this fish than Latimer had with hers, but this time around, the resources and transportation to get to it in time were available. Well, sort of. The Prime Minister of South Africa himself had to get involved in order to have this newly-extant species preserved!

The Search Beneath the Sea: The Story of the Coelacanth. J.L.B. Smith, 1952.

Torgos tracheliotos - The Lappet-Faced Vulture Despite the similar appearance to New-World Vultures, the Lappet-Faced Vulture is almost completely African, and does not share other New World traits, such as a good sense of smell. Compared to other Old-World Vultures, the Lappet-Faced Vulture is very aggressive and powerful.  An odd symbiosis exists between the Lappet-Faced Vulture and other vultures in its range. While the Lappet-Faced relies on other vultures to find carcass quarries, they’re generally the ones to chase off other, larger animals, and tear open thick hides that the smaller birds cannot penetrate. At the same time, Lappet-Faced Vultures tend to gather in large enough numbers that there are occasions where the smaller vultures are not always left enough carcass to feed the entire congregation.  Aside from scavenging, Lappet-Faced Vultures are also known for their proclivity to consuming Lesser Flamingos, both as hatchlings and when adults grow old or weak. Other birds are also consumed from time-to-time around hatching season. Album of Abyssinian Birds and Mammals, from Paintings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Released by the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, 1930.

Torgos tracheliotos - The Lappet-Faced Vulture

Despite the similar appearance to New-World Vultures, the Lappet-Faced Vulture is almost completely African, and does not share other New World traits, such as a good sense of smell. Compared to other Old-World Vultures, the Lappet-Faced Vulture is very aggressive and powerful. 

An odd symbiosis exists between the Lappet-Faced Vulture and other vultures in its range. While the Lappet-Faced relies on other vultures to find carcass quarries, they’re generally the ones to chase off other, larger animals, and tear open thick hides that the smaller birds cannot penetrate. At the same time, Lappet-Faced Vultures tend to gather in large enough numbers that there are occasions where the smaller vultures are not always left enough carcass to feed the entire congregation. 

Aside from scavenging, Lappet-Faced Vultures are also known for their proclivity to consuming Lesser Flamingos, both as hatchlings and when adults grow old or weak. Other birds are also consumed from time-to-time around hatching season.

Album of Abyssinian Birds and Mammals, from Paintings by Louis Agassiz Fuertes. Released by the Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, 1930.

Hitler Beetle - Anophthalmus hitleri Scheibel, 1937 This blind cave beetle, exclusive to a system of five Slovenian caverns near the town of Celje, was named after Adolf Hitler by a Slovenian entomologist who admired him. Though many people would find it somewhat questionable that an eyeless cave beetle had taken their namesake, Hitler was delighted for the honor of having an entire species named after him, and took the time to actually hand-write Oscar Scheibel a thank-you note expressing his gratitude.  Seven decades later, the beetle is paying the price for its fascist namesake. Highly sought after (to the tune of over a thousand pounds, for one half-centimeter-long, bland-colored bug), the insect is one of the must-haves for a complete “Hitler memorabilia” collection. Though strict laws are in place to protect the beetle, Slovenia (and the earlier Yugoslavia) isn’t particularly known for its enforcement of insect poaching laws, and the few caverns in the Balkans where it lives are still frequented by tourists, some being innocent visitors to the region, some being not-so-innocent collectors of critically endangered beetles. Though the Slovenian entomology community insists that completely closing and blocking off the caverns is the only way to possibly save this beetle, the fact remains that to do so would likely dry up the majority of the meager tourism dollars. With no live populations with breeding success outside the cavern system, it looks like this unassuming little beetle (who would have doubtless rarely been noticed if not for the name) is on its way out. Image from NHM Department of Entomology Photostream Information from journalist Rose George 

Hitler Beetle - Anophthalmus hitleri Scheibel, 1937

This blind cave beetle, exclusive to a system of five Slovenian caverns near the town of Celje, was named after Adolf Hitler by a Slovenian entomologist who admired him. Though many people would find it somewhat questionable that an eyeless cave beetle had taken their namesake, Hitler was delighted for the honor of having an entire species named after him, and took the time to actually hand-write Oscar Scheibel a thank-you note expressing his gratitude. 

Seven decades later, the beetle is paying the price for its fascist namesake. Highly sought after (to the tune of over a thousand pounds, for one half-centimeter-long, bland-colored bug), the insect is one of the must-haves for a complete “Hitler memorabilia” collection. Though strict laws are in place to protect the beetle, Slovenia (and the earlier Yugoslavia) isn’t particularly known for its enforcement of insect poaching laws, and the few caverns in the Balkans where it lives are still frequented by tourists, some being innocent visitors to the region, some being not-so-innocent collectors of critically endangered beetles.

Though the Slovenian entomology community insists that completely closing and blocking off the caverns is the only way to possibly save this beetle, the fact remains that to do so would likely dry up the majority of the meager tourism dollars. With no live populations with breeding success outside the cavern system, it looks like this unassuming little beetle (who would have doubtless rarely been noticed if not for the name) is on its way out.

Image from NHM Department of Entomology Photostream

Information from journalist Rose George 

the-candid-crow:

The last of the thylacines held in captivity, 1933. Died in 1936.

“Benjamin”, possibly a female, was captured earlier the same year the video was taken. We actually don’t know if the zookeepers had a pet name for the thylacine (or its gender), and it seems pretty unlikely, given that s/he died of neglect. An extremely hot day followed by a bitterly cold night while accidentally locked out of its shelter led to dehydration and hypothermia. The only thing that was really recorded about her was that she was “not old” when she died, and she probably could have lived a lot longer if she was actually cared for.

The only laws protecting thylacines were passed just 59 days before her death.

thecandidcrow

Keeping up with science! Remember when science was a great thing in peoples’ eyes? Science cured syphilis! Science gave us the smallpox vaccine! Science gave us the polio vaccine! Science brought livelihood back to the south [23:00 into podcast]! Science is more fascinating and pioneering today than it ever has been. We’ve mapped our entire genome (after discovering DNA itself), cloned animals, performed surgery with robots, found ways to calculate the age of the universe, and that’s not even getting into the mind-bogglingly fast growth of the computer sciences and, well, the internet itself. We could certainly do with a few more pro-science posters around, these days. It’s your friend, not your enemy! Poster from Library of Congress collection of WPA posters. Illinois (Chicago) poster intended for use in schools, libraries, and public places. Created by Shari Weisberg, 1939.

Keeping up with science!

Remember when science was a great thing in peoples’ eyes? Science cured syphilis! Science gave us the smallpox vaccine! Science gave us the polio vaccine! Science brought livelihood back to the south [23:00 into podcast]!

Science is more fascinating and pioneering today than it ever has been. We’ve mapped our entire genome (after discovering DNA itself), cloned animals, performed surgery with robots, found ways to calculate the age of the universe, and that’s not even getting into the mind-bogglingly fast growth of the computer sciences and, well, the internet itself.

We could certainly do with a few more pro-science posters around, these days. It’s your friend, not your enemy!

Poster from Library of Congress collection of WPA posters. Illinois (Chicago) poster intended for use in schools, libraries, and public places. Created by Shari Weisberg, 1939.

memory.loc.gov

The last thylacine ever, in Hobart, Tasmania. His name was Benjamin. The thylacine jaws could open over 120 degrees, but were not particularly strong. Actually, compared to other carnivores (like the Tasmanian Devil), they had quite weak jaws. I wonder why they could open so wide, but not chomp down? I mean, I’m sure the two traits go together (the longer the muscle, the more it takes to make it strong), but I wonder about the origin of the traits.

The last thylacine ever, in Hobart, Tasmania. His name was Benjamin.

The thylacine jaws could open over 120 degrees, but were not particularly strong. Actually, compared to other carnivores (like the Tasmanian Devil), they had quite weak jaws. I wonder why they could open so wide, but not chomp down? I mean, I’m sure the two traits go together (the longer the muscle, the more it takes to make it strong), but I wonder about the origin of the traits.

cabbagingcove: “May I have the next dance?”  University of Oregon Medical School Medical Student, Margaret Henry, with Skeleton, ca. 1935 OHSU Archives, Image 86, Daniel H. Labby Scrapbook.

cabbagingcove:

“May I have the next dance?” 

University of Oregon Medical School Medical Student, Margaret Henry, with Skeleton, ca. 1935

OHSU Archives, Image 86, Daniel H. Labby Scrapbook.

“A Radium Bomb” - 1935

Just a bit of a break from parasites. You can’t say you don’t appreciate the wonderful expressions of the “radium bomb” patient and nurse!

By Max Cigarettes, 1935, digitized by New York Public Library Archives.

Nurse Instructing Mothers on the Importance of Shoes -1937 Massive public health initiatives undertaken between 1920 and 1939 (and to a lesser degree all the way through the 1960s) were a vital part of the eradication of endemic hookworm and other soil-borne illnesses.

Nurse Instructing Mothers on the Importance of Shoes -1937

Massive public health initiatives undertaken between 1920 and 1939 (and to a lesser degree all the way through the 1960s) were a vital part of the eradication of endemic hookworm and other soil-borne illnesses.

1939 WPA Posters for the Improvement of Public Health

While the flies were a visible and tangible problem when one did not have an outhouse or latrine installed, the real danger, as I stated before, was from hookworm infection, and the subsequent destruction of the productivity of those afflicted. To be sure, dysentery and cholera spread by flies were serious dangers. However, they presented themselves in a most obvious fashion, and medical care could then be given. Hookworm? Well, if you don’t know you have something, you probably aren’t going to go to the doctor just cause you’re feeling tired and run down, especially if that’s the only way you’ve felt your entire life.

Posters from Library of Congress Archives: For the People, By the People WPA Project.

Roundworms in intestine sample. U.S. National Agricultural Research Center, 1935.

Roundworms in intestine sample.

U.S. National Agricultural Research Center, 1935.

Radiograph of buffalo fish skeleton. Clearing and Staining Skeletons of Small Vertebrates. D. Dwight Davis, 1936.

Radiograph of buffalo fish skeleton.

Clearing and Staining Skeletons of Small Vertebrates. D. Dwight Davis, 1936.