Elephantiasis caused by lymphatic filariasis

This patient was most likely infected by Wuchereria bancrofti, as Brugia malayi and Brugia timori are very regionally-specific to the areas around Timor and Malaysia.

W. bancrofti was originally endemic only to West and Central Africa, until it was introduced to the Caribbean and Southern United States by the slave trade. There was an unusually high prevalence around Charleston, South Carolina, until it suddenly disappeared in the early 1920s. As no active eradication campaigns were active, and no anomalous weather patterns were recorded around that period, it’s unknown what caused the sudden dearth of new cases.

[Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine. George M. Gould and William L. Pyle, 1900.]

Skull injury with extensive loss of cranial and cerebral substance.

This patient was said to have retained many of his abilities after awaking from the repair of this injury, but had ongoing difficulties with short-term memory, mathematics, and was prone to wild mood swings at times.

Anomalies and Curiosities in Medicine. George M. Gould and Walter L. Pyle, 1900.

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.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine. Walter L. Pyle and George M. Gould, 1896.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine. Walter L. Pyle and George M. Gould, 1896.

Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine. Walter L. Pyle and George M. Gould, 1896.

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

Echidna and Platypus, the monotremes.

Confusing creatures, these. The fossil history of monotremes in Australia is only ~2 mil years old, and depicts species that are largely the same as current species. Unlike marsupials, which evolved separately in both in the Pacific Islands and North America simultaneously, there was no convergent evolution of egg-laying mammals in other parts of the world. At least none that we’ve discovered thus far.

Using molecular genetics, we can understand the relations of monotremes to other classes by finding when they diverged and the differences between the species, but it doesn’t tell us the steps that they followed to become the creatures they are today.

By the way, don’t mess with platypods. The males venomous spikes on their back heels and aren’t afraid to use them.

Cornu cutaneum is a (typically growing) keratinized buildup at the site of a wart, injury, or neoplasm. 

fuckyeahmedicalstuff:

Parasitic twin.

From the Anomalies and Curiosities book I’ve posted a few times…

The Mutter Museum started as a collection of medical curiosities, oddities, and important specimens of conditions. Over 125 years later, its collection is bigger than ever…still trying to convince my mate that we need to go on a road trip to where he spent his first 7 years, because I REALLY want to go to this museum ;D

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine, by Walter L. Pyle and George M. Gould, 1896.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine, by Walter L. Pyle and George M. Gould, 1896.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine, by Walter L. Pyle and George M. Gould, 1896.