Nov 11 The medical story behind Thomas Eakins’ gory masterpiece By Dr. Howard Markel It is difficult for the 21st century observer to imagine the shock and revulsion Thomas Eakins provoked with both "The Gross Clinic" in 1876. Continue reading
Oct 22 The medical mystery that helped make Thomas Edison an inventor By Dr. Howard Markel Deafness allowed Edison to shut himself off from “all the meaningless sound that normal people hear.” But what caused his deafness is still debated by doctors and hearing experts to this day. Continue reading
Sep 26 George Gershwin’s too-short life ended on a blue note By Dr. Howard Markel The cause of his untimely death was most likely glioblastoma, the same type of brain cancer that killed Senators Edward M. Kennedy in 2009 and John McCain this September. Continue reading
Aug 16 Elvis’ addiction was the perfect prescription for an early death By Dr. Howard Markel Like so many rock stars, Elvis employed an all-too-willing physician to feed his addiction and hasten his death. Continue reading
Jul 23 How a hotel convention became ground zero for this deadly bacteria By Dr. Howard Markel From July 21 to July 24, 1976, more than 2,000 members of the Pennsylvania chapters of the American Legion attended their annual state convention at a Philadelphia hotel. By Aug. 15, 182 Legionnaires who attended the convention were ill with… Continue reading
Oct 16 How a serious illness gave Eugene O’Neill his dark literary power By Dr. Howard Markel Long before he sat down to compose the dramas that have long enlightened and haunted audiences, Eugene O’Neill contracted tuberculosis, and it forever changed him. Continue reading
Aug 18 How Dr. Kellogg’s world-renowned health spa made him a wellness titan By Dr. Howard Markel Just as his Michigan peers Henry Ford and Thomas Edison ruled over their vast empires of automobiles and electricity, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg was the industrial king of wellness, giving the nation a thorough cleansing from the grime and sickness… Continue reading
Jul 18 Presidents get sick and die. What happens next hasn’t always been clear By Dr. Howard Markel The Constitution describes the legal transfer of presidential power to the vice president if the former resigns or dies while in office. But this guiding document does little to describe what happens if the president becomes seriously ill, or who… Continue reading
Feb 06 Was Charles Dickens the first celebrity medical spokesman? By Dr. Howard Markel This Feb. 6, we celebrate Charles Dickens, the novelist and literary superstar of his day. He may well have been the first celebrity spokesman for a medical charity. The cause was London’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital and it first… Continue reading
Jan 14 Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a renowned medical missionary with a complicated history By Dr. Howard Markel In 2016, Albert Schweitzer may be a somewhat forgotten, or even a controversial, figure but a half a century or more ago, the mere mention of the name Schweitzer instantly conjured up images of selflessness, heroism and the very model… Continue reading