Disease and Illnesses
The First Syphilis Cure Was the First 'Magic Bullet'
The term 'magic bullet' once just meant a targeted drug
The Author of ‘Frankenstein’ Also Wrote a Post-Apocalyptic Plague Novel
‘The Last Man’ was derided in its time for being too grim, but today it would fit in with a growing genre of dystopian fiction
This 19th Century "Lady Doctor" Helped Usher Indian Women Into Medicine
Ananabai Joshee dedicated her career to treating women and helped blaze a path for international doctors training in the U.S.
What Led Benjamin Franklin to Live Estranged From His Wife for Nearly Two Decades?
A stunning new theory suggests that a debate over the failed treatment of their son's smallpox was the culprit
A Dentist Weighs in On What Really Doomed the Franklin Expedition
Addison’s disease may have blackened the explorers' gums and hastened their demise, proposes a history-obsessed dentistry professor
This Is Why Taking Fish Medicine Is Truly a Bad Idea
Those who misuse aquatic antibiotics are playing a dangerous game with their health, doctors and veterinarians say
This Was the First Major News Article on HIV/AIDS
The epidemic’s early days were perplexing and terrifying
Plague Infects Three People in New Mexico
The deadly disease can be spread by household pets
Could Vitamin C Be the Cure for Deadly Infections?
A new protocol that includes this common nutrient could save millions of lives—and has already sparked a raging debate among doctors
Yemen's Deadly Cholera Crisis is the Worst in the World
More than 200,000 cases have been reported in a country racked by civil war
The Little Brown Bat’s Mighty Talent
Accounting for body size, the little brown bat lives longest of any mammal–but no one knows why
Need to Fix a Heart Attack? Try Photosynthesis
Injecting plant-like creatures into a rat's heart can jumpstart the recovery process, study finds
From Medical Pariah to Feminist Icon: The Story of the IUD
After decades of being shunned by women and doctors alike, this T-shaped device is enjoying a new surge of popularity
When Fresh Air Went Out of Fashion at Hospitals
How the hospital went from luxury resort to windowless box
How Sheep's Blood Helped Disprove This Wacky Nineteenth-Century Theory of Illness
Scientists didn't understand that bacteria caused disease, but then enter Louis Pasteur
Humans Polluted the Air Much Earlier Than Previously Thought
Ice cores suggest that humans have been polluting the air with lead for at least 2,000 years
Democratic Republic of Congo Approves Ebola Vaccine
It’s the newest tool in health workers’ arsenal against the contagious virus
How Sunscreen Protects Your Skin’s DNA
The chemistry behind this protective lotion reflects a modern understanding of the danger of ultraviolet rays
Samuel Pepys Was England's First Blogger
The famed blogger—okay, diarist—told historians so much about 17th-century daily life in England, but he could have told us so much more
Hospitals Have a Big Problem: Baking Soda
It's common in kitchens, but a nationwide shortage is endangering more than baked goods
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