The Medicalization of Death in History
When the Black Death swept through Europe in the 14th century, it claimed the lives of over 75 million people, many of who were clergymen
The Cutter’s Art: A Brief History of Bloodletting
When King Charles II suffered a sudden seizure on the morning of 2 February 1685, his personal physician had just the remedy. He quickly
Mangling the Dead: Dissection, Past & Present
I never feel more alive than when I am standing among the rows and rows of anatomical specimens in medical museums around London. In one jar floats
“Not A Relic of the Past” – in THE GUARDIAN
A bone belonging to the saint Thomas Becket has returned to England after 800 years. My latest article in The Guardian explores our endless fascination
The Strange, the Morbid, the Bizarre – Now on Instagram!
After years of resisting, I’m finally on Instagram! Follow me for strange, morbid, and bizarre history facts each day by clicking HERE. The above photo (featured
“Limbs Not Yet Rigid” – A History of Dissecting the Living
Several years ago, the news reported a story that could have come straight from the script of a horror movie. In October 2009, Colleen S. Burns was admitted to St Joseph’s Hospital Center in New York for a drug overdose. A short time later, a team of doctors pronounced the 39-year-old woman dead. Her family was notified and Burns’s body was prepped for organ donation.
The only problem was: Burns wasn’t actually dead.