The Reusable Condom – Episode 13 – Under The Knife
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_OWNAm0qJI&w=560&h=315] In Episode 13 of Under The Knife, I discuss the history behind reusable condoms, and the terrible diseases that made them necessary in earlier centuries. The video may or may not also involve me wearing an inflatable condom costume… Don’t forget you can now pre-order my book THE BUTCHERING ART by clicking here! […]
Houses of Death: Walking the Wards of a Victorian Hospital
The following blog post relates to my forthcoming book THE BUTCHERING ART, which you can pre-order here. Today, we think of the hospital as an exemplar of sanitation. However, during the first half of the nineteenth century, hospitals were anything but hygienic. They were breeding grounds for infection and provided only the most primitive facilities for the sick and […]
The Dead House – Episode 12 – Under The Knife
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuKG0NOZvnk&w=560&h=315] In Episode 12 of Under The Knife, I explore the grim reality facing medical students in earlier centuries when they first entered the dissection room, or “dead house,” as they called it. Don’t forget you can now pre-order my book THE BUTCHERING ART by clicking here! And please subscribe to my YouTube Channel, and like/comment […]
The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice: 2 Million Hits!
I was working on a blog post the other day when I saw the counter on my site reach 2 million hits. I had to blink twice. Two million hits?! I never dreamt that there would be so much interest in my work when I began The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice in 2010. Thanks to everyone who has supported […]
Lincoln’s Corpse – Episode 11 – Under The Knife
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpjJ3WMoUK8&w=560&h=315] In Episode 11 of Under The Knife, I explore the origins of the modern funeral industry beginning with the American Civil War and the unusual embalming & burial of President Abraham Lincoln. Don’t forget you can now pre-order my book THE BUTCHERING ART by clicking here! And please subscribe to my YouTube Channel, […]
Pre-Order My Book! The Butchering Art
I’m thrilled to reveal the cover for the US edition of my forthcoming book, THE BUTCHERING ART, which will be published by FSG on October 17th. The book delves into the grisly world of Victorian surgery and transports the reader to a period when a broken leg could result in amputation, when giving birth in a […]
Syphilis: A Little Valentine’s Day Love Story
We don’t know much about her. We don’t even know her name. What we do know is that the woman who wore this prosthetic in the mid-19th century was suffering from a severe case of syphilis.
Under the Knife, Episode 10 – Al Capone’s Grave
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH7BNWZktUQ&w=560&h=315] In Episode 10 of Under the Knife, I hit the road to visit the grave of the infamous American gangster, Al Capone. Learn about Capone’s torturous descent into madness caused by advance stage syphilis, and his eventual death and burial that left his grave exposed to vandals. If you enjoy the series, please consider becoming […]
The Surgeon who Operated on Himself
Leonid Ivanovich Rogozov (pictured above and below right) knew he was in trouble when he began experiencing intense pain in lower right quadrant of his abdomen. He had been feeling unwell for several days, but suddenly, his temperature skyrocketed and he was overcome by waves of nausea. The 27-year-old surgeon knew it could only be […]
Under The Knife, Episode 9 – The Barber’s Pole
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWLF8PJe8VY] At last! A brand new episode of Under The Knife! In Episode 9, I discuss the history of the barber’s pole, and how it relates to a bloody practice from our medical past. Learn how the barber’s pole got its red & white stripes. If you enjoy the series, please consider becoming a patron […]