Death is All Around Us: The Plague Pits of London
If you walk down Victoria Street in London on a beautiful, sunny afternoon, you’ll find dozens of picnickers sitting in Christchurch Gardens. Some will be suited up in jackets and ties, clutching briefcases in one hand and local supermarket sandwiches in another. Others will be tourists taking a moment to rest their wary bones before […]
Under The Knife – Episode 2: The Plague Doctor
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Per1onjC1ug?list=UU3cjfHkbc-xaExDZf9E98-A] In the 2nd Episode of Under The Knife, I discuss the history of bubonic plague and that notorious beaked mask that has come to symbolize one of the world’s most terrifying diseases. Alex Anstey, Adrian Teal and I have worked hard on this video – we hope you like it! If you enjoy Under The […]
Resurrecting the Body Snatchers: The Halloween Edition
I’ve written about body snatchers several times on this site, and each time, readers ask for more. Given that it’s Halloween, I thought I would give into that request and return to the subject in a longer, more comprehensive article about these fascinating creatures from the early 19th century. Happy Halloween! It is half past […]
1 Million Hits!
I’m thrilled to announce that The Chirurgeon’s Apprentice has just surpassed 1 million hits. Wow, what a journey it’s been! I’m constantly surprised by the interest this site generates each and every year, and am deeply grateful to you, my readers, for your continued love of medical history. In honour of this milestone, I’ve put together some […]
Disturbing Disorders: Cotard’s Delusion (Walking Corpse Syndrome)
In 1880, a middle-aged woman paid a visit to the French neurologist, Jules Cotard (pictured below), complaining of an unusual predicament. She believed she had ‘no brain, no nerves, no chest, no stomach, no intestines’. Mademoiselle X, as Cotard dubbed her in his notes, told the physician she was ‘nothing more than a decomposing body’. […]
Under The Knife – Episode 1: The Clockwork Saw
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBINzHYUraw&w=853&h=480] In the first episode of Under The Knife, I discuss the clockwork saw–a 19th-century medical instrument which failed on a massive scale. Make sure you watch to the very end as we have a few little surprises in store for you! If you enjoy the video, please remember to subscribe to our YouTube Channel for […]
Ten Terrifying Knives from Medical History
I’m excited to announce that I’ve just finished filming the first episode of my new YouTube series, Under The Knife, and will be releasing it very soon (please subscribe to my channel for video updates). Unsurprisingly, that got me thinking about, well, knives. Here’s a list of some rather terrifying knives from our medical past. VALENTIN […]
Disturbing Disorders: Sirenomelia (Mermaid Syndrome)
The sea king down there had been a widower for years, and his old mother kept house for him…she was an altogether praiseworthy person, particularly so because she was extremely fond of her granddaughters, the little sea princesses. They were six lovely girls, but the youngest was the most beautiful of them all. Her skin […]
Under the Knife – Sneak Peek!
In my new YouTube series, Under the Knife, I will take you on journey into a curious past—one which is riddled with blood-sucking leeches, spring-loaded knives and rotting corpses. Together, we will visit a world where surgeons and executioners share a common goal; where colluding with murderers and thieves is a pre-requisite for gaining entrance […]
The Saddest Place in London: A Story of Self-Sacrifice
Tucked away in a quiet area of East London is a peaceful place that goes by the unassuming name of Postman’s Park (left), so called because it once stood in the shadow of the city’s old General Post Office building. At first glance, you might mistake it for any green space in the city, with its manicured lawn, leafy trees […]