Hektoen International

Hektoen International An International Humanities Journal: Uniting Health and Medicine with Culture An International Humanities Journal: Uniting Health and Medicine with Culture.

Rather than gout, did Queen Anne Stuart (1665-1714) have lupus? A new perspective suggests she suffered from systemic lu...
05/26/2026

Rather than gout, did Queen Anne Stuart (1665-1714) have lupus? A new perspective suggests she suffered from systemic lupus erythematosus associated with antiphospholipid syndrome, which could have contributed to her nearly 17 miscarriages. http://bit.ly/3RvhwzC

Physicians in ancient Nineveh (current Mosul, Iraq) prescribed drugs mainly from plant and animal extracts, some with an...
05/22/2026

Physicians in ancient Nineveh (current Mosul, Iraq) prescribed drugs mainly from plant and animal extracts, some with antibiotic properties, others spices and resins with antiseptic actions. Mustard seeds were used for constipation, chamomile for gastric symptoms, oils for enemas, gum massage for gingivitis, poppy juice for pain, honey mixed with crushed turtle shells as a soothing paste, and sesame oil dressing in postoperative care for its antibacterial properties. http://bit.ly/4tNh4Kw

Performing his first ovarian cystectomy in 1862, Scottish surgeon Thomas Keith’s success “…so far outstripped that of al...
05/19/2026

Performing his first ovarian cystectomy in 1862, Scottish surgeon Thomas Keith’s success “…so far outstripped that of all other operators, that it became a wonder and admiration of surgeons all over the world.” His technique paid strict attention to cleanliness and used “antiseptic dressings,” initially tar bags and carbolic solution. He also made an equally pioneering contribution in the new art and science of photography. http://bit.ly/4ujRTjL

George Orwell, who fought in the Spanish Civil War, penned his experience of being shot in the neck in Homage to Catalon...
05/18/2026

George Orwell, who fought in the Spanish Civil War, penned his experience of being shot in the neck in Homage to Catalonia. “The whole experience of being hit by a bullet is very interesting…like being at the center of an explosion…There seemed to be a loud bang and a blinding flash of light all around me…I fancy you would feel much the same if you were struck by lightning… no one… failed to assure me that a man who is hit through the neck and survives is the luckiest creature alive.” http://bit.ly/4wFQ4PY

Measles has resurged worldwide. In the United States, it has spread to 45 states, with 2,288 cases in 2025 and more than...
05/14/2026

Measles has resurged worldwide. In the United States, it has spread to 45 states, with 2,288 cases in 2025 and more than 1,800 additional cases in 2026—the largest outbreak in decades. Beyond causing rash and fever, measles can lead to encephalitis, pneumonia, blindness, and death. It can also cause immune amnesia, a condition that weakens the body’s memory of past infections, leaving survivors vulnerable to other diseases. Read more: http://bit.ly/3RnwZBD

Listening to Baroque music, particularly by Antonio Vivaldi, may improve cognitive performance in healthy individuals an...
05/13/2026

Listening to Baroque music, particularly by Antonio Vivaldi, may improve cognitive performance in healthy individuals and even Alzheimer’s patients. Enhanced cognition has also been associated with the post-baroque classical style, notably the music of Mozart, giving rise to the term “Mozart effect.” http://bit.ly/4dJUk8r

Was it partial blindness and chronic deafness or his abhorrence of war that fueled Francisco Goya’s (1746-1828) unsettli...
05/11/2026

Was it partial blindness and chronic deafness or his abhorrence of war that fueled Francisco Goya’s (1746-1828) unsettling Black Paintings? Read how Sarah Bahr interprets Goya’s work through a dual medical and psychological lens. http://bit.ly/3Phqn7k

In the 1930’s, Dr. Salvador Allende, future President of Chile (1970-1973), worked in the Service of Anatomic Pathology ...
05/08/2026

In the 1930’s, Dr. Salvador Allende, future President of Chile (1970-1973), worked in the Service of Anatomic Pathology at Valparaiso’s Van Buren Hospital. Originally established in 1786 as the Hospital San Juan de Dios, the hospital was renamed to honor the contributions and dedication of banker Carlos Van Buren. Read more by Dr. Carlos Astudillo: http://bit.ly/42ml3Te

Gerard Blasius (1627–1682), a Dutch physician and anatomist, was famous for his work on the spinal cord. As a young man,...
05/06/2026

Gerard Blasius (1627–1682), a Dutch physician and anatomist, was famous for his work on the spinal cord. As a young man, he had lived and studied in Copenhagen, where his father was architect to the king of Denmark. Gerard studied medicine and graduated around 1655 with a thesis on nephritis. In 1660, he became the first professor of medicine in Amsterdam. http://bit.ly/3Lm16Dl

In 1927, Dr. Helen Taussig (1898–1986) obtained her MD from Johns Hopkins, one of the few schools to accept women at tha...
05/05/2026

In 1927, Dr. Helen Taussig (1898–1986) obtained her MD from Johns Hopkins, one of the few schools to accept women at that time. In 1947, she published Congenital Malformations of the Heart, the standard textbook for pediatric cardiology and surgery. Taussig played a vital role in establishing the link between thalidomide, a medication mothers in Europe were taking for morning sickness, and severe limb deformities in children. Her testimony before the US Congress helped prevent the drug’s approval in the United States, protecting an entire generation from being born with devastating congenital limb defects. http://bit.ly/4tgym2z

The Terme Boxer (Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome) displays medical conditions caused by repeated blunt trauma, includin...
05/04/2026

The Terme Boxer (Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Rome) displays medical conditions caused by repeated blunt trauma, including dementia pugilistica, aka punch drunk syndrome. Memory loss and imbalance are common symptoms. A similar syndrome has been identified in football players today: chronic traumatic encephalopathy. As players go battle opponents on the field or in the ring, they share much in common with the ancient Terme Boxer and his suffering. Read more by Seth Judson: http://bit.ly/4umlusj

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