Welcome to my Health and Medicine blog-page. I am a physician, researcher, and a philatelist. Philatelists engage in sharing knowledge and history through postage stamps and other postal materials. My current philately focus is thematic, with an intention to explore history of health and medicine.
Postage stamps were first issued to collect fees, or tax revenues. Over the years they became a means to raise money for charity. Today postal authorities across the world design postage stamps to commemorate people, buildings, events, cultures, and also to educate. Postal material also includes cancellations, first day covers, special covers, miniature sheets, souvenir sheets, and postal-stationary. They are also a testament to the official political narrative and changing times.
The world of philately also includes material generated by individuals or businesses, in form of printed or picture post-cards or envelopes. Quite like digital messages of today, these also traveled. With them we also managed to spread messages or slogans. Letters from the past, have also cherished many memories of happiness, joy, anxiety, weariness, solitude, and hope. Such post-marked material also forms a special part of world of philately.
Today with dwindling use of postal system, letters only sparingly reach our homes. While new stamps and philately material continues to be issued, it is left to a few diligent collectors to preserve this past. My endeavor is to give you curated and authentic information pertaining to health and medicine, illustrated through philately. All the material displayed here is from my own collection. Every stamp has a story to tell, and so these blogs grow with time.
I started this blog on 1st July 2022. It reflects my triple passion for medicine, medical history, and philately. Hope you will enjoy this share.
Rajnish Joshi, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal