Author: rjoshimgims

Advent of Lunatic Asylums British traders came to India in the 17th century, and over next 150 years became colonialists. The year 1757 is considered as a turning point in Indian history, as after battle of Plassey, British East India company (EIC) became a political and governing entity. Along with the loot, plunder, treacherous take-overs,… Continue reading Lunatic asylums: Borne out of shame and contempt

Finsen’s chemical light to heal Niels Finsen was born in 1860 in Faroe Islands, a remote Danish territory located in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Norway. He lived on for only 44 years, and had his struggles with a rare congenital disease. Yet, he went on to become a doctor, and treat many a… Continue reading Finsen’s Nobel Prize for letting light to heal

I learned a new word today – Chiaroscuro. It is a art technique, often used to emphasize and illuminate important figures in a painting or drawing. This technique uses colors and shades, to contrast between light and dark. The concept was picked up from renascence era paintings, and is commonly used in photography, and cinema… Continue reading ‘Chiaroscuro’ to depict conflict or state of mind

What is bullying ? Today bullying itself is not considered to be a disorder. On the other hand a victim of bullying could develop a post-bullying disorder. Strange it may sound, bullying itself is classified as a behavioral trait. Anti-bullying alliance defines it as “The repetitive, intentional hurting of one person or group by another… Continue reading Bullying: A behavior on its way to become a disorder ?

The word Autism comes from Greek, for “self-directed”. In-fact this new word was coined only in the year 1908 by a Psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, to describe some patients who were extremely withdrawn. Later in 1920s, a Russian psychologist Grunya Sukhareva described some children with amazing abilities, who would shy away from expected social contact. In… Continue reading Autism Jigsaw Symbol: Time for a change ?

Three implants for the heart have changed the outcomes of heart disease – namely stents, artificial valves, and an implantable defibrillator. Stents can now open a tiny blood vessel supplying the heart muscles (coronaries). Artificial valves can replace a damaged native valve inside the heart and can now also be inserted without opening up the… Continue reading Three implants to mend heart: Stent, Valve and a Defibrillator

Christiaan Barnard was made famous on 3rd December 1967, when he performed first human to human heart transplant in Cape Town, South Africa. He was just 45 when he performed this first dare, and would repeat the feat in years to come. It was Barnard’s conviction and persistence that inspired many across the world to… Continue reading Christiaan Barnard, and his heart transplants

William Worrall Mayo (WW Mayo), was born in England in 1819, studied chemistry and migrated to United States in 1845. He first worked as a pharmacist in New York, and then as a tailor in Indiana, before turning to medicine in 1850s. Initially trained at Indiana, and then at Missouri, WW Mayo graduated in medicine… Continue reading Mayo clinic: The first modern group practice

All medical students are taught Apgar score, a 10-point scale to grade a just-born as healthy or at risk. This has made Virginia Apgar quite immortal. She however was neither a pediatrician (a doctor for children) or an obstetrician (a doctor who delivers). Rather, she initially trained as a surgeon, and accepted to be an… Continue reading Virginia Apgar, an accidental anesthetist

Medical training is long. Across the globe, students enter the medical school for an initial generic training. When medical students complete this initial 4-5 years of training, they become doctors. However, doctors are required to obtain more training. This additional training is in form of internship, and specialty specific residency. The residency is a staged… Continue reading William Osler and origin of residency in medical training