Author: rjoshimgims

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new word was coined only in the year 1908 by a Psychiatrist Eugen Bleuler, to describe some patients who were extremely withdrawn.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

Around 1950s Mass miniature radiography or MMR was a cornerstone of public health screening for Tuberculosis. It was a mobile X-ray unit that roamed villages, towns and cities, photographing the chests of millions of men women and children. It was a new technology, that was fast, scalable, and visually compelling. Yet by 1980s, MMR programs… Continue reading The Rise and fall of Mass Miniature Radiography (MMR)

In December of 1809, Ephraim McDowell performed an abdominal surgery, and successfully removed a large ovarian tumor. This was many decades before Anesthesia was invented, and at a time when making an incision to cut open abdomen, was a medical no-no. Further, McDowell performed this surgery at Danville, Kentucky. At that time, it was the… Continue reading McDowell performs first successful abdominal surgery: accolades and brickbats

Throughout history, dogs have stood by humans as hunters, herders, guardians, and loyal companions. But perhaps one of their most noble and transformative roles is that of the guide dog—a trained companion that helps people with visual impairments navigate the world with confidence and independence. Let’s take a closer look at the history, evolution, and… Continue reading Dog guides as friends for the visually challenged

Malpighi and discovery of capillaries Marcello Malpighi, was born in Italy in the year 1628. It was the same year, when an English Physician William Harvey had discovered circulation of blood. Blood flows out from heart through the arteries, Harvey discovered and is returned back to it by veins. What connects arteries and veins was… Continue reading Malpighi and beyond: Italian legacy with a microscope