Berlin doctors soon after second world war was over
Adolf Hitler killed himself on 30th April 1945, and over next two days German garrison in Berlin had surrendered. Soviet army from the east, south and north moved in to…
A calendar date that defines an anomaly at birth
We all have 23 pairs of chromosomes in all the cells of our body. However, some special children are born with an extra one. Those who have one additional 21st…
Thermometer: Need to give fever a number on a scale
Fever is a common symptom of an illness. It is a perception of warmth, often coupled with a mix of feeling cold, shaking and an urge to cover oneself with…
Gender based violence exists, but is quite often ignored
Gender based violence (GBV) is a broader term, which actually implies "violence against women." Its definition (as per UN declaration, 1993) is broad, and it refers to "...any violence that…
Girl Child and movement for its rights in India
India, like many other countries in the world is a patriarchal society. This traditional system prefers a male child, who is believed to carry forward the family name. This deeply…
Prostaglandins: Substances with too much on their plate
Prostaglandins are a substances, that are produced by many cells in our body. While they mostly have a local action, a list of tasks they perform is long and complex.…
Nurses in Khaki, and how it all began
We usually visualize nurses to be in a white attire, but more recently the colors are often blue, green or mauve. On the other hand Khaki (a brownish yellow color)…
Mighty but tiny energy houses in our cells -mitochondria
None of the 30 trillion cells that make up the human body, can be seen with a naked eye. Most of these tiny cells, have an even tinier energy producing…
Iodine, salt and smiling sun: A forgotten story
Iodine While salt is ancient, Iodine is relatively recent. It was 1811, and Europe was perpetually in a war. Gun-powder was in a short supply, and a French Chemist Bernard…
Dr TM Nair: A doctor politician in Madras Presidency
Many doctors may have come across a Monthly Medical Journal "The Antiseptic". This Journal - A monthly publication of medicine and Surgery, was established in the year 1904, in Madras…