Ilizarov and his apparatus for healing of bone defects
Ilizarov is a name most doctors, and especially those who practice orthopedics are well aware of. However, his journey from obscurity to global fame, is not much known. He invented,…
Bohler: A surgeon who gave science and method to bone setting
Individuals with fractured leg bones, often need pins, pulleys, and plaster to hold the two ends of the broken bone, close-together. As patients with this intricate system are made to…
Dental Chair and its journey in stamps
Recently I visited a Dentist, and within minutes I was lying on a Dental Chair. With lights from the top, motorized probes and instruments jetting from the sides, and even…
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…
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.…
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…
Mirror, mirror on the wall… light it bends, to show it all.
Mirror reflects. It is so honest, that we frequently invoke a mirror for a reality check. In ancient times, mirrors were an item of luxury, made up from polished metals.…
Lunatic asylums: Borne out of shame and contempt
Advent of Lunatic Asylums in India British traders came to India in the 17th century, and over next 150 years became colonialists. The year 1757 is considered as a turning…
Three implants to mend heart: Stent, Valve and a Defibrillator
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 Rise and fall of Mass Miniature Radiography (MMR)
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…