Tools in Health - Health and Medicine in Postal Stamps

Eleven Herbs from High hills in postage stamps

Index Home I grew up in the Himalayas, highest hills in the world. Like all children, we would walk down to the school or run up and down the hills to play. A striking find across the hills are a plethora of plants all around us. We enjoyed not only the tall pines and deodars, but… Continue reading Eleven Herbs from High hills in postage stamps

Plant remedies for health in Indian stamps

Index Home Plants are ancient. Evolution of plants began about 400 million years ago. Humans arrived much later on the scene, only about 4-million years ago. Beginning of agriculture and first civilisation is even more recent, only about 12,000 years old. Tiny, small, large or gigantic; versatility in size, produce, and function of plants has always… Continue reading Plant remedies for health in Indian stamps

Telecom and health in 1980 and origins of Telemedicine

Index Home About four decades ago, in 1980 there was no public internet (or World Wide Web). While idea of internet (or connected computers) did exist, it started taking shape only in 1990s. Unlike today, we did not have compact personnel computers, or laptops and even mobile phones. All these developments were also a decade away.… Continue reading Telecom and health in 1980 and origins of Telemedicine

Angiography: How did we start seeing our vessels

Index Home While we knew for a long time, that blood travels inside conduits or vessels, we did not have much of clarity, till the middle of 16th century. It was only in 1540s, when Andreas Vesalius, a surgeon, anatomist and a medical illustrator drew it all. He first dissected actual human cadavers, and produced illustrations… Continue reading Angiography: How did we start seeing our vessels

A Mold that saved the world

Index Home Some discoveries are serendipitous. Born in 1881, medicine was not an initial choice for Alexander Flemming. He initially studied in a polytechnic and later worked in a shipping office for four years, before enrolling in St Mary’s medical school. In 1906, he had completed MBBS, and was contemplating training in surgery. His colleagues in… Continue reading A Mold that saved the world

One stamp one story: Flexible endoscopy

Index Home Need and desire to peep through small holes, to identify and treat human diseases was always there. Challenge was how to make it happen. Real efforts started early in 19th century with small tubes and candle light (Phillip Bozzini 1806; Uteroscope). Over next 100 years, we had long rigid tubes, and light bulb that… Continue reading One stamp one story: Flexible endoscopy

Coming out of the disability closet

Index Home It took global community, more than thirty-five years just to come out of their disability closet. Thirty-five years is a gross understatement, as we shift our start-line to 1945, end of the Second World War. We were fresh from the horrors that were inflicted by Nazi Germany on the civilian population. In 1948, all… Continue reading Coming out of the disability closet

A mirror of the past and our wall of shame

Index Home Postage stamps are a mirror of our past. Often, less than a square inch of space, sums up prevalent societal, political, and behavioural norms. Our past perceptions, as well as discrimination meted out on individuals with disability, will remain as our wall of shame. Postage stamps, issued prior to 1980s, are its glaring testimony.… Continue reading A mirror of the past and our wall of shame

Medical services in the sky

Index Home During First World War we began to use airplanes, both as a weapon and as a medical service. In 1917, a British plane evacuated a solder with a broken ankle. This is the first recorded aerial rescue. In the next ten years, British, French, and Germans had all used military air ambulances to evacuate… Continue reading Medical services in the sky

Medical innovations in British stamps

Index Home Postage stamp was a British innovation. First introduced on 6th May 1840, it was a beginning for pre-paid postage, we still follow world-wide. Since then British postage stamps have a unique tradition. Only human figure on these postage stamps is either the monarch, or members of the royal family. British post (or Royal Mail)… Continue reading Medical innovations in British stamps