Patients stand in the Red Cross building in Walter Reed Hospital, c. WWI

The Birth of the Modern American Military Hospital

The founding of Walter Reed General Hospital at the beginning of the twentieth century marked a shift in medical care for military personnel and veterans.
Older woman praying in an almost empty church.

Can Religion Be Helpful for People With Chronic Pain?

A group of researchers asked this question of a group of patients in secularized Western Europe.
La Rue Catinat, Saigon, Vietnam, 1920s

Neurasthenia, Vietnamese Style

To self-diagnose with neurasthenia was to identify with modernity and civilization while also recognizing the harms caused by colonial structures.
Woman with a home pregnancy test

Home Pregnancy Tests

Before the arrival of home pregnancy tests, women had to seek answers at the doctor’s office, which was costly, inconvenient, and potentially embarrassing.
Edward Jenner vaccinating a young child

Moving the Needle

Anti-vaxxers have been around as long as there have been vaccines.
D.r Grace C. Meigs, Director of the Child Hygiene Division of the Children's Bureau, c. 1930

To Get Help for Sick Kids, Mothers Wrote to Washington

In the 1930s, mothers wrote to the US president and the federal Children’s Bureau asking for support for their sick children. They rarely received help.
graffiti smiling face emoticon sprayed isolated on white background. vector illustration.

The Pitfalls of the Pursuit of Happiness

The pursuit of happiness is often considered an ideal, but it may be possible to have too much—or the wrong kind—of a good thing.
Anthony Comstock

“Zombie” Anthony Comstock Walks Among US (Again)

Or, how a moribund act of legislation continues to shape the fight for reproductive rights in the United States.
Taken after the Great Hanshin Earthquake on 17 January 1995 in Kobe, Japan

An Earthquake Rattles Japan’s Independent Living Movement

The Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995 highlighted the lack of financial and logistical support for people with disabilities to live independently.
Two smiling young girls have online video conference at computer screen

Can Good Coworkers Save Us From Job Burnout?

Maintaining healthy and good relationships with coworkers may help mitigate the risks of workplace burnout.