The First Native American to Receive a Medical Degree
Susan LaFlesche Picotte was first Native American to be licensed to practice medicine in the U.S. She opened her own hospital, but didn't live to run it.
The Man Who Invented Modern Infection Control
He's hailed as the "father of infection control" and the "savior of mothers," but the truth about Ignaz Semmelweis is more complicated than that.
Did Venereal Disease Lead to Abolition?
Many abolitionists seeking to end slavery in the British West Indies were concerned less with human rights, more with the preponderance of what they saw as "interracial sex."
Will an 18th-Century Giant Finally Get a Burial at Sea?
The skeleton of Charles Byrne, the “Irish Giant," has been displayed in London's Hunterian Museum for 200 years. Byrne wanted a different resting place.
A Brief History of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is seeing an upswing. But the-now widespread condition was not formally described until 1977, based on a case in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Salmonella: The Good, the Bad, the Unexpected
A recent salmonella outbreak, connected with pre-cut melon, has put the bacteria back in the news. Is there any bright side to salmonella?
The Ecosystem of the Used Mattress
Recently, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt directed staff to arrange for the purchase of a used mattress from a hotel. What's in a used mattress, anyway?
The Science of Fevers
Trying to bring down that fever? Studies show that most fevers are actually integral to effective immune responses.
Baby Food for Baby Boomers
Modern baby food didn’t exist until 1928, when Daniel Gerber launched his first line of mass-produced canned strained peas for babies.
What is Memory?
Research suggests that memories may alter the brain's architecture, forming new synapses and strengthening existing ones.