Was Lydia E. Pinkham the Queen of Quackery?
She developed an immensely popular, if questionably effective, herbal remedy for “female complaints.” Pioneer in alternative medicine or...?
Paying People to Take Their Pills
The majority of medication-related hospital admissions were caused by noncompliance—when patients, for one reason or another, don't take their drugs.
Saving the Lives of Mothers and Babies
Between 1930 and 1950, advances in medicine also contributed to continuing, dramatic improvement in infants’ survival chances.
When a Heart Literally Breaks
Grief and heartbreak can be devastating. But can a broken heart actually kill you? Yes, and it's called Broken Heart Syndrome.
The Healthcare Wars of 1920s Harlem
In the 1920s, Harlem’s population was growing quickly. A wide variety of “magico-religious workers” emerged to respond to the community’s needs.
Why Doesn’t the FDA Regulate Tattoo Ink?
Are there serious adverse effects to injecting industrial paint under your skin? Nobody really knows. The inks used are not FDA-approved.
Meet Zika’s Lifesaving Side: It Kills Cancer
A new study suggests the Zika virus may kill some cancer cells. It can destroy the stem cells of glioblastoma, the most common type of brain tumors.
Helping Kids After Harvey
Right now, there’s an outpouring of support for families displaced by Harvey, but what happens after the waters recede in Texas?
Why Clean Eating Can’t Save Your Soul
If hunger is moral purity, self-care a purchasable commodity, and wellness a stand-in for thinness, what does health really mean?
The Story Behind “The Parisian Water-Carrier”
Who was the "Parisian water-carrier" depicted in eighteenth-century French sculptor Edme Bouchardon’s sketches, and how did he earn his living?