Dangerous diamonds from Benvenuto to Bollywood (the myths and medicine of diamond ingestion)

Is it dangerous to lick a diamond? Can I die from swallowing a diamond? What happens if you eat diamond dust? Is diamond harmful or helpful for health? These are some of the questions about diamond ingestion and toxicity that appear on the internet. Isn’t the answer clear cut? Learning objectives 1. Explore the origins […]

‘The Doctor’ by Fildes. Part 3: the trouble with telemetry

The ‘doctor-patient relationship’ is a problematic term. What exactly is it? Would Fildes iconic image leave the observer with a different taste if instead it portrayed the parents propping up a smartphone next to their poorly child? Learning objectives 1. Review how The Doctor has stood the test of time 2. Consider the impact of […]

‘The Doctor’ by Fildes. Part 2: Poverty and propaganda

Ring, my friend, I said you’d call Doctor Robert Day or night he’ll be there any time at all Doctor Robert Doctor Robert, The Beatles Learning objectives 1. Continue our exploration of ‘The Doctor’. 2. Reflect on how images and their use shape societal expectations. 3. Think about how the medical profession will manage […]

‘The Doctor’ by Fildes. Part 1: Painting and power

Apparently a a picture is worth a thousand words, but what can a Victorian painting tell us about doctors today? Learning objectives 1. Look at ‘The Doctor’ by Fildes. 2. Consider the societal expectations of doctors. 3. Reflect on whether doctors can live up to Victorian ideals. The Victorian era was an exciting period for […]

What does Dr. Google look like?

When you think of the term ‘doctor‘, what picture pops into your head? Images of doctors have changed through the ages, but never have they been more ubiquitous than they are now. They are powerful tools of communication. Do the images cause problems not only in the way patients view doctors but also in the […]

Whatever happened to Anderson Island?

Ship’s surgeon William Anderson died in 1778 and was buried at sea. Captain James Cook decided to name the island near the burial after Anderson. Cook, however, had made an uncharacteristic error. He failed to realise that the island had already been discovered by the explorer Bering in 1728. St. Lawrence Island, as it was […]

More than a ship’s surgeon: William Anderson

William Anderson was born 28th December 1750. Although he attended Edinburgh University, he qualified at Surgeon’s Hall in London in 1770. In 1772 he joined Captain James Cook on his second voyage as surgeon’s mate on HMS Resolution. Learning objectives 1. Find out more about William Anderson 2. Explore the transferrable skills of clinicians 3. […]