JRE #1272 – Lindsey Fitzharris

26-Mar-19

This podcast features Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris, a medical historian and author, sharing captivating and often gruesome stories from the history of medicine. It explores the evolution of surgical practices, the prevalence of disease, and the societal context surrounding medical treatment in the Victorian era.

Major Topics Explored:

1. The Rise and Fall of the Victorian Operating Theatre:

• Operating theaters were spectacles, with people paying to watch surgeries.
• Surgeries were performed without anesthesia, with surgeons relying on speed and skill.
• Robert Liston, known as the “fastest knife in the West End,” was a showman but also notoriously dangerous.
• The lack of antiseptic techniques led to high infection rates, and many patients died post-operatively.

2. The Impact of Joseph Lister and Germ Theory:

• Lister’s revolutionary antiseptic techniques transformed the surgical landscape.
• Lister’s work was initially met with resistance from the medical community, which was accustomed to traditional practices.
• Lister’s legacy includes Listerine, a mouthwash named after him, though its original use was for treating gonorrhea.
• Lister’s contributions paved the way for modern surgical procedures and advancements in medicine.

3. The Gruesome Realities of Pre-Antiseptic Medicine:

• Stories of desperate and ineffective treatments highlight the lack of medical knowledge in the past.
• A man with a bladder stone attempted to break it up by hammering a nail down his penis.
• Hospitals were filthy and rife with infections, making them dangerous places for patients.
• Wealthier patients often opted for home surgeries, which were safer than those performed in hospitals.

4. The Practice of Corpse Medicine:

• People consumed dead bodies for medicinal purposes, believing they held healing properties.
• Examples include drinking the blood of executed criminals to cure epilepsy and grinding up mummies into pills.
• Modern practices like organ donation and cadaver grafts continue a form of corpse medicine.
• The use of corpse medicine highlights the desperation and limited understanding of disease in the past.

5. The Plague Doctor Mask and the Misconceptions of Contagion:

• The plague doctor mask, with its beak filled with sweet-smelling herbs, was designed to ward off “miasma,” believed to be the cause of disease.
• The mask was intended to protect the doctor from bad smells, which were associated with disease.
• The mask’s effectiveness is questionable, as the true cause of the plague, a bacterial infection, was unknown.
• The plague mask reflects the limited understanding of disease transmission in the past.

6. The Theory of Alien Abduction as a Distant Memory of Childbirth:

• This theory proposes that alien abduction experiences are actually repressed memories of childbirth.
• The bright lights, clinical setting, and masked figures associated with alien abductions mirror the experience of birth.
• The theory suggests that babies have memories, challenging the traditional view that they do not.
• This theory provides an intriguing alternative explanation for alien abduction experiences.

7. The Evolution of Childbirth Practices:

• Historically, childbirth was primarily a female-led practice, with midwives assisting women.
• Men began participating in childbirth in the 17th and 18th centuries, bringing instruments and potentially increasing the risk of complications.
• The term “cesarean section” is believed to originate from the Latin word for “to cut,” not from the birth of Julius Caesar.
• The shift from female-led childbirth to the involvement of male doctors reflects changing societal and medical perspectives.

8. The History of Plastic Surgery:

• Harold Gillies, a surgeon during World War 1, pioneered the field of plastic surgery.
• Gillies’ work focused on reconstructing the faces of soldiers disfigured by injuries, restoring their identities.
• Plastic surgery has evolved from reconstructive procedures to cosmetic enhancements, raising ethical questions.
• The rise of cosmetic surgery is fueled by social media and the pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards.

9. Body Snatching and the Pursuit of Anatomical Knowledge:

• Body snatching was a widespread practice in the 18th and 19th centuries, driven by the need for cadavers for medical education.
• Body snatchers, also known as “resurrection men,” would dig up bodies from graves, often stripping them naked to avoid legal repercussions.
• Cemeteries implemented measures to protect graves, including cemetery guns, coffin collars, and cages.
• Body snatching highlights the ethical conflicts between the advancement of medical knowledge and the respect for the dead.

10. The Victorian Obsession with Masturbation:

• The Victorians viewed masturbation as a harmful and dangerous practice, blaming it for a wide range of ailments.
• Anti-masturbation devices, such as the “jukem penis,” were designed to prevent erections and discourage self-pleasure.
• The obsession with masturbation is reflected in the creation of bland foods like Kellogg’s cornflakes and Graham crackers, intended to suppress desire.
• This obsession reveals the prudish nature of Victorian society and its anxieties surrounding sexuality.

11. The Use of Urine in Diagnosis and Divination:

• Medieval doctors used urine color and taste to diagnose ailments, including diabetes.
• Urine was also used in divination practices, with practitioners claiming to predict the future based on its characteristics.
• The urine flask was a common symbol of the physician, reflecting the importance of urine analysis in medical practice.
• This practice highlights the unconventional and sometimes bizarre medical practices of the past.

12. The Devastating Impact of Syphilis:

• Syphilis was a widespread disease in the 18th and 19th centuries, causing severe physical disfigurement and mental deterioration.
• The disease led to the loss of noses, teeth, and hair, resulting in the formation of “no-nose clubs” for those affected.
• The prevalence of syphilis is believed to be the origin of powdered wigs, as people emulated the trend set by nobles who wore them to hide hair loss.
• Syphilis highlights the devastating consequences of sexually transmitted diseases and the lack of effective treatments in the past.

13. The Importance of Failure in Scientific Progress:

• Fitzharris emphasizes that failure is an essential part of scientific discovery.
• Many ideas and treatments that didn’t work helped to pave the way for successful advancements.
• Learning from failures is crucial to improving medical knowledge and practices.
• She encourages open discussion about failures in science and medicine to foster a more nuanced understanding of progress.

14. The Power of Storytelling in Medical History:

• Fitzharris utilizes storytelling to make medical history engaging and accessible to a wider audience.
• She acknowledges the tension between popular history and academic history, advocating for the importance of making history relatable and entertaining.
• Her approach brings history to life, revealing the human stories behind medical discoveries and practices.
• She believes that storytelling can help people connect with history and appreciate the progress made in medicine.

5 Memorable Quotes:

• “I always tell people that Lister was a British surgeon and he came to America in 1876 to convince the medical community of germs. And there was a guy in the audience, and he decided to create this product Listerine. But it wasn’t even a mouthwash. In the nineteenth century, it was used to treat gonorrhea.” – Fitzharris reveals the unexpected origins of a common product.
• “I’ve had four men faint so far. It’s always been men. It’s just a comment right now. It’s all different men. Ancestors of that bitch that Jack the Ripper died.” – Fitzharris humorously shares the reactions of some attendees to her lectures.
• “I always say to go back to your question about you know, how would it feel to hear something so dumb? Well, what do you think today that, you know, in a hundred years we’re gonna look back at? And there’s there’s definitely gonna be stuff. Right? That’s a little back and go. I can’t believe that. You know, we use it that.” – Fitzharris encourages listeners to consider the potential for future generations to view our current practices with amusement or disbelief.
• “People were drinking the blood of executed criminals. Good lord. They ground up mummies, ancient mummies, and they would bake it into pills. And then all kinds of things, right?” – Fitzharris shares shocking and often bizarre examples of corpse medicine.
• “You know, it’s it’s a weird thing that exists because in a strange kind of way, it probably did protect the plague doctor because he was covering himself up, but it protected him for the wrong reasons. He he still didn’t understand how disease was spread.” – Fitzharris highlights the irony of the plague doctor mask’s unintentional protection.