Edward Wawrzynczak, Author at British Society for the History of Medicine

There is death in the pot

Edward Wawrzynczak — Sat, 30 Jan 2021 12:35:47 +0000

On the bicentenary of chemist Freidrich Accum, J.D. Dayan and A.D. Dayan discuss how his public-health legacy to expose ‘food adulteration’ has been largely forgotten… The essential importance of using new scientific discoveries in the public interest is a belief that has long been preached, but few have had the drive and understanding to put […]

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A digital future for studying History of Medicine?

Edward Wawrzynczak — Wed, 20 Jan 2021 18:18:31 +0000

Dr Mike Davidson reflects on his experience of completing a Masters of Letters (M.Litt.) degree via distance learning… I recently completed a three-year distance learning M. Litt. in Scottish Heritage at the University of Aberdeen. Considering the current restrictions on conventional study and academic meetings by which many of us pursued our interest in the […]

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‘Unfallstationen!’ – a short history of the emergency department

Edward Wawrzynczak — Sat, 19 Sep 2020 14:52:32 +0000

The emergency department is seen as the ‘coal-face’ of any hospital, providing 24-hour-access medical assessment to members of the public. Having just started my first job in emergency medicine, after working in general practice and in other hospital specialties, I have been struck by how distinct the challenges are facing staff in this environment. And […]

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Mystery object – Frimley Sanatorium

Edward Wawrzynczak — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 16:51:08 +0000

Both the illustration and above object performed the same function. Can anyone name them? Answer to be published on Friday 17th July. *** Update. See below for the answer *** Mystery object 1 is an illustration of an object written by patient WA, a recovered tuberculosis patient, to the Lady Almoner at Frimley […]

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Poems and Pandemics in the Plague Village

Edward Wawrzynczak — Tue, 26 May 2020 16:38:13 +0000

Simon Armitage’s newly released poem, ‘Lockdown‘, recalls the Eyam plague of 1665/6, effectively evoking feelings that reverberate in our current situation, and remind us that we are not the first to find ourselves in such a position. In Lockdown, the Poet Laureate touches on some of the most notable features of the story. ‘Thimbles brimmed […]

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Herd Immunity – what’s in a name?

Edward Wawrzynczak — Sun, 29 Mar 2020 12:29:32 +0000

“Herd immunity” recently made a controversial appearance in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. What does the phrase mean, where did it come from, and how helpful is it today? As of March 2020, the OED defines it as, “resistance to the spread of a contagious disease within a population that results if a […]

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Can history help us in the COVID-19 epidemic?

Edward Wawrzynczak — Wed, 11 Mar 2020 13:32:28 +0000

In this time of great uncertainty around the impact that Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) will have on populations and health systems globally, can we look to history to help us in its management? Many have already drawn comparisons between COVID-19 and the 1918 influenza pandemic, also known as ‘Spanish Flu’. The 1918 influenza pandemic which […]

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Laughter is the best medicine

Edward Wawrzynczak — Sun, 09 Feb 2020 14:17:29 +0000

Anyone who has read doctor-turned-comedian Adam Kay’s best-selling ‘This Is Going to Hurt’ about his experiences on the obstetrics wards will be aware that medicine provides rich pickings for humour and satire. But Kay is not the first person to draw on medical experiences to amuse his audiences. For as long as modern medicine has […]

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Tuberculosis, Philately and the history of the ‘Christmas seal’

Edward Wawrzynczak — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 12:28:42 +0000

Christmas has long been recognised as a time of charity and fundraising. Perhaps familiar to some is the ‘Christmas seal’ – a label placed on post over the Christmas period – to raise awareness and funds for charitable organisations. Christmas seals fall into a category known as ‘cinderella stamps’: items that resemble stamps but cannot […]

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Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564) – the greatest anatomist that ever was?

Edward Wawrzynczak — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 08:59:18 +0000

For me, any mention of anatomy conjures up memories of the hours spent during medical school in the Dissection Room, overpowered by the smell of formaldehyde, trying in vain to orientate myself with more than a little help from Gray’s Anatomy for Students. I remember being constantly told that whole-body dissection was a privilege, and […]

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