medicine

The Gruesome Reason Why Chainsaws Were Invented

The chainsaw was invented to more safely perform a brutal surgery known as a symphysiotomy on laboring women, during which the birth canal was widened with a hand-cranked, rotating blade.

By Genevieve Carlton • Feb 20, 2026

The Gruesome Reason Why Chainsaws Were Invented

The chainsaw was invented to more safely perform a brutal surgery known as a symphysiotomy on laboring women, during which the birth canal was widened with a hand-cranked, rotating blade.

By Genevieve Carlton • February 20, 2026

Archaeologists Have Uncovered A Siberian Ice Mummy Who Underwent Jaw Surgery 2,500 Years Ago

Members of the ancient Pazyryk culture of Central Asia drilled two holes in a woman's injured jawbone and threaded it together with hair or tendon to create a "primitive prosthetic" circa 500 B.C.E.

By Cara Johnson • Feb 19, 2026

News

Archaeologists Have Uncovered A Siberian Ice Mummy Who Underwent Jaw Surgery 2,500 Years Ago

Members of the ancient Pazyryk culture of Central Asia drilled two holes in a woman's injured jawbone and threaded it together with hair or tendon to create a "primitive prosthetic" circa 500 B.C.E.

By Cara Johnson • February 19, 2026

Gerardo Medina, The Son Of The Youngest Mother In Recorded History

Gerardo Medina was born in Peru in 1949 — when his mother, Lina Medina, was just five years old.

By Erin Kelly • Feb 17, 2026

Gerardo Medina, The Son Of The Youngest Mother In Recorded History

Gerardo Medina was born in Peru in 1949 — when his mother, Lina Medina, was just five years old.

By Erin Kelly • February 17, 2026

When “Blowing Smoke Up Your Ass” Was Much More Than Just A Saying

In the 18th and 19th centuries, "blowing smoke up your ass" was an actual medical treatment employed across much of western Europe.

By Krissy Howard • Feb 6, 2026

When “Blowing Smoke Up Your Ass” Was Much More Than Just A Saying

In the 18th and 19th centuries, "blowing smoke up your ass" was an actual medical treatment employed across much of western Europe.

By Krissy Howard • February 6, 2026

Archaeologists In Turkey Just Uncovered An Ancient Roman Medicine Made With Human Feces

Found inside a glass bottle known as an unguentarium, this concoction was discovered in the form of dried, dark brown flakes mixed with thyme to mask the smell.

By Kaleena Fraga • Feb 2, 2026

News

Archaeologists In Turkey Just Uncovered An Ancient Roman Medicine Made With Human Feces

Found inside a glass bottle known as an unguentarium, this concoction was discovered in the form of dried, dark brown flakes mixed with thyme to mask the smell.

By Kaleena Fraga • February 2, 2026

The Disturbing Story Of Pennhurst Asylum, The Site Of Horrific Patient Abuse That Is Now A Haunted House At Halloween

Pennhurst State School and Hospital outside Philadelphia operated for almost 80 years, but was shut down in 1987 after its overcrowded condition and abuse of patients came to light.

By Austin Harvey • Jan 31, 2026

The Disturbing Story Of Pennhurst Asylum, The Site Of Horrific Patient Abuse That Is Now A Haunted House At Halloween

Pennhurst State School and Hospital outside Philadelphia operated for almost 80 years, but was shut down in 1987 after its overcrowded condition and abuse of patients came to light.

By Austin Harvey • January 31, 2026

A Liquid Nitrogen-Infused Cocktail Caused A Man’s Stomach To Burst After He Drank It

The 34-year-old man from Mexico survived after emergency surgery, but doctors are warning of the dangers of these popular cocktails.

By Austin Harvey • Jan 29, 2026

News

A Liquid Nitrogen-Infused Cocktail Caused A Man’s Stomach To Burst After He Drank It

The 34-year-old man from Mexico survived after emergency surgery, but doctors are warning of the dangers of these popular cocktails.

By Austin Harvey • January 29, 2026

The Life Of Circus Performer Jean Libbera, The Man With A Parasitic Twin Growing Out Of His Torso

In the early 1900s, Jean Libbera performed in sideshows with his brother Jacques, a parasitic twin who was attached to Jean at the chest and stomach.

By Hannah Reilly Holtz • Jan 29, 2026

The Life Of Circus Performer Jean Libbera, The Man With A Parasitic Twin Growing Out Of His Torso

In the early 1900s, Jean Libbera performed in sideshows with his brother Jacques, a parasitic twin who was attached to Jean at the chest and stomach.

By Hannah Reilly Holtz • January 29, 2026

The Tragic Story Of Adam Rainer, The Man Who Went From Dwarf To Giant

When Adam Rainer turned 18 he was under four and a half feet tall. A little more than 15 years later he would be 7'1" — tall enough to be classified as a giant.

By Kara Goldfarb • Jan 24, 2026

The Tragic Story Of Adam Rainer, The Man Who Went From Dwarf To Giant

When Adam Rainer turned 18 he was under four and a half feet tall. A little more than 15 years later he would be 7'1" — tall enough to be classified as a giant.

By Kara Goldfarb • January 24, 2026

The Shocking History Of Aqua Tofana, The 17th-Century ‘Blemish Serum’ That Killed Hundreds Of Unwanted Husbands

In the 1600s, many Italian housewives had no hope of escaping bad marriages. So hundreds of them turned to poison to kill their husbands — and collect their inheritance.

By Kaleena Fraga • Jan 18, 2026

The Shocking History Of Aqua Tofana, The 17th-Century ‘Blemish Serum’ That Killed Hundreds Of Unwanted Husbands

In the 1600s, many Italian housewives had no hope of escaping bad marriages. So hundreds of them turned to poison to kill their husbands — and collect their inheritance.

By Kaleena Fraga • January 18, 2026