Author's posts
Have crib deaths vanished?
An excerpt from Medical Myths: A Sceptic’s Journey. It may be a long while since you’ve heard of a very small infant being found dead in the crib. As a young doctor, I recall the encounters on cold February nights with devastated young parents. P…
The historical medical significance of carrots
An excerpt from Medical Myths: A Sceptic’s Journey. Most people have heard the joke about rabbits and vitamin A: “Are carrots good for your eyesight?” Well, I never saw a rabbit wearing glasses! Vitamin A, one of the essential groups …
The truth about Baron Von Munchausen, Munchausen’s Syndrome, and Munchausen’s by proxy
An excerpt from Medical Myths: A Sceptic’s Journey. The German Baron Karl Friedrich Von Munchausen (1720-1797) was famous for his tall tales. Returning from the war, he described himself riding on a cannonball and even reaching the moon. …
Are there more psychiatric visits during a full moon?
An excerpt from Medical Myths: A Sceptic’s Journey. “Don’t go out tonight, ‘Cos it’s bound to change your life, There’s a Bad Moon on the Rise.” – Creedence Clearwater Revival, August 1969 On a summer’s night on the St. Lawrence…
The medical basis of vampires
An excerpt from Of Plagues and Vampires: Believable Myths and Unbelievable Facts from Medical Practice. The concept of a vampire predates Bram Stoker’s tales of Count Dracula – probably by several centuries. But did vampires ever really exist? In…
