Foundations Articles - genetics, evolution and history

One-Man NIH, 1887

By Cristina Luiggi | June 4, 2011

As epidemics swept across the United States in the 19th century, the US government recognized the pressing need for a national lab dedicated to the study of infectious disease. In 1887, the government set its sights on a small lab located in the Mari

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Medical Posters, circa 1920

By Edyta Zielinska | May 25, 2011

William Helfand began buying medically themed collectibles in the 1950s when he started working for Merck & Co. Over his 30-year career with the company, Helfand amassed thousands of posters and other old marketing paraphernalia, which were commi

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Ancient Anatomy, circa 1687

By Cristina Luiggi | April 1, 2011

Seventeenth-century Tibet witnessed a blossoming of medical knowledge, including a set of 79 paintings, known as tangkas, that interweaved practical medical knowledge with Buddhist traditions and local lore.

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Medicinal Alchemy, circa 1512

By Cristina Luiggi | March 1, 2011

During the Middle Ages, alchemists developed sophisticated ways to tap the medicinal powers of the Earth’s bounty. Liber de Arte Distillandi, published in 1512, is a layman’s guide to the preparation of these natural medicines.

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Light Therapy, circa 1939

By Cristina Luiggi | February 1, 2011

Around the turn of the 20th century—before sunscreens hit the market and the damaging effects of UV radiation were widely appreciated—physicians saw the sun mostly as a source of healing. Sunlit spas nestled high in the mountains became very popula

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