REVIEW 53
A well written miscellany Did Richard III really have a hump? How did Stalin die? Who really invented penicil- lin? These and other questions are explored and answered in Through the Pages of His- tory , by retired medical consultant Michael Whelton. This is a selection of lively and entertaining essays which uncover some interesting medical perspectives on figures and events from history. at the time. This isn’t in the book, but it’s useful to know.
The book has a particularly interest- ing chapter on the invention of penicillin. Alexander Fleming essentially discovered penicillin by accident in 1928. However, he failed to refine it and develop it as a medi- cine and eventually abandoned work on it. Later, three other scientists – Florey, Chain and Heatley – had more success, leading to penicillin’s eventual mass production from the 1940s. While he did play a major role in the discovery of the ‘wonder drug’, Fleming had little or nothing to do with its success- ful development. This and many other medico-historical stories are told in a very engaging style by Dr Whelton. The book could have done with slightly better proofreading, however, for example, it was Henry VI, not Henry I, who was briefly restored to the English throne during the Wars of the Roses. – Niall Hunter Through the Pages of History – an Art, Music and Medical Miscellany. Published byThe Manuscript Publisher RRP €12.99 ISBN: 978-1-911442-16-5
As regards the aforementioned monsters and their medical conditions, Richard III wasn’t actually a hunchback but suffered from scoliosis. Stalin died following a stroke having suffered a number of TIAs previously. Both of them had impres- sive tyrant CVs, killing enemies real and imaginary (mostly imaginary in Stalin’s case) with gay abandon. Stalin’s evil was on a greater scale than that of Richard III, whose bloodthirsty behaviour was proba- bly pretty standard for medieval times. Stalin at the time of his death in 1953 was propagating ‘The Doctors’ Plot’, which saw many medics tortured. Had he not died, many doctors would have been executed. Good times – and not too long ago either.
Michael Whelton also reveals an Irish connection here. Stalin suffered from Cheyne-Stokes breathing, first described by two Irish physicians. Incidentally, who was the first American to hear of Stalin’s death? Johnny Cash (yes that Johnny Cash), who was working as an army Morse code operator in Germany
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Crossword
Across 1 Pub (3) 3 The chief culprits or organisers of troublemaking (11) 8 Vegetable paste in Cork’s river (6) 9 Wealthy (8) 10 Chelmsford is in this English county (5) 11 Perhaps the safe contains a hot bundle (5) 13&15 Snack contained in white barrels (5,7) 16 Make more rigid (7) 20 Strong winds (5) 21 Whatever floats your boat, Noah! (5) 23 Aviator (5) 24 Noticed (8) 25 Somewhere in La Paz, a leafy shrub may be seen (6) 26 Charity a cad upset – not a sign of a good heart that! (11) 27 But, however (3)
Down 1 Invulnerable to gunshots (6-5) 2 Formally enrol (8) 3 Rex, I’m about to get a remodelling of some music (5) 4 Divert the Lagan, or find a breakfast food (7) 5 Shafts upon which wheels spin (5) 6 The number of players on a soccer team (6) 7 Part of a tennis match (3) 12 Do they raise their glasses in Paris to this snack? (6,5) 13 Manually get the water out of a wet garment (5) 14 Detests, abhors (5) 17 Cheating, as in a drama called “Dangerous Tackles”? (4,4) 18 Thin, narrow (7) 19 Beautifully written (probably in verse) (6) 22 Dukedom (5) 23 Italian food with toppings on a base (5) 24 Morse code symbol (3)
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April crossword solution Across: 1 Banishment 6 Spam 10 Papal 11 Caesarian 12 Brioche 15 Teems 17 Came 18 Hits 19 Nicer 21 Forages 23 Wiser 24 Snap 25 Emir 26 Heart 28 Satanic 33 Fall apart 34 Cecil 35 Town 36 Beer garden Down: 1 Baps 2 Nephritis 3 Salvo 4 Micah 5 Need 7 Poise 8 Manuscript 9 Hastens 13. Ciao 14 Eclairs 16 Chew the fat 20 Convinced 21 Fretsaw 22. East 27 Allow 29 Aster 30 Accra 31 Gate 32 Clan
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The winner of the April crossword is: Sinéad Burke, Leixlip, Co Kildare
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You can now email your entry to us at nursing@medmedia.ie by taking a photo of the completed crossword with your details included. Closing date: Monday, June 24, 2019 If preferred you can post your entry to: Crossword Competition, WIN, MedMedia Publications, 17 Adelaide Street, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, A96E096
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