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Complete The Pickover Trilogy: 
For the Joy of Learning
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250 Milestones in the History of Medicine
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Anatomical Heart Pillow by The Teary Seal |
Witch Doctor (10,000 B.C.) * Sutures (3000 B.C.) * Bloodletting (1500 B.C.) * Al-Nafis' Pulmonary Circulation (1242)
* Leonardo's Anatomical Drawings (1510) * Cranial Nerves Classified (1664) * Separation of Conjoined Twins (1689)
* Autopsy (1761) * Causes of Cancer (1761) * Hospitals (1784) * Unchaining the Lunatics (1793) * Alternative Medicine (1796)
* Hysterectomy (1813) * Medical Specialization (1830) * Hypodermic Syringe (1853) * Antiseptics (1865) * Medical Thermometer (1866)
* Modern Brain Surgery (1879) * Health Insurance (1883) * Cocaine as Local Anesthetic (1884) * Discovery of Viruses (1892)
* Hearing Aids (1899) * Radiation Therapy (1903) * Genes and Sex Determination (1905) * Meat Inspection Act of 1906 (1906)
* Searches for the Soul (1907) * Human Growth Hormone (1921) * Penicillin (1928) * Jung's Analytical Psychology (1933)
* Informed Consent (1947) * Cause of Sickle-Cell Anemia (1949) * Tobacco Smoking and Cancer (1951) * DNA Structure (1953)
* Birth-Control Pill (1955) * Levodopa for Parkinson's Disease (1957) * Laser (1960) * Angioplasty (1964) * CAT Scans (1967)
* Reverse Transcriptase and AIDS (1970) * Statins (1973) * Near-Death Experiences (1975) * First Test-Tube Baby (1978)
* Laparoscopic Surgery (1981) * Gene Therapy (1990) * Robotic Surgery (2000) * Human Cloning (2008)
* And many more
Circumcision Placebo Effect Biological Weapons Medical Self-Experimentation
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Face Transplant Growing New Organs Cryonics and the Afterlife
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 Face Transplant |
 Test Tube Baby |
 Pulmonary Circulation |
 Neurotransmitters |
 Prosopagnosia |
 Appendectomy |
 Acupuncture |
 Paracelsus |
 Corneal Transplants |
 Amniocentesis |
 Trepanation |
 Glass Eye |
 Virus Discovery |
 Bubonic Plague |
 Searches for Soul |
"Bucky Fuller thought big, Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." -- WIRED "A perpetual idea machine, Clifford Pickover is one of the most creative, original thinkers in the world today." -- Journal of Recreational Mathematics Cool Book Reviews! |
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10,000 B.C.: Witch Doctor |
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Book IndexAbdominal aorta, ligation of, 160-161 Abortion, 40, 46-47 Acupuncture, 42, 86-87 Adrenaline, discovery of, 248-249 AIDS, 56, 80, 464-465, 498 Albinus, Bernhard Siegfried, 116-117 Allergies, 288-289 Alternative medicine, 142-143. See also Acupuncture; Ayurvedic medicine; Chiropractic; Osteopathy Alzheimer's disease, 290-291 Ambulances, 138-139 American Medical Association (AMA), 182-183 Amniocentesis, 390-391 Anatomy Act of 1832, 168-169, 202 Anatomy, artwork and texts. See also De Humani Corporis Fabrica: of da Cortona, 88-89; of da Vinci, 66-67; of Eustachi, 76-77; Gravid Uterus (Hunter) and, 130-131; Gray's Anatomy (Gray), 202-203; Osteographia (Cheselden), 114-115; Tables of the Human Body (Albinus), 116-117 Anemia, pernicious, 330-331. See also Sickle-cell anemia Anesthesia: general, 152, 174-175; hypodermic syringes and, 192; local, cocaine for, 236-237; snow and ice for, 152-153 Aneurysms, 160-161, 478 Angioplasty, 450-451 Antibodies, structure of, 430-431 Antihistamines, 354-355 Antipsychotics, 384-385 Antiseptics and antiseptic surgery, 184, 212-213 Antitoxins, 238-239 Appendectomies, 186-187, 434, 484 Aristotle, 46, 54, 72, 284, 476 Aspirin, 258-259 Autistic disturbances, 360-361 Autoimmune diseases, 408-409 Autopsy, 120-121 Avicenna (Abu 'Ali al-Husayn ibn 'Abd-Allah Ibn Sina), 52, 53-54, 60, 70, 152, 178 Ayurvedic medicine, 28-29 Babies. See Pregnancy and birth Band-Aid bandages, 316-317 Barber pole, 58-59 Barton, Clara, 196, 208 Bell-Magendie Law, 150-151 Bell, Sir Charles, 150, 454 Beta-blockers, 452-453 Birth. See Pregnancy and birth Birth control. See Pregnancy prevention Blackwell, Elizabeth, 154-155 Blalock-Taussig shunt, 364-365 Blood: anticoagulant heparin, 314-315; bloodletting, 32-33, 58, 246, 308; intravenous saline solutions and, 170-171; leech therapy, 162-163; pressure, instrument for checking, 224-225; sickle-cell anemia, 164, 256, 380-381; sugar, insulin and, 322-323; transfusions, 164-165; types, 164 Bone marrow transplants, 410-411 Book overview, 10-15 Bosch, Hieronymus, 472-473 Brain. See Nervous system Broad Street pump handle, 194-195 Brunner's glands, 102-103 Bubonic plague, 44, 64, 250-251 Buck, Carrie, sterilization of, 332-333 Bunker, Chang and Eng, 108 Burning: of Dr. Wertt, 68-69; of medical books, 70-71 Caduceus, 266-267 Cancer: causes of, 122-123; chemotherapy, 366-367; discovery of viruses and, 244-245; early discussion of surgery, 54; HeLa cells and, 386-387; hysterectomies and, 156-157; lymphatic system and, 94-95, 122; mammography, 382-383; oncogenes and, 474-475; Pap smear test, 98, 338-339; radiation therapy and, 254, 278-279; Telomerase and, 494-495; tobacco smoking and, 388-389 Canon of Medicine (Avicenna), 54-55 Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), 412-413 Casts, plaster of Paris, 190-191 CAT (CT) scans, 108, 458-459 Cells: division of, 198-199; phagocytosis theory, 230-231 Cerebellum function, 148-149 Cerebral localization, 204-205 Cerebrospinal fluid, 30, 126-127 Cesarean section, 154, 226-227, 416, 434 Chain reactions, polymerase, 490-491 Chemotherapy, 366-367 Cheselden, William, 114-115 Chiropractic, 142, 252-253 Chlorination, of water, 302-303 Cholera, 170, 194-195 Cholesterol, statins and, 470-471 Chromosomes. See Genetics Chronology/purpose of book, 12-15 Circulatory system, 90-91. See also Blood; angioplasty and, 450-451; artificial heart valves and, 392-393; artificial pacemakers and, 420-421; Blalock-Taussig shunt and, 364-365; CPR and, 412-413; defibrillators and, 260-261; electrocardiograph and, 276-277; fetal monitoring and, 416-417; heart-lung machine and, 396-397; heart transplants, 460-461; ligation of abdominal aorta, 160-161; origins of understanding, 90-91; pulmonary circulation, 60-61; statins and, 470-471 Circumcision, 26 Cloning, human, 514-515 Cocaine, as anesthetic, 236-237 Cochlear implants, 476-477 Cognitive behavioral therapy, 444-445 Cold, common, 308-309 Comprehensive Book of Medicine (al-Razi), 52-53 Condoms, 80-81 Consent, informed, 370-371 Cortisone, 374-375 CPR, 412-413 "Cries of suffering organs," 124-125 Cryonics, 438-439 Crystal invaders, 350-351 Cyclosporine, 466-467 Da Cortona, Pietro, 88-89 Da Vinci, Leonardo, 66-67 Defibrillators, 260-261 De Humani Corporis Fabrica (Vesalius), 72-73, 96-97, 126-127 De Materia Medica (Dioscorides), 48-49 Dental drills, 210-211 De Praestigiis Daemonum (Weyer), 78-79 Dialysis, 362-363 Digestive system: stomach observations, 172-173; zoo within us and, 104-105 Digitalis, 48, 136-137 Dioscorides, Pedanius, 46-49 DNA structure, 394-395. See also Genetics Do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders, 500-501 Drawings, anatomical. See Anatomy, artwork and texts Drills, dental, 210-211 Ears: cochlear implants, 476-477; hearing aids, 262-263; labyrinths of, 128-129 Ears, labyrinths of, 148 ECG (or EKG), 276-277 ECT, 358-359 Education, medical, 154-155, 306-307 EEG, 326-327 Ehrlich, Paul, 238, 272, 304, 430 Electrocardiograph (ECG or EKG), 276-277 Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), 358-359 Electroencephalogram (EEG), 326-327 Endoscopes, 398-399 Epigenetics, 488-489 Epilepsy and epileptics, 18, 40, 200-201, 326, 332, 468 Eustachi, Bartolomeo, 76-77 Eye(s): corneal transplant, 282-283; eyeglasses, 62-63; glass, 24-25; ophthalmoscope for, 188-189; surgery, 36-37 Face transplants, 510-511 Fetal monitoring, 416-417 Fetal surgery, 482-483 Flexner report, medical education and, 306-307 Fluoridation and fluoridated toothpaste, 182, 310-311 Forceps, obstetrical, 82-83 Freud, Sigmund, 236, 264-265, 348 Galenic writings, 50-51 Galen of Pergamon, 14, 22, 32, 50, 52, 54, 60, 70, 72, 204, 436 Gene therapy, 498-499 Genetics: amniocentesis and, 390-391; cancer causes and, 122; chromosomal theory of inheritance, 268-269; DNA structure and, 394-395; epigenetics and, 488-489; gene therapy, 498-499; human cloning and, 514-515; Human Genome Project, 508-509; inborn metabolism errors and, 270-271; of Mendel, 214-215, 268; mitochondrial diseases and, 440-441; oncogenes and, 474-475; polymerase chain reactions and, 490-491; RNA interference and, 502-503; sex determination and, 284-285; sperm discovery and, 100-101 Germ theory, 306-307 Glands. See also Hormones: Brunner's, 102-103; thymus, 94, 436-437 Glass eyes, 24-25 Gloves, latex, 240-241 Grafting tissue, 84-85 Gravid Uterus (Hunter), 130-131 Gray's Anatomy (Gray), 202-203 Greville Chester Great Toe, 34-35 Halsted, William, 192, 236, 240, 280-281 Hand transplants, 454-455 Hand washing, 184-185 Hardy, James D., 448, 460 Harvey, William, 11, 60, 90, 168 Health insurance, 232-233 Hearing aids, 262-263 Heart. See Circulatory system HeLa cells, 386-387 Helminthic therapy, 104, 346 Heparin, 314-315 Herophilus of Chalcedon, 300 Hill, Austin Bradford, 378, 388 Hippocrates of Cos, 32, 40, 50, 54, 70, 152, 204, 222, 258 Hippocratic Oath, 40-41 Hip replacement, 422-423 Hormones: adrenaline discovery, 248-249; beta-blockers, 452-453; birth-control pills and, 402-403; Brunner's glands and, 102-103; cortisone, 374-375; dialysis and, 362-363; first test-tube baby and, 480; HGH, 318; insulin commercialization, 322-323; IUDs and, 342-343; mammography and, 382-383; pancreas transplants and, 456; pineal body and, 424-425; rickets and, 320-321; stomach observations and, 172-173; thyroid surgery and, 218-219 Hospice, 462-463 Hospitals, 132-133 Huangdi Neijing, 42-43 Human Genome Project, 508-509 Human growth hormone (HGH), 318 Humans, cloning, 514-515 Hunter, William, 130-131, 172 Hypodermic syringes, 192-193 Hysterectomies, 156-157 Infectious diseases. See also Vaccinations; specific diseases: antibody structures and, 430-431; antitoxins and, 238-239; Broad Street pump handle and, 194-195; Ehrlich's magic bullets for, 304-305; germ theory of disease and, 306-307; hand washing and, 184-185; penicillin and, 340-341; sulfa drugs and, 352-353 Informed consent, 370-371 Insulin, commercialization of, 322-323 Insurance, health, 232-233 Intravenous saline solutions and, 170-171 Iron lungs, 336-337 IUDs, 342-343 Jewish physicians, persecution of, 56-57 Jung, Carl Gustav, 348-349 Kidneys: dialysis, 362-363; transplants, 400-401 Koch, Robert, 228, 304 Labyrinths, of ears, 128-129, 148 Laparoscopic surgery, 156, 186, 234, 484-485, 504, 506 Larrey, Dominique, 14, 138, 152 Lasers, 432-433 Lavoisier, Antoine, 134-135 Leech therapy, 162-163 Leprosy, cause of, 220-221 Levodopa, 414-415 Ligation, of abdominal aorta, 160-161 Lister, Joseph, 22, 184, 212, 240 Liver therapy, 330-331 Liver transplants, 446-447 Lobotomies, transorbital, 368-369 Lunatics, unchaining, 140-141 Lungs. See also Circulatory system: CPR and, 412-413; heart-lung machine and, 396-397; iron, 336-337; measuring capacity of, 180; pulmonary circulation, 60-61; transplants, 448-449 Lymphatic system, 94-95, 122 Magendie. See Bell-Magendie Law Maggot therapy, 344-345 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 326, 478-479 Malaria, 48, 98, 208, 256-257, 304, 356, 380 Malpighi, Marcello, 90, 98 Mammography, 382-383 Mary, Typhoid, 298-299 "Measles on the Faroe Islands" (Panum), 178-179 Meat Inspection Act of 1906, 292-293 Medical self-experimentation, 346-347 Medicine: scope of, 10-12; specializations, 166-167 Medicines, patent, 294-295 Mendel, genetics of, 214-215, 268 Metabolism, inborn errors, 270-271 Microbes, zoo within us, 104-105 Micrographia (Hooke), 98-99 Midwifery, 328-329 Mithridatium and Theriac, 44 Mitochondrial diseases, 440-441 Morgagni, Giovanni Battista, 120, 124-125 Moxibustion, 142-143 MRI, 326, 478-479 Murder, Wirsung's duct and, 92-93 al-Nafis, Ibn, 36, 60, 90 Nanomedicine, 426-427 Natural Magick (della Porta), 62, 262 Near-death experiences, 472-473 Nerve growth factor (NGF), 376-377 Nervous system: Alzheimer's disease and, 290-291; Bell-Magendie Law, 150-151; brain surgery, 222-223; cerebellum function, 148-149; cerebral localization, 204-205; cerebrospinal fluid, 30, 126-127; cranial nerves classified, 96-97; EEG and, 326-327; levodopa, Parkinson's disease and, 414-415; nerve growth factor and, 376-377; Neuron Doctrine and, 242-243; neurotransmitters and, 242, 312-313, 354, 384, 414; searches for the soul and, 300-301; trepanation and, 18-19 Neuron Doctrine, 242-243 Neurotransmitters, 242, 312-313, 354, 384, 414 Nursing, 196-197 Oncogenes, 474-475 Ophthalmoscope, 188-189 Organs, growing new, 512-513 Osteographia (Cheselden), 114-115 Osteopathy, 246-247 Pacemakers, artificial, 420-421 Pain relief, 48, 252, 258, 404, 442 Palmer, Daniel David, 142, 252 Pancreas transplants, 456-457 Panum's "Measles on the Faroe Islands," 178-179 Papanikolaou, Georgios Nicholas, 98, 338 Pap smear test, 338-339 Papyrus, surgical, 30-31 Paracelsus, 70-71 Paré, Ambroise, 34, 58, 74-75 Parkinson's disease, levodopa for, 414-415 Pasteurization, 206 Pasteur, Louis, 184, 198, 206, 212 Patent medicines, 294-295 Penicillin, 340-341 PET scans, 468-469 Phagocytosis theory, 230-231 Phrenology, 144-145 Pineal body, 424-425 Placebo effect, 12, 32, 86, 142, 252, 294, 378, 404-405 Plaster of Paris casts, 190-191 Polio vaccine, 406 Polymerase chain reactions, 490-491 Positron emission tomography (PET) scans, 468-469 Pregnancy and birth: amniocentesis and, 390-391; Cesarean section and, 154, 226-227, 416, 434; fetal monitoring and, 416-417; fetal surgery and, 482-483; first test-tube baby, 480-481; male participation in birth, 68-69; midwifery and, 328-329; obstetrical forceps, 82-83; pregnancy tests, dead rabbits and, 334-335; salpingectomy and, 234-235; sperm discovery and, 100-101; thalidomide disaster and, 442-443; ultrasound and, 416, 418-419, 482 Pregnancy prevention: abortion and, 40, 46-47; birth-control pills, 402-403; condoms and, 80-81; IUDs and, 342-343 Prions, 486-487 Prosopagnosia, 372-373 Prosthesis: glass eyes, 24-25; Greville Chester Great Toe, 34-35 Psychoanalysis, 264-265 Psychology: antipsychotics and, 384-385; asylum reforms, 140-141; autistic disturbances and, 360-361; cognitive behavioral therapy and, 444-445; De Praestigiis Daemonum (Weyer) and, 78-79; electroconvulsive therapy and, 358-359; hospice and, 462-463; Jung's analytical, 348-349; lobotomies and, 368-369; near-death experiences and, 472-473; phrenology and, 144; psychoanalysis, 264-265 Pulmonary circulation, 60-61. See also Circulatory system; Lungs Pulse watch, 110-111 Purpose/chronology of book, 12-15 Rabbits: of Mary Toft, 112-113; pregnancy tests and, 334-335 Radiation therapy, 254, 278-279 Radioimmunoassay, 428-429 Ramazzini, Bernadino, 122 Randomized controlled trials (RCT), 378-379 al-Razi, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya, 52-53, 54, 288 Red Cross, 208-209 Respiration, 134-135 Reverse transcriptase, AIDS and, 464-465 Rhazes. See al-Razi, Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya Rheumatoid arthritis, 374, 408-409 Rickets, banishing, 320-321 RNA interference, 502-503. See also Genetics Robotic surgery, 504-505 Rocky Mountain spotted fever, 296-297 Röntgen, Wilhelm. See X-rays Saline solutions, intravenous, 170-171 Salpingectomy, 234-235 The Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain (Chadwick), 38-39 Sarcoptes scabiei, discovery, 106-107 Scope of medicine, 10-15 Scurvy, 118-119 Self-experimentation, medical, 346-347 Self-surgery, 434-435 Semmelweis, Ignaz, 184-185, 212 Sewage systems, 38-39, 176-177 Sex, determination of, 284-285 Sickle-cell anemia, 164, 256, 380-381 Sleeping sickness, cause, 272-273 Small bowel transplant, 496-497 Smallpox vaccination, 118, 146-147 Smoking tobacco, cancer and, 388-389 "Snake oil," 182-183 Snow anesthesia, 152-153 Soul, searches for, 300-301 Specialization, medical, 166-167 Spectacles, 62-63 Sperm, discovery of, 100-101 Sphygmomanometer, 224-225 Spirometry, 180-181 Stanley, crystal invaders of, 350-351 Statins, 470-471 Stem cells: bone marrow transplants and, 410-411; levodopa, Parkinson's disease and, 414-415 Sterilization, of Carrie Buck, 332-333 Stethoscopes, 158-159 Stomach, observation of, 172-173 Sulfa drugs, 352-353 Surgery. See also Transplants; specific surgeries: antiseptics and, 184, 212-213; barber-surgeons and, 58-59; DNR orders and, 500-501; fetal, 482-483; Halstedian, 280-281; hand washing and, 184-185; laparoscopic, 156, 186, 234, 484-485, 504, 506; lasers and, 432-433; latex gloves and, 240-241; "rational," of Paré, 74-75; robotic, 504-505; self-surgery, 434-435; telesurgery, 506-507; trepanation, 18-19; vascular suturing, 274-275 Surgical papyrus, 30-31 Sutures, 22-23, 30, 274-275, 280 Swedenborg, Emanuel, 126-127 Syphilis, 80, 304, 340, 370 Syringes, hypodermic, 192-193 Tables of the Human Body (Albinus), 116-117 Teeth: barber-surgeons and, 58-59; dental drills, 210-211; fluoride and, 182, 310-311 Telesurgery, 506-507 Telomerase, 494-495 Test-tube baby, first, 480-481 Thalidomide disaster, 442-443 Theriac and Mithridatium, 44 Thermometer, medical, 216-217 Thymus gland, 94, 436-437 Thyroid surgery, 218-219 Tissue, grafting, 84-85 Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), 350-351 Tobacco, smoking and cancer, 388-389 Toe, Great (Greville Chester), 34 Toft, Mary, 112-113 Transfusions, blood, 164-165 Transplants: bone marrow, 410-411; corneal, 282-283; cyclosporine and, 466-467; face, 510-511; growing new organs and, 512-513; hand, 454-455; heart, 460-461; human cloning and, 514-515; kidney, 400-401; liver, 446-447; lung, 448-449; pancreas, 456-457; small bowel, 496-497; tissue grafting, 84-85; vascular suturing and, 274-275 A Treatise on Scurvy (Lind), 118-119 Trepanation, 18-19, 222 Trials, randomized controlled (RCT), 378-379 Truth serum, 324-325 Tuberculosis, 228-229 Twins (conjoined), separation, 108-109 Typhoid Mary, 298-299 Ulcers (peptic), bacteria and, 492-493 Ultrasound, medical, 82, 382, 390, 398, 416, 417-418, 482 Urinalysis, 20-21 Vaccinations: hypodermic syringes and, 192-193; smallpox, 118, 146-147 Van Leeuwenhoek, Anton Philips, 98, 100, 104 Vascular suturing, 274-275 Vesalius, Andreas, 72, 76, 96-97, 124, 126-127 Virchow, Rudolf, 120, 124, 198 Viruses. See also AIDS: biological weapons and, 64-65; cancer causes and, 122; common cold, 308-309; discovery of, 244-245; HeLa cells and, 386-387; HPV and Pap smear test, 338-339; oncogenes and, 474-475; tobacco mosaic virus (TMV, crystal invaders), 350-351 Vitamins: chemotherapy and, 366; discovery of, 286-287; heparin and, 314-315; kidney transplants and, 400; liver therapy and, 330-331; nanomedicine and, 426; rickets and, 320; scurvy and, 118; zoo within us and, 104-105 Waldeyer-Hartz, Wilhelm von, 122, 242 Water, chlorination of, 302-303 Weapons, biological, 64-65 Wertt, Dr., burning of, 68-69 Weyer, Johann, 78 Wirsung's duct, Johann Wirsung and, 92-93 Witch doctors, 15, 16-17 Witches and witchcraft, 78, 200 Women: hysterectomies, 156-157; medical students, 154-155; nursing profession and, 196-197; pregnancy issues. See Pregnancy and birth; thalidomide disaster and, 442-443 X-rays, 254-255, 278, 382, 420-421, 422-423, 458 Yellow fever, cause of, 356-357 Zoo within us, 104-105
Clifford A. Pickover is a prolific author, having published
more than forty books, translated into over a dozen languages, on topics ranging from science
and mathematics to religion, art, and history. He received his PhD from Yale University's Department
of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, holds over 100 U.S. patents, and is an associate editor
for several scientific journals. His research has received considerable attention from media outlets ranging
from CNN and WIRED to The New York Times, and his website, www.pickover.com, has received millions of visits.
My favorite psychedelic anatomy artist is 
