Posted in Uncategorized on Jan 13th, 2014 No Comments »
In 1858, Douglas Bly, a physician from Rochester, New York, invented and patented an artificial leg that incorporated new technology, materials, and design to better mimic the movements of the human leg. His knowledge of anatomy informed his approach, which was focused on providing a more natural gait to the disabled. The most important improvements […]
Posted in Uncategorized on Dec 19th, 2013 No Comments »
Dating back to the Neolithic Age, the winter soltice has been observed, revered, and worshiped as an iconic moment in the earth’s annual cycle. Ancient physical remains around the globe attest to the allure of the winter solstice for both religious celebration and practical planning for the growing season. In Britain, the primary axes […]
Posted in Uncategorized on Nov 18th, 2013 3 Comments »
According to legend, Queen Nzinga (or Zinga, or Njinga) 1583-1663 was given her name because she was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. To the Ndongo, this was an indication she would become a wise and proud woman. Indeed she was, a strong, charismatic, and shrewd leader who would not acquiesce to […]
Posted in Uncategorized on Oct 14th, 2013 No Comments »
Louis Joblot (1645-1723) is often neglected in the history of microscopy. A contemporary of Leeuwenhoek, who is recognized as the first to observe and record microbes, Joblot, in his own right, was an equally innovative inventor and theorist. A professor of mathematics at the École Nationale des Beaux-Arts, Joblot explored and lectured on perspective, optics, […]
Posted in Uncategorized on Sep 19th, 2013 1 Comment »
Pierre Pomet (1658-1699) was born in Paris on 2nd April, 1658. He traveled extensively throughout Europe, gaining experience, recipes, and plant specimens for his studies. Upon his return, he opened his own apothecary store in Paris. He quickly gained a solid reputation amongst the medical community and regularly published a drug catalog from his vast […]
Posted in Uncategorized on Aug 21st, 2013 No Comments »
Dr. Nathan Hayward (1830-1866), graduate of Harvard College in 1850, was a revered and admired surgeon during the Civil War with the apt nickname of “Uncle Nathan”. Dr. Hayward was captured at the Battle of Antietam while treating the wounded Lieutenant Colonel Francis W. Palfrey. After the war, he set up practice in St. Louis, […]
Posted in Uncategorized on Jul 24th, 2013 3 Comments »
Perhaps the earliest take on a “reality show” traces back to four famous Americans, all varying in age, personality, and perspective, who gathered each summer from 1915-1924 for a camping trip. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone, and John Burroughs, referred to themselves as the “Four Vagabonds” and their annual gatherings received public attention and […]
Posted in Uncategorized on Jul 12th, 2013 2 Comments »
The Venetian physician and botanist, Prospero Alpini (1553 – 1617), spent three years in Egypt from 1580-1582 studying, recording, and hypothesizing about sexual differences in plants. His scientific research in Egypt and Eastern Europe was focused on identifying therapeutic uses of plants. Some of his observations and descriptions, including the coffee plant and the banana […]
Posted in Uncategorized on Jun 14th, 2013 No Comments »
“The Independence of Woman—is it right or wrong ?—that is the tremulous, doddering head of it. Is a woman the equal of a man? May a woman engage in all that a man may ?— those are its withered skinny legs. Is a woman born to be free ? Has a woman a genuine or […]
Posted in Uncategorized on May 21st, 2013 No Comments »
When Boston lawyer, George Thorndyke Angell, read about the extreme cruelty beset upon two horses, each beaten and raced to death, he established the Massachusetts Society of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in order to “to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves”. His highly public outcry of this issue, along with support […]