The bionic eye - coming soon to a face near you

Bionic Vision Australia plans to start human trials of the first prototype of the bionic eye next year. Read about how the bionic eye will work here

"Old pills for odd ills" - Confection of Senna

Our latest installment of "Old pills for odd ills" features another laxative, called Confection of Senna. Either constipation was quite the problem in the early 20th century, or perhaps this was one of the few maladies that medicine at the time could successfully treat!

 

 

No wonder this concoction worked the way it did - a combination of powdered leaves, coriander oil, licorice extract, fig and prune juice would get anyone's guts going.

Use woods toothpaste for white teeth and mouth cancer

 A container of Woods Areca Nut Toothpaste at the Museum of Human Disease

Woods Areca Nut toothpaste, sold in Europe during the late 19th century, was made from the pulverised charcoal of betel nuts, also known as areca nuts. While the toothpaste turned teeth black during use, it reduced the incidence of dental decay. I've posted an information sheet here about the history of areca nut toothpaste.

Chewing red betel nut fruit is custom in many Asian and Oceanic countries for it's mild stimulant effect. However, the practice is now widely discouraged, as the carcinogenic properties of the betel nut places regular chewers at risk of mouth and oesophageal cancer.

Stick it up your nose!

This week in "Old Pills for Odd Ills", we take a closer look at an old nasal douche on display in the Museum of Human Disease. Read the article by guest blogger Ruth Miller here

Old Pills for Odd Ills - Pinkettes

Try Pinkettes for laxative perfection!

Read the next installment of our "Old pills for odd ills" series here

Australians confused by antibiotics

Let's say you're sick. Runny nose, cough, sore throat, fever, headache - the works. You've got a cold. Not a mild one, but not as bad as the flu.

Do you need antibiotics? Would you ask your doctor for a script for them? A recent survey by the National Prescribing Service reveals that many Australians misuse antibiotics because they don't understand how they work. Not only that, our ignorance is contributing to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria. Read my full article here.

"Have a cup of tea, a Bex, and a good lie down"

Read the first installment of our "Old pills for odd ills" series at the Museum of Human Disease. This article about Bex powders was written by guest blogger Ruth Miller.