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The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth

And Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine
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( 4,810 ratings, 588 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth by Thomas Morris is a captivating collection of strange and unusual medical case histories from the past. The book delves into bizarre, often humorous accounts of peculiar medical phenomena that challenge the limits of medical science. Through these fascinating stories, often featuring explosive scenarios and curious treatments, readers explore a lesser-known side of medical history.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're intrigued by the bizarre and obscure tales from the annals of medical history. The author unearths strange and humorous stories from old medical journals, offering a fascinating glimpse into the curious side of the past. It's perfect for those who appreciate unusual historical anecdotes and quirky facts.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

This wryly humorous collection of stories about bizarre medical treatments and cases offers a unique portrait of Victorian medicine in all its grisly weirdness. "...a bewildering walk through medical history that will astonish readers."--Lydia Kang, MD, author of Quackeryry

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"Delightfully horrifying." β€” Popular Science

This wryly humorous collection of stories about bizarre medical treatments and cases offers a unique portrait of a bygone era in all its jaw-dropping weirdness.

A puzzling series of dental explosions beginning in the nineteenth century is just one of many strange tales that have long lain undiscovered in the pages of old medical journals. Award-winning medical historian Thomas Morris delivers one of the most remarkable, cringe-inducing collections of stories ever assembled.

Witness Mysterious Illnesses (such as the Rhode Island woman who peed through her nose), Horrifying Operations (1781: A French soldier in India operates on his own bladder stone), Tall Tales (like the "amphibious infant" of Chicago, a baby that could apparently swim underwater for half an hour), Unfortunate Predicaments (such as that of the boy who honked like a goose after inhaling a bird's larynx), and a plethora of other marvels.

Beyond a series of anecdotes, these painfully amusing stories reveal a great deal about the evolution of modern medicine. Some show the medical profession hopeless in the face of ailments that today would be quickly banished by modern drugs; but others are heartening tales of recovery against the odds, patients saved from death by the devotion or ingenuity of a conscientious doctor.

However embarrassing the ailment or ludicrous the treatment, every case in The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth tells us something about the knowledge (and ignorance) of an earlier age, along with the sheer resilience of human life.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth by Thomas Morris is generally praised for its intriguing and bizarre collection of historical medical curiosities. Readers find it both entertaining and informative, with a blend of humour and fascinating anecdotes. The book appeals to those interested in oddities and history, presenting unusual medical cases in a compelling and accessible manner.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781524743703

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 12 November 2019

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Dutton

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 139.0mm

Height: 207.0mm

Weight: 329g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Thomas Morris is a writer and medical historian. His first book, The Matter of the Heart, a history of heart surgery, was a winner of a Royal Society of Literature Jerwood Award. He lives in London.

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