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  • Senna corymbosa (Lam.)H.S.Irwin&Barneby Caesalpinaceae. Argentine Senna. Distribution: Argentine (other species from Europe). This beautiful shrub that flowers from midsummer until the frosts of winter, is the source of one of the best known of all herbal medicines – Senokot (and senna pods and senna tea), introduced to European medicine (as Senna alexandrina from Egypt) by the Arabians. Every part of the plant contains anthraquinones which, if taken internally, act as a powerful laxative to treat constipation by stimulating the nerve cells of the large bowel. Gerard (1633) notes ‘it is a singular purging medicine’ with over a page on its uses. When used regularly the nerves to the large bowel may be destroyed, leaving a permanently dilated large bowel that never functions properly again. This is a plant which causes the condition it treats to become permanent. Additionally, with prolonged use, the lining of the bowel turns black, serum potassium levels may fall, resulting in cardiac irregularities and sometimes death. Coma, neuropathy and hepatitis have also been reported. It is advertised on television (the actor involved is seen to be depressed and bloated until she takes Senokot, after which she is happy - Hippocrates would have attributed this antidepressant effect to the plant's ability to purge her of the black melancholic humour present in her bowel motions). It is available without prescription or health warning against long-term use. What do you think? Lyte (1578) recommends it strongly for depression, but one might claim to be cured rather than take it again. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Newly emerging infectious diseases: patients in hospital. Relief print by Eric Avery, 2000.
  • VIme. Congrès internationale d'histoire de la médecine : Leyde - Amsterdam, 18-23 juillet 1927.
  • VIme. Congrès internationale d'histoire de la médecine : Leyde - Amsterdam, 18-23 juillet 1927.
  • VIme. Congrès internationale d'histoire de la médecine : Leyde - Amsterdam, 18-23 juillet 1927.
  • VIme. Congrès internationale d'histoire de la médecine : Leyde - Amsterdam, 18-23 juillet 1927.
  • Reception and banquet by the Corporation of London at Guildhall on Friday the 10th May 1929 : the Rt. Hon. Sir J.E. Kynaston Studd ...
  • Reception and banquet by the Corporation of London at Guildhall on Friday the 10th May 1929 : the Rt. Hon. Sir J.E. Kynaston Studd ...
  • Reception and banquet by the Corporation of London at Guildhall on Friday the 10th May 1929 : the Rt. Hon. Sir J.E. Kynaston Studd ...
  • Reception and banquet by the Corporation of London at Guildhall on Friday the 10th May 1929 : the Rt. Hon. Sir J.E. Kynaston Studd ...
  • Reception and banquet by the Corporation of London at Guildhall on Friday the 10th May 1929 : the Rt. Hon. Sir J.E. Kynaston Studd ...
  • Capsicum annuum 'Masquerade' Distribution: Central and South America. This ‘domesticated species’ originated from Mexico (although the centre of Capsicum evolution was much earlier and from Bolivia) and includes the bland salad peppers and the hot chilli peppers, of which capsaicin (sometimes called capsicain), from the lining of the inside of the chilli, is the main active ingredient. Chilli comes from the Aztec language of the Nahuatl people. It was reputedly introduced to Europe by Columbus in the mid-15th century, but was cultivated in Mexico since 4,000 BCE and used in cooking since 7,200 BCE. After its introduction to Europe, its cultivation very rapidly became world-wide. It appears first as a description (Bock, 1539) with the name teutschem Pfeffer. The first illustration, as Siliquastrum, appears in Historia Stirpes commentarii insignis (Fuchs, 1542). Fuchs did not realise it came from the Americas, as he identified it as a plant described by Pliny, Dioscorides and Avicenna and gave their uses of it. It appear in Dodoen's Cruydeboeck (1551) and Lyte's translation (1557) with the note that it is 'hot and drie in the third degree.' He recommended it for dressing meat, and noted that it 'warmeth the stomach' and was good for a sore throat, scrofula, and topically got rid of spots. Fuch's had reported these properties as being described by Avicenna, but what that plant was is unknown. Lindley (1838) wrote: 'It is employed in medicine, in combination with Cinchona in intermittent and lethargic affections, and also in atonic gout, dyspepsia accompanied by flatulence, tympanitis, paralysis etc. Its most valuable application appears however to be in cynanche maligna [=severe sore throat, with impending suffocation] and scarlatina maligna [=severe scarlet fever], used either as a gargle or administered internally.' However, its principal use medically has been in pain relief, applied locally for pain from muscle injury to post herpetic neuralgia. Capsaicin acts on the pain and heat sensing neurones to make them trigger the sensation of pain at body temperature. Repeated exposure to capsaicin depletes the neurotransmitter substance P that is used to perceive pain, so the relevant nerves no longer transmit the sensation of pain/heat from any cause. It is a banned substance in the equestrian events at the Olympics because of its ability to stop perception of pain. Capsaicin has been shown, experimentally, to kill cancer cells by attacking their mitochondria. Particular interest has concentrated on its ability to reduce the size of tumours of the pancreas and prostate. Various cultivars are used in cooking, and the strength (i.e. how hot they are) is measured in Scoville units. A standard chilli pepper used in England would be around 5,000 Scovilles, the hottest peppers are rated over one million Scoville units. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.
  • Handling, maintenance and storage of ophthalmic surgical instruments in Kenya. Colour lithograph by the International Centre for Eye Health, ca. 2000.
  • Symbolic image of the liver: Chinese/Korean/Japanese
  • Symbolic image of the spleen: Chinese/Korean/Japanese
  • A seedy looking intern. Colour process print by C. Josef, c. 1930.
  • Symbolic image of the heart: Chinese/Korean/Japanese
  • Symbolic image of the gall bladder: Chinese/Korean/Japanese
  • Symbolic image of the kidneys: Chinese/Korean/Japanese
  • Symbolic image of the lung: Chinese/Korean/Japanese
  • Opening of the IV International Congress on Malaria and Tropical diseases. Photograph, Washington, 1948.
  • Avec les compliments du Comité International de Médecine et de Pharmacie Militaire : Liège (Belgique).
  • Portrait of Sir George Buchanan, from an original photograph
  • Dear Friends : I am wrinting to inform you about the activities we are organizing for women as part of the IX International Conference on AIDS to be held in Berlin next June ... / Mabel Bianco, Coordinator, International AIDS Women's Caucus/IAS.
  • Dear Friends : I am wrinting to inform you about the activities we are organizing for women as part of the IX International Conference on AIDS to be held in Berlin next June ... / Mabel Bianco, Coordinator, International AIDS Women's Caucus/IAS.
  • Photocopies, microfilms : the International Veterinary Society for Zootechnics takes the liberty of placing its library organisation to the disposal of all its members with the system of photocopies or microfilms.
  • Photocopies, microfilms : the International Veterinary Society for Zootechnics takes the liberty of placing its library organisation to the disposal of all its members with the system of photocopies or microfilms.
  • Three scientists at the Washington Congress of Tropical Medicine. Photograph, 1948.
  • Sports medicine
  • King Arcesilaus of Cyrenaica overseeing the packaging of silphium (the country's main source of income) into ships for export. Gouache painting by S.W. Kelly, 1937,after a Spartan cylix, c. 580-550 B.C.