medicine
The World's Other Opioid Crisis
How the war on drugs forces sick, poor people to die in unnecessary agony.
A Woman in China Tried to Cure Her Cancer by Swallowing Maggots
When she checked back into hospital, doctors thought the woman's cancer might have relapsed—until they found her intestines riddled with fly larvae.
The Power of the Nocebo Effect
Nocebo is the evil twin of the placebo effect—and my constant companion. I set out to find out what it is, and how I could learn to harness the more positive effects of medical mind games.
Why Does the Sun Make Some People Sneeze?
A little girl's drawing on Reddit sheds light on why some people react to sunlight with and "ACHOO!"
Good Luck Getting Medical Cannabis On the NHS
Despite official guidelines, doctors are reluctant to prescribe the drug, with one hospital posting a notice telling patients not to even bother asking.
When Women's Pain Isn't Taken Seriously
In the UK, hysteroscopies—a procedure by which doctors examine the inside of the uterus—are routinely performed without any form of pain relief. But for some women, the experience can be unbearably painful.
15 Cans of Beer Saved This Guy From Alcohol Poisoning
Doctors in Vietnam treated a severe case of methanol poisoning with a strong dose of tinnies.
This Artist Is Making Work Out of the Literal Blood of LGBTQ People
Jordan Eagles is protesting the FDA's discriminatory blood donation policies.
The opioid epidemic has a "silver lining" that's saving lives
A record-high uptick in organs available for donation could be the one good thing to come out of the crisis.
A Weed Farmer in Meghalaya Talks About How He Saved His Crop From the Cops
It involved branding his ganja crop as medicine for cholera for his cattle.
This algorithm reads X-rays better than doctors do
Artificial intelligence has some radiologists worried about automation.
The Tonic Guide to Healthcare
A comprehensive, easy-to-follow FAQ about getting medical care, whether you have good insurance, bad insurance, or no insurance at all.