Body Integrity Identity Disorder

Body Integrity Identity Disorder or BIID is when a person believes part of their body is foreign and should be removed. These people will sometimes harm themselves to reach their ideal. Some have laid on railroad tracks to get the offending limb either severed or mangled so badly it must be surgically removed. With that explanation in place let me introduce you to Jewel Shurping. Jewel claims to have been fascinated by blindness from childhood. As an adult she would go out in dark glasses with a white cane and feign blindness and taught herself braille. But she still desired to be blind for real as she felt she was meant to be from birth. So much so that she found a psychologist who was understanding of her disorder and the compelling need Ms. Shurping felt to become blind. The psychologist decided to help by administering drain cleaner into Jewel's eyes to fulfill her wish. Jewel claims to be very happy now with the exception of being disowned by her family when they became aware that her blindness was due to a deliberate act. As far as the helpful psychologist, there was no mention of that person's fate, perhaps they just walked away.

Posted By: Alex - Thu Oct 01, 2015 - Comments (7)
Category: Bad Habits, Neuroses and Psychoses, Differently Abled, Handicapped, Challenged, and Otherwise Atypical, Diseases, Pain, Self-inflicted and Otherwise

Keeping Mentally Fit

Is the narrator drunk? Of just folksy?

The lesson learned: look around you and you will probably spot a lunatic.

Posted By: Paul - Fri Sep 18, 2015 - Comments (4)
Category: PSA’s, 1950s, Diseases, Mental Health and Insanity

Kissing Chickens

"They ain't got no lips!"

Posted By: Paul - Wed Jul 29, 2015 - Comments (3)
Category: Agriculture, Animals, PSA’s, Diseases

Yet Another Reason To Legalize

Marijuana has long been known to be an effective glaucoma treatment. It also helps cancer and AIDS patients by increasing appetite and decreasing nausea. Now a recent study indicates pot may be useful in treating some brain tumors. Unfortunately, some people wouldn't be in favor of legalization even if it cured cancer, and now it just might.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Apr 10, 2015 - Comments (7)
Category: Drugs, Brain, Diseases

Anti-Vaxxers

Picture one is a child with measles. Picture two is a child with smallpox. The only study to vilify vaccines has been completely debunked and yet supposedly loving and intelligent parents are denying their children the protection of vaccinations. These people also put others at risk with this irresponsible choice. The scientific community is at a loss as to how to reverse this dangerous trend. Meanwhile pop culture icons weigh in on a subject they have no expertise about and influence decisions that damage society as a whole and children especially.
Government needs to step in for public safety before these diseases take hold in the general population unnecessarily. Parents are being threatened with having their children taken away for letting them walk to the park unaccompanied yet refusing the protection of vaccinations is being allowed. We are down the rabbit hole on this issue.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Mar 04, 2015 - Comments (25)
Category: Confusion, Misunderstanding, and Incomprehension, Medicine, Surrealism, Can’t Possibly Be True, More Things To Worry About, Diseases, Disease

Bile Beans

One of the less-alluringly named nostrums. Full story here.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Feb 28, 2015 - Comments (4)
Category: Drugs, Scams, Cons, Rip-offs, and General Larceny, Advertising, Excrement, Nineteenth Century, Diseases

Polycystic Kidney Disease

Our own WUvian, Tyrusguy, had polycystic kidney disease, in which the kidneys form cysts all over them. Over time the kidneys become very large, Ty's were 20 pounds, and stop functioning. Eventually the kidneys must be removed and the patient must go on dialysis until they receive a new kidney. I say he had the disease because he no longer does since the 'evil twins' were removed on lucky Friday the 13th. Ty came through with flying colors and is recuperating at home. A picture of his kidneys is in extended, not safe for stomachs- you have been duly warned.

More in extended >>

Posted By: Alex - Wed Feb 18, 2015 - Comments (14)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Body, Diseases

Uranium Dirt Sitting Houses

Briefly in the 1950s it became popular to sit in mildly radioactive dirt as a panacea for many ills.

The house above in Rotan, TX, was one such establishment.



Article here.

LIFE magazine article here.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 16, 2014 - Comments (6)
Category: Fads, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s, Diseases

The Tonopah Plague

Plagues have always been with us. Here's an instance from 1905.

What was this exotic mystery germ? The answer is here.



[Click to enlarge]

Original article here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Oct 26, 2014 - Comments (3)
Category: Regionalism, 1900s, Diseases

Wrong Way

Frozen poop pills?!? Yes, that is what they are using to treat Clostridium difficile, or C diff, a bacteria that when over abundant in the bowel causes debilitating diarrhea. Samples of feces from a healthy donor with a good bacterial balance in the bowel are put in capsules that are acid resistant and frozen. The capsule is acid resistant so it will not dissolve before carrying the good bacteria to the intestines where it is needed. It is frozen to make it easier for the patient to swallow. The treatment has been very successful and that is great, but I have one word for the Doctors involved: suppositories!

Posted By: Alex - Sun Oct 12, 2014 - Comments (10)
Category: Drugs, Diseases, Disease, Nausea, Revulsion and Disgust