Need ideas for the blog

Holly Tucker · Post by **Holly Tucker** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 2:20 pm

Hi everyone. So as you know, I keep a blog on quirky early history. It has something of an emphasis on the history of medicine--mostly by default (I'm a historian of medicine!)

The blog has seen a huge spike in hits--and I want to have a stable of great ideas at the ready so I can keep good content flowing.

SO...can you guys help me make a list of some of the things you'd be interested in seeing? ALL IDEAS WELCOME!

Also, I should mention that a have a number of guest bloggers lined up (below). Anyone else I should invite?

Catherine Delors, Mistress of the Revolution (http://blog.catherinedelors.com)
Carlyn Beccia, The Raucous Royals (http://raucousroyals.com)
Tilar Mazzio, The Widow Clicquot (http://www.tilar-mazzio.com)
Stephanie Snow, Blessed Days of Anaesthesia: How Anaesthetics Changed the World

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP! All the best, Holly
http://www.wondersandmarvels.com

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 3:06 pm

One word Free.

What about giving away a free book. People like that.

As for ideas I got none.

Holly Tucker · Post by **Holly Tucker** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 4:25 pm

Thanks for the prodding...I've been meaning to start give-aways. I get tons of advanced readers and review copies--more than I'm able to read.

So here's what we have for this week:

Brunonia Barry's The Lace Reader
David Livingston, Putting Science in its Place

xiaotien · Post by **xiaotien** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 4:50 pm

birth control.

child birth / midwifery.

folklore, traditions, ways of dealing
with menses.

i guess these are heavily women related.
but i know nothing about it, and i think it'd
be interesting.

good luck!

Julianne Douglas · Post by **Julianne Douglas** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 5:51 pm

Early women doctors

Cures for venereal disease

Effects of diet--rural vs town, rich vs. poor

I personally love to read snippets of contemporary accounts.

Divia · Post by **Divia** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 6:12 pm

Abortions.

So what did women do? What were the herbs?

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 7:32 pm

I would be interested in following the paths of various diseases throughout populations: for instance, smallpox into the new world, Measles and Hawaii. And where syphilis and gonorrhea originated and how the current forms differ from the early 'french pox'.

Leprosy and other slow-spreading diseases whose social impact was much greater than their mortality always interest me.

Also, from grave studies, what did the lifespan of other times look like, health-wise? If someone made it past the childhood diseases and didn't get killed in a fight, die in childbirth, trampled or gored by some animal, drowned aboard ship, etc., were they likely to last in good health, or did they suffer a miserable, toothless, arthritic old age?

I'm interested in herbal remedies that worked, like willow bark, and also hearing of the fanciful ones (verses of the Qur'an boiled into a tea) and how useful the placebo effect was.

You may have posted on any or all of these, but I have only just looked at your blog.

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 9:42 pm

Ditto on birth control and abortions. When researching my family history, I noticed that before they left Germany, my ancestors mostly had families of 4 or 5 children, which suddenly climbed to families of 9 or 10 children after they settled in Texas in the mid-19th century. They were farmers both places. It wasn't child mortality, because the churches in Germany recorded every birth. Better nutrition? Loss of the herbs they used in the old country to limit their families?

Amanda · Post by **Amanda** » Sun October 12th, 2008, 11:03 pm

Holly....I bookmarked your website when you first posted here, and I can see I am going to be a regular visitor. What a cool job you have...a medical historian! I am a pathology scientist (cytology), who is currently staying home with the kids, and given my love of history, I love reading all the medical history titbits.

What is that book "Putting Science in it Place" about?

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Mon October 13th, 2008, 1:16 pm

I believe that here in New Orleans we have the oldest pharmacy in the country. I'd be glad to do a write up of that for you.