It’s not hard to see why our readers loved this thought-provoking expose of America’s long history with mind-altering substances. In fact, the ad for Cocaine Toothache Drops (contemporarily priced at 15 cents) alone is worth a trip to this colorful and well curated site. Lesson plans and online activities help educators illustrate how the United States has handled the thin and shifting line...

Pictures of Nursing is a beautifully curated and fascinating online exhibit from the U.S. National Library of Medicine. The homepage offers a great overview of the collection, highlighting about a dozen postcards of nurses and nursing from various historical periods and locations around the world. The Exhibition area provides an introduction to the collection of 2,588 postcards, as well as...

In 1967, Dr. Adrian Kantrowitz performed the first human heart transplant in the United States. Throughout this life he was both a surgeon and a prolific inventor, developing devices such as cardiac pacemakers, mechanical left heart devices, and the intraaortic balloon pump. Dr. Kantrowitz passed away in 2008, and his papers were donated to the National Library of Medicine shortly afterwards. As...

During his life, Alan Gregg was one of the most influential men in the world of medical education and research. For many years he worked at the Rockefeller Foundation as the director of their medical sciences division, and he oversaw a budget that offered millions of dollars of support to institutions and individuals involved in medical training and research. The Profiles in Science Project at the...

Jonas Salk referred to the late Mary Lasker as "a matchmaker between science and society.� Lasker passed away in 1994, but her influence is still felt today, as she was a major player in the struggle to expand the National Institutes of Health after World War II. During the post-war period, Lasker successfully entered the largely male-dominated world of policy making and scientific research. On...

The National Library of Medicine has worked tirelessly to bring new Profiles in Science to the curious public over the past decade. This particular collection casts its gaze on William Osler, the 19th century Canadian physician who is sometimes referred to as "the father of modern medicine" for his central role in revolutionizing medical education. Borrowing on materials from Johns Hopkins...

For anyone interested in the history of healthcare and gender, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) offers this fascinating blog. The college was founded in 1929 and is home to library, museum, and archive collections (which it shares with the Royal College of Midwives; see the 09-01-2017 Scout Report) that collectively contains hundreds of documents and records relating to...

Sawbones was originally featured in the 8-4-2016 Scout Report and since then it has added approximately 100 new episodes. Recent topics include "27 Reasons Why You Should Get Your Flu Shot," the nutrition ideas of Dr. Price, and a tour of the many ways of dying on the Oregon Trail. Sawbones is a podcast hosted by spouses Dr. Sydnee and Justin McElroy (hence, the title) that explores a variety...

Founded in 1961, the Sleep Research Society (SRS) has been gathering experts together for half a century to explore the mysteries and possibilities of the human sleep cycle. This page features a dozen historically significant papers on the nature of sleep, from E. Pfluger's 1686 paper (in German) on Dyspnea and Apnea to four groundbreaking 20th century papers by A.R. Morrison and O. Pompeiano....

Funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Population and Reproductive Health Oral History Project includes accounts of individuals throughout the world who have made valued contributions to the field. The materials here are part of the Women's History Archives at Smith College and the series includes the voices and perspectives of advocates, communication specialists, lawyers,...