Welcome to the This Medical Life podcast. Our mission is to share stories about the triumphs and tragedies of diseases and illnesses from ancient times up until what we know today. It is about those scientific and medical minds who came before us and how, every single day, we stand on the shoulders of giants. This is a podcast about the stories of medicine.
Hosted by Dr. Travis Brown and Steve Davis, our target audience is General Practitioners, medical students, and other health professionals. We hope to educate, inspire and celebrate those who choose to care for others in their profession. From experience, we know that our audience extends beyond these fields and would like to welcome anyone to listen. The stories of those who came before us are nothing short of remarkable and we hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Production by Tim Whiffen
Design by Tom Buzz
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Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an under-recognised genetic condition that causes elevated cholesterol in patients and affects approximately 1/250 people in Australia. Approximately 100,000 Australians have FH but only ~5% are diagnosed. This needs to change. FH causes early cardiovascular disease and can be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in those affect. How do I know? Because a few years ago my brother with no significant co-morbidities and a healthy lifestyle had a life...
Delve into the fascinating history of hepatitis, from ancient jaundice epidemics to the discovery of five distinct viruses (A, B, C, D, E) that all affect the liver. The episode covers pivotal research, including ethically controversial human experiments during wartime, leading to the identification of transmission methods and the development of vaccines and diagnostic tools. Learn about the unique characteristics of each virus, their transmission pathways, the risks of chronic infection, and the revolutionary direct-acting antiviral drugs that now offer a cure for Hepatitis C, highlighting its significant global impact.
King Henry VIII was both a literal and a historical giant but his reputation of brutality and malevolence has few equals. He took power at the start of the English renaissance and was responsible for the English reformation. He had inroads into public health and regulated medical practitioners but also oversaw the enactment of vicious traitorous laws where could be jailed or executed for actions (including speaking out) against the crown. Henry was touted as being a tall and striking young man w...
How we teach those who come after us is as important as the knowledge we learn for ourselves. Medicine throughout the ages has been an apprenticeship style model, but over the last few hundred years this has changed to tertiary education. However, is this the right model? Our special guest is Dr Tristan Rutland who is an Anatomical Pathologist at Liverpool hospital and teaches at Western Sydney University. He was the recipient of the Konrad Muller RCPA award for Outstanding Teaching in 2020. He ...
At the end of the 14th century, a young woman is skating on a frozen canal and suddenly falls injuring herself. Her name is Lidwina. Over the next 30 years her body deteriorated due to a disease we know today as Multiple Sclerosis. Lidwina faced this illness admirably and was canonized in the late 19th century for her fortitude and faith. The breakthrough for MS is attributed to Jean-Martin Charcot. Known as the Father of Neurology, he called this condition ‘sclerose en plaque disseminee’ and ev...
Ancient Egyptians hold a special place in history. Their civilization, religions, gods, conquests, traditions and rituals are some of the most well documented and fascinating. Throughout the centuries, we have been able to piece together the health and medicine of our ancient ancestors and the mummification process plays a significant part in this. Which brings us to story the of Ramesses III and the Judicial papyrus of Turin. This tells a story of the Harem conspiracy to assassinate Ramesses II...
If there is one constant throughout all of medical history, it is the value of urine. Our ancient ancestors believed they predict a patient’s recovery (or not) upon examination of their urine to the middle ages where they used a scale of colour, thickness, and sediment. Urine was also used in a range of non-medical and even commercial uses that boggles the modern mind. This episode examines the history of urine, its uses, and its modern-day medical uses. The range of testing we have available fo...
SLE is a chronic relapsing autoimmune disease. ‘Lupus’ is latin for wolf and glimpses of it can be seen throughout history. However, it is often obscured by the complexity of the disease and the conglomeration of other conditions. Over time, our understanding of SLE has dramatically improved but it still remains a complex condition to diagnose and a significant challenge to interpret pathology results. Anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) are commonly ordered but are commonly misunderstood. Our special...
The emergence of syphilis in 15th century Europe caused widespread panic and finger-pointing as to the cause and origin of this disease. Unfortunately, the treatment at the time was as dangerous as it was ineffectual. Many historical figures have been associated with syphilis; some will have certainly had it but others will be to cast aspersions against one’s character. This is because it is a disease of rare distinction that sits at the historical nexus of a sex, disease, moral depravity, and m...
Modern day surgery is synonymous with anaesthetic. Yet, it has only been that way since the mid-1800s. Prior to this, people either resided to their fate without surgery or faced the knife with little to nothing to numb any pain. The story about the discovery of anaesthetic is both hopeful and tragic. Ether, the first widespread anaesthetic used, was a blessing to the world but a curse to those who discovered its use. However, it would revolutionise the care of patients and open the door to disc...
Aug 27, 2021 2:32 PM ** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** One of the important jobs of a doctor is to prescribe medications. Unfortunately, it also happens to be...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** In the 1920’s, Pearl Buck searched for an answer to her 3 year old daughters intellectually disability. Unfortunately, no-on...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** The computing world has come a long way in less than 100 years. Since Alan Turing introduced his paper ‘Computing Machinery ...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Cholesterol is an essential component of our cells. It is synthesized by our cells and affected by dietary, lifestyle, and g...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** “I die before my time, killed by the English oligarchy and its hired assassins.” These are the words of Napoleon Bonaparte d...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia is a difficult diagnosis for patients, families, and clinicians. The vast array of symptoms, af...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Coeliac disease has been recognised since the times of Ancient Greece. This is a malabsorption disease that causes abdominal...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Leprosy the disease, is rife with myths and false beliefs. In 1863, Hawaii recognised leprosy an official public health thre...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Lead has been used for thousands of years. And why not? This is a metal that is abundant, pliable, has a low melting point, ...
The episode traces the history of HIV from its initial puzzling reports in the early 1980s, through the public's fearful reaction and the "Patient Zero" controversy, to its scientific identification and tracing of its origins in Africa. It delves into the virus's pathology, the stages of infection, and the societal prejudice it faced. Crucially, the discussion highlights the remarkable advancements in antiretroviral treatments, transforming HIV from a terminal illness to a manageable condition, emphasizing modern prevention methods like PrEP and the "Undetectable = Untransmittable" concept.
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** The rise of the tobacco industry and prevalence of smoking has significantly shaped the health (or lack of) in the last cent...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Hodgkin Lymphoma, formerly known as Hodgkin disease, is a cancer of the lymph node(s). First described by Thomas Hodgkin (18...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Fragile X is the most common form of inherited intellectually disability. It is a sex-linked chromosomal disorder that affec...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Information in the past (ergo knowledge) was restricted to the few. However, the social media landscape provides individuals...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** In 1901, an experiment when horribly wrong when Doctors attempted to induce tolerance in to a group of dogs by repeated inje...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Our immune system provides the means for us to live in a world full of pathogens. However, sometimes it gets it wrong and we...
Published: Feb 19, 2021 2:30 PM ** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** In 1952, George Papanicolaou with the National Cancer Institute embarked on the first ever c...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Health records are arguably the single most important and personal collection of data anyone can have. With records containi...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** COVID-19: Testing the strength of nations As the pandemic continues to rage, we take a snapshot in time about our current un...
** Thanks for downloading this episode. If you'd like to stay in touch with our continuing story, Season 2 continues at This Medical Life , in which Dr Travis Brown continues his exploration of diseases and our approaches to treatment from history to the modern day. Have a look in your podcast app now for This Medical Life, and hit subscribe so you never miss an episode ** Caitlan Davis starts Episode 26 with, "In the spirit of reconciliation Clinpath Pathology acknowledges the Traditional Custo...
