Browsing: Health/Medicine

A Brief History On October 12, 1773, Eastern State Hospital was established, the first insane asylum in what is now the United States. Built in colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, this was a time in history when mentally ill (aka, “insane”) people were seen as something to make fun of and were used as entertainment. The famous English insane asylum, Bethlehem Royal Hospital (more commonly known as “Bedlam,” and yes, that is the source of that word) was a popular tourist attraction! Digging Deeper Eastern State Hospital did a thriving business as it seems there was no shortage of patients. The poor…

Read More

A Brief History On September 30, 1982, six unsuspecting people took Tylenol brand acetaminophen capsules that had been filled with potassium cyanide, killing those unfortunates nearly instantly. A seventh person later died by the same unknown perpetrator and copy-cat crimes killed a few more. Digging Deeper The Chicago area was rocked when a 12 year old girl from Elk Grove Village, Illinois died after taking a tampered with capsule, and later a man from Arlington Heights, Illinois died the same way, this time at the local hospital. Tragically, the man’s brother and sister in law also died after consuming capsules…

Read More

A Brief History On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Act of 1965 into law, establishing the Medicare and Medicaid programs the American people have come to take for granted. Digging Deeper Medicare was and is a program to provide health coverage to people over 65 years old and older, many of which were retired and no longer getting health insurance through their employer.  Medicaid was and is a program to provide health insurance to those people too poor to afford it.  The final bill passed the House of Representatives by a 307 to 116…

Read More

A Brief History On July 18, 1984, hungry customers of the San Ysidro, California McDonald’s got more than they expected when a gunman began shooting people.  (San Ysidro neighborhood of San Diego.) Digging Deeper In yet another case of the mental health system failing the patient and the public, 41 year old James Huberty was feeling as if he needed mental help, and his wife suspected he may have been mentally ill.  Huberty called a local mental health facility and was promised a prompt call back, but when he had waited for hours beside the phone and no return call…

Read More

A Brief History On July 5, 1937, Hormel Foods Corporation introduced Spam to a Depression weary world.  A cooked, ready to eat meat product in a can, Spam was just the ticket for soldiers in the field in the upcoming World War.  It was also ideal for shipping to hungry allies.  Unfortunately, many folks think the salty, greasy, fat laden stuff in better suited as dog food, especially if you do not like your dog.  Britain and Australia got their share shipped to them, and Spam became a Monty Python joke.  Even unwanted emails are called Spam!  Still, it now comes in several flavor varieties (as many as 15)…

Read More