I have friends who were nurses. In one of those odd twists of fate I've had lunch with both of them (at different times), both named Alice, both who worked in Emergency Rooms at some point, announce to those of us at the table (and probably anyone within ear shot) that if more women peed before leaving the house, there'd be fewer ruptured bladders in the ER. I thought of them when I was reading Rituals & Myths in Nursing: a Social History, by Claire Laurent. Much has changed, may still be changing for all I know, but this was an interesting look at how things were done and taught in the past.

This might be a fun, er, interesting, book to read with the one listed above, if nothing else it offers a different view of a similar subject! Quackery: a Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything, by Lydia Kang & Nate Pedersen certainly lives up to the title! While I understand humans didn't know any better at the time these cures were used, what was a surprise was how long it took for some to fall out of favor when they were proved harmful, or even deadly!

Reading Hermit With Dog