Unbelievable Vintage Medical Photos That Will Haunt Even the Bravest Med Students
Created by John H. Emerson in 1931, the Emerson Respirator, or iron lung, was a large mechanical ventilator that helped polio patients suffering from respiratory paralysis breathe. A patient was placed inside the respirator with their head sticking out while air pressure changes in the inner chamber simulated breathing. More affordable and efficient than similar models of its kind, the Emerson respirator saved countless lives during the polio epidemics of the 1940s and 1950s.
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Thalidomide
Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Thalidomide was marketed as a treatment for anxiety, insomnia, tension, and morning sickness during pregnancy. While initially considered safe, the medication led to thousands of miscarriages and more than 10,000 children being born with malformed limbs. Deemed to be the cause of the largest man‐made medical disaster in history, the medication was taken off the market in 1961.
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The Electro-Retinogram
The electroretinogram (ERG) is a test developed in the late 19th century to measure the retina’s response to light. The first electroretinograph machines from the 1870s required wires and electrodes to be placed directly on a patient’s eyes, giving them a scary cyborg-like appearance. The test became clinically useful in the mid-20th century and made use of improved, less intimidating devices to diagnose retinal diseases.
