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Published on 2 Comments on Shakespearean Plant Poisons and Modern Medicine

Henbane, belladonna, hemlock, mandrake, yew – ingredients for a witch’s potion? Or plot devices in a Shakespeare play? 

Why not both? 

Just like modern crime writers study ballistics and crime scene procedure, Shakespeare studied botany at a near-expert level (or at least we can assume he did, based on the knowledge displayed in his portfolio). Shakespeare scholar Edward Tabor even speculates that the bard not only read the herbals of the time but possibly knew John Gerarde, a leading Elizabethan botanist who lived across the street during Shakespeare’s time in London (pg. 82). 

As Tabor documents, many of Shakespeare’s plots culminate around plant poisons: Romeo and Juliet’s dual suicide, the death of Hamlet’s father, the witch’s potion in Macbeth, and so on. 

Many of these plants had both positive and negative applications in the renaissance world: as anesthetic, aphrodisiacs, psychedelic, and poison. But have these classic botanicals passed out of modern use? Or do they continue in some form, quacky or otherwise? 

In this article, we’ll be looking at the role of plants in Shakespeare and whether they – or their derivatives – have found any home in modern medicine.

Henbane [Hyoscyamus niger]

Hamlet's Ghost: With juice of cursed hebenon in a vial,

And in the porches of my ears did pour

The leperous distillment

- Hamlet, Act I, Scene 5,59-73

One night out on the parapet, Hamlet – literature’s first mopey grad student and the son of the recently deceased king – is visited by his father’s ghost and learns of his fratricidal uncle Claudius, who supposedly poured henbane/hebenon in the dead king’s ear. And while Hamlet never questions how his dad attained this knowledge while sound asleep, he questions most everything else as he investigates literature’s most famous poisoning. 

H.C. Selous' depiction of Claudius pouring poison in the ear of a sleeping King Hamlet.
H.C. Selous, 1870. As Tabor reports, Shakespeare’s contemporaries considered the ears a gateway to the rest of the body (pg. 88). 

In antiquity, henbane was used as a sedative, containing the narcotic alkaloids scopolamine and hyoscyamine (USDA, The Powerful Solanaceae: Henbane). Shakespeare’s contemporaries understood henbane’s analgesic properties but also its lethality; botanist John Gerarde reports henbane delivering a “sleep deadlie (sic) to the party” (Tabor, 1970, pg. 88). Used also as a hallucinogen, henbane has long been associated with witches because it can induce sense of flight (USDA) and visions of “insane marvels” (Tabor, pg. 88). 

A medieval depiction of witches given flight due to supernatural powers.
Before the German purity laws (Reinheitsgebot) that limited beer to barley, hops, and water, beer was frequently spiked with henbane (USDA). We can only assume that game night was a much wilder time.

Did Henbane Make It?

Yes! The alkaloid hyoscyamine is an antispasmodic isolated from henbane and used to treat cramps, IBS, and other abdominal issues as a GI tract relaxant. And while inconclusive, some researchers have looked into henbane’s potential as an anti-parkinsonian drug. Hyoscyamine is branded as Anaspaz, Ed-Spaz, Levbid, Levsin, Levsin SL, NuLev, Oscimin, Symax Duotab,and Symax SL.

The Garden Poppy [Papaver Somniferum]

Lady Macbeth: I have drugged their possets, 

That death and nature do contend about them

Whether they live or die.

-Macbeth, Act II, Scene II, 6-8

Powder of white Poppie seede (sic) given to children in milke or possite drinke (sic), or an alebrew, or rather with a Caudell of Almonds and hempe seeds, causeth them to sleep. 

-Langham (pg. 507) 

In order to scheme the murder of king Duncan, Lady Macbeth spikes his servants ale, possibly (as some scholars speculate) with the humble poppy seed (Tabor, pg. 86). Known as a soporific, Langham (a contemporary botanist of Shakespeare) reports a recipe for crushing poppy seeds into a drowsy syrup (ibid): seeds that contain morphine and codeine, two powerful opiates, which “remain in the liquid when the seeds are removed” (Mayo Clinic). Such a poppy-derived "drowsy syrup" is referenced by Iago in Othello (Act III, Scene 3, 330). Elizabethans it seems, like the modern rapper, could claim to have “codeine in their cups.” 

Still Life with Nautilus Goblet, Willem Claesz Heda, 1642. A lavish dinner table is depicted with a shell-shaped goblet and half eaten pie.
Still Life with Nautilus Goblet, Willem Claesz Heda, 1642

Opium has played such an outsized role in history that prolonged comment is not needed. From the romantic poets and their Xanadus of earthly delight to Sherlock Holmes slumming in the opium dens, poppy has been used (and frequently abused) to relieve pain and achieve altered states of consciousness throughout recorded history.

The Smokers, Honore Daumier. A painting of two distressed gentleman in a smoky café.
The Smokers, Honore Daumier

Did Opium Make It?

Ever hear of the Sackler family?

The Wild Pansy [Viola Tricolor]

Oberon: Yet marked I where the bolt of Cupid fell.

It fell upon a little western flower,

Before, milk-white, now purple with love's wound,

And maidens call it “love-in-idleness.”

Fetch me that flower, the herb I showed thee once.

The juice of it, on sleeping eyelids laid,

Will make or man or woman madly dote

Upon the next live creature that it sees.

-A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act 2, Scene 1, 165-172

An essential ingredient to the plot of A Midsummer Night's Dream, the wild pansy (which supposedly, when applied topically could induce a libidinous frenzy) is used by Oberon, king of the Fairies, to mess with his estranged wife Titania. But of course, hijinks ensue.

While the pansy's many names reflect its folk-aphrodisiac status – names such as heartsease, love in idleness, or johnny jump up (MedicineNet, Heart's Ease) – the Elizabethan herbals do not report any lust-inducing associations with the plant, only its anti-syphilitic properties (Tabor, pg. 84), which, at least by the next century would have been much appreciated.

Shakespeare, therefore, was working within 16th century folk traditions rather than medical knowledge, but this is understandable, considering that Gerarde and Langham's herbals are filled with aphrodisiacs. Consider the innocent sweet potato, which was known to "procure bodily lust with greedinesse (sic) (Tabor, pg. 83). Candied fruits, like dates, were especially potent when "prepared by cunning confectioners" (ibid). The cotton seed was thought to "increase naturall seede (sic)" and, according to Gerarde, were much in use (ibid).

Love potions have been the staple of fairy tales, and while not a poison in the strictest sense, a classic of witch's brews as well. While the tragedies use poisons in their advance towards death, the comedies use herbs in their march towards love. Both show a sustained human interest in wielding substances towards our desired end state.

Did the Pansy Make It?

Well, not exactly. Science may not indicate the pansy's amorous powers, but it continues to be used alternatively to treat skin disorders like eczema (MedicineNet). Moreover, some have researched its potential as an immunosuppressant. Due to the presence of flavonoids and catechins, heartsease probably has anti-inflammatory effects as well (MedicineNet).

Mandrake [Solanaceae]

Cleopatra: Give me to drink mandragora.

-Anthony and Cleopatra, Act I, Scene 5, 4

While less plot-important than the other list-items, mandrake played a central role in medieval and ancient herbology and appears frequently in Shakespeare. A narcotic and soporific, Cleopatra requests mandragora to let her sleep through her lovesickness. Iago also mentions the soporific quality of the mandrake root in the same breath as opium (Othello, Act III, Scene 3, 330). And Juliet demonstrates Shakespeare's awareness of the common mythology, comparing her distress to the mandrake, which could only be uprooted in moonlight, lest its shrieks drive insanity (USDA, Mandrake).

A medieval depiction of the male and female mandragora roots.
A medieval depiction of mandragora

Like henbane, mandrake had many uses, including as a hallucinogen.

Did Mandrake Make It?

Yes! Mandrake root contains the alkaloid scopolamine, which is FDA approved to treat motion sickness and nausea derived from opiate analgesia (NIH, Scopolamine). Scopolamine is sold as Transderm Scop, Scopace, Maldemar, as well as generically.

Wolfsbane [Aconitum variegatum]

Laertes: And for that purpose I'll anoint my sword.
I bought an unction of a mountebank
So mortal that but dip a knife in it,
Where it draws blood no cataplasm so rare,
Collected from all simples that have virtue
Under the moon, can save the thing from death
That is but scratched withal. I'll touch my point
With this contagion, that if I gall him slightly,
It may be death.

-Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 7, 141-149

After investigating king Hamlet's poisoning, well, lots of stuff happens, and everyone dies. In this case, Hamlet duels his rival Laertes, who happens to have poisoned his sword. A poison begins the plot, and a poison ends it.

A classic depiction of a fencing dual, with one man thrusting and barely missing his opponent.

While Laertes does not specify the poison, the leading contender is wolfsbane or aconite (derived from wolfsbane). Elizabethans knew of aconite's poisonous potential, specifically as an arrow poison; Gerarde records swelling, madness, and death within the half hour from introduction (Tabor, pg. 89). Presumably, the plant garners its folk-appellation from its ability to ward off wolves and werewolves (National Poison Control Center, Aconitum napellus (Monkshood): A Purple Poison). The National Poison Control Center reports modern cases of aconite poisoning, some worthy of a true-crime drama.

Did Aconite Make It?
No. While aconite can be detoxified and purchased in herbal shops, it's also "responsible for the majority of serious poisonings from Chinese herbal preparations" (National Poison Control Center). Information about herbal use can be found here.

References:

May, M. (N.D.). Aconitum napellus (Monkshood): A Purple Poison. National Capital Poison Center. https://www.poison.org/articles/why-is-monkshood-considered-a-poison--174

Khan, S. (2024). Heartsease. MedicineNet. https://www.medicinenet.com/heartsease/article.htm

Lai, B. (2024). Poppy seed tea: Beneficial or dangerous? Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/drug-addiction/expert-answers/poppy-seed-tea/faq-20559907

The Powerful Solanaceae: Henbane. (N.D.). United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/henbane.shtml#:~:text=The%20pale%20yellow%2C%20bell%2Dshaped,carelessly%20used%2C%20even%20by%20herbalists.

The Powerful Solanaceae: Mandrake. (N.D.). United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/Mind_and_Spirit/mandrake.shtml

Shakespeare, W. (1597). Romeo and Juliet. Folger Shakespeare Company. https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/romeo-and-juliet/

Shakespeare, W. (1604). Hamlet. Folger Shakespeare Company. https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/hamlet/read/.

Shakespeare, W. (1622). Othello. Folger Shakespeare Company. https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/othello/read/

Shakespeare, W. (1623). Anthony and Cleopatra. Folger Shakespeare Company. https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/antony-and-cleopatra/

Shakespeare, W. (1623). Macbeth. Folger Shakespeare Company. https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/macbeth/read/.

Shakespeare, W. (1623). A Midsummer Night's Dream. Folger Shakespeare Company. https://www.folger.edu/explore/shakespeares-works/a-midsummer-nights-dream/

Riad, M. Hithe, C. (2023). Scopolamine. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554397/#:~:text=Scopolamine%20is%20a%20medication%20used,the%20anticholinergic%20class%20of%20drugs

Tabor, Edward. (1970). Plant Poisons in Shakespeare. Economic Botany 24 (1), pp. 81-94. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4253115.

Published on Leave a comment on Himmelfarb Library Welcomes New Staff and Celebrates A New Role
Banner for Joe and Brittany's blog post

As we move into the holiday season, Himmelfarb Library is excited to announce some changes and growth within our team. We are pleased to introduce our new colleague and to celebrate a well-deserved new role for one of our own.

Please join us in welcoming Joseph McGraw, Serials Librarian to the Himmelfarb Library family. We look forward to working with him. Please take a minute to get to know him.

Share your path to Himmelfarb Library.
I’ve been on a journey through a few academic libraries before landing at Himmelfarb. Most recently, I was the Interlibrary Loan Librarian at Fogler Library at the University of Maine. Also at U Maine, I worked in the Research and Instruction Department (confusingly similar to the Shakespeare Library in DC so much that we got their emails sometimes). Before that I was the Student Employee Supervisor and Multimedia Manager at West Virginia University’s Downtown Campus Library, which was my first full-time library job after graduate school. I graduated from the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill in 2020 and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2014. In between, I managed KFC and Pizza Hut restaurants in North Carolina.

Joe McGraw, Serials Librarian

Tell us about your position at Himmelfarb and what you do.
I am the new Serials Librarian at Himmelfarb, only starting at the beginning of September. I manage the library’s online journal collection, working with other librarians in making decisions on which journal resources to buy as well as troubleshooting any problems that patrons have accessing the material.

What do you enjoy most about your position?
I love being part of the academic life of a library at such a great university. Universities like this is where I feel at home. Since I’m so new to the position, I’m not sure what’s my favorite part of the job yet, but I’m looking forward to digging into projects at the library and becoming more familiar with the serials collection and all my great new coworkers.

What do you like to do in your time away from work?
I play a lot of Dungeons and Dragons, at least twice a week. I’ve also gotten back into golf this summer and I’ve been trying to play at least weekly this summer. I’m also a big sports fan and I could talk about the Celtics or Arsenal all day, if you let me.

Where are you from originally, and what brought you to the DC area?
Originally, I am from Tazewell, Virginia which is in very far Southwest Virginia along the border with West Virginia and close to Kentucky. I’ve moved around a fair bit, living in North Carolina, West Virginia, and Maine. I moved to the DC area in summer 2023 after my partner got a job in the area and I really love it so far!

In addition to welcoming new members, we are proud to announce that Brittany Smith has moved in to the position of Scholarly Communications and Metadata Librarian. Let’s sit down and chat with Brittany.

Brittany Smith, Scholarly Communications & Metadata Librarian

Congratulations on your new position! What would you say has been the best part of your experience in the transition to Scholarly Communications and Metadata Librarian?
Thank you so much! I think the best and also challenging part of the transition has been delving deeper with the library systems and programs that we use. In my previous position, I primarily used our systems to label and process new books or equipment. I worked with our institutional repository to import new monthly publications. But now I’m learning about other features that will help me as a librarian as I tackle complex cataloging and scholarly communications projects. It’s exciting and I enjoy changes to my normal responsibilities, but it is also a lot to learn and remember.

Have there been any hurdles in adjusting to the role?
No, I would say it has been a seamless transition. Fortunately, I worked closely with Sara Hoover, the librarian who previously filled this position, for close to five years. In that time, Sara gradually trained me in more complex librarian-adjacent tasks and I learned a lot by asking questions, doing self-learning in my downtime or shadowing Sara and the other Himmelfarb librarians. There are some skills I hope to improve over the years, but I feel that I had an easy time moving from my previous position into this new role.

What is your favorite service that the library has to offer?
The 3D printer! I recently submitted a print job for a piece of equipment to replace a broken piece at home. My mom had a difficult time finding a replacement part in stores and I thought the 3D printer at the library may be able to help. I haven’t tested our printer yet, but it is nice to know that I can print obscure pieces that may be difficult to purchase online. And I would love to use the printer for other jobs in the future.

What has been your favorite project to work on at Himmelfarb?
I would say my favorite project so far was acquiring a button maker machine to make our own pronoun buttons for the library. This was a project that the DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) Committee worked on for a while and finally revealed at orientation this year. Right now we use the machine to refill our pronoun buttons stock at the circulation desk. The students at orientation seemed to enjoy the button maker machine; some even asked if they could make their own buttons during orientation. The machine and our supply of buttons are a simple way to encourage others to be mindful of a person’s pronouns. Plus, it’s fun using the actual machine; it breaks up the work day and it’s a good upper body workout!

Do you have any favorite hobbies that you like to do when you have downtime?
In the spring and summer, I tend to hike a lot. I mostly stick to trails and parks in Virginia but I have explored a few in DC and Maryland. Roosevelt Island is a short, no elevation circuit trail that I enjoy. Great Falls is another good hiking spot around here; it was one of the first parks I visited when I started hiking. I also keep a vegetable and herb garden. I tend to grow tomatoes, eggplants, kale and lavender. When the cooler weather starts (like now), I stick to indoor activities. Unsurprisingly, I read a lot. My first masters degree is in Creative Writing and I spend a lot of time writing mostly fantasy and science fiction stories; recently I also decided to write personal essays. I play video games and I have a monthly table-top role-playing game night with some friends. Last but not least, wWhat is your favorite book and why?
This is a tough question and I’m going to cheat a bit by giving more than one book. It’s a close tie between The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin and A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. A runner-up would be Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb. All three books are genuinely some of the best fiction I’ve ever read and these authors are brilliant storytellers that inspire me when I’m telling my own stories. These books all belong to a series and I think it’s worth reading the full series if possible, especially the Jemisin one. Last, there is a twist in The Fifth Season that I believe every sci-fi/fantasy reader should experience and enjoy.

Published on Leave a comment on DEI Reading Recommendations: Mental Illness, Wellness & the Workplace

In recent years, there has been an increased awareness of mental health, mental illness stigma, and how it impacts people in all areas of life. While many workplaces offer services and accommodations for employees with mental health or mental illness concerns, people may face structural barriers when attempting to access these services. Additionally, it is difficult engaging in conversations about mental wellness as harmful stereotypes about mental illness impacts the ways people think about or imagine a person with mental illnesses. 

Burns & Green (2019) and Lo & Herman (2017) published research on mental illness and its impacts on academic librarians; their findings illuminated perceptions and misconceptions about mental illness among the study's population and some respondents shared personal stories about their experiences with being open about their mental illness diagnoses with their colleagues. Both articles are excellent ways to learn more about these topics and they serve as introductions to better understanding how people with mental illnesses navigate the workplace. 

In ‘Academic Librarians’ Experiences and Perceptions on Mental Illness Stigma and the Workplace’, Burns & Green focus specifically on how mental illness stigma plays a role in academic librarians’ professional lives. The researchers surveyed hundreds of academic librarians, collecting data about “concerns around discrimination…disclosure…[and] self-esteem as a whole.” (Burns & Green, 2019, pg 641)  Based on quantitative and qualitative data, “the most obvious finding is that there is a fear of disclosing one’s own mental illness in the academic library environment.” (Burns & Green, 2019, pg 653) Survey respondents shared their stories about their decision to disclose their mental illness diagnosis, the support they may or may receive at their individual institutions, and what work they believe needs to be done to address stigma and shame. 

Alternatively,  ‘An Investigation of Factors Impacting the Wellness of Academic Library Employees’ by Lo & Herman looks at the term “wellness”, how workplaces incorporate or fail to incorporate wellness into their settings, and the factors that contribute to academic librarians’ overall sense of wellness. “This study reveals that most academic library employees feel overwhelmed quite frequently. While age and working overtime are factors, the attitude of the individual also has an impact.” (Lo & Herman, 2017, pg. 802) The researchers also found that academic librarians valued other forms of wellness besides physical wellness. They wrote that “Age again seems to be an important factor regarding respondents’ perception of the different dimensions of wellness…Overall, respondents placed higher importance on their spiritual wellness and intellectual wellness than physical wellness.”(Lo & Herman, 2017, pg. 803)

Lo & Herman and Burns & Green’s research shows that addressing mental illness and wellness in the workplace may be complex, but the end results may be highly valued and beneficial to employees. Having conversations with colleagues about wellness in the workplace can gradually change an organization for the better. These two articles are great resources to refer back to when having conversations about the workplace, mental illness, dismantling stigma, and addressing all aspects of wellness among people.  

References:

  • Burns, E., & Green, K. E. C. (2019). Academic Librarians’ Experiences and Perceptions on Mental Illness Stigma and the Workplace. College & Research Libraries, 80(5), 638–657. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.80.5.638
  • Lo, L. S., & Herman, B. (2017). An Investigation of Factors Impacting the Wellness of Academic Library Employees. College & Research Libraries, 78(6), 789-. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.78.6.789

Published on Leave a comment on Open Access Week

This week is Open Access week! Open access is an international movement that looks to remove barriers to scientific research and data. The goal is that everyone can access academic scholarship equally without running into legal, financial or technical barriers (1).

This year's theme for Open Access Week is “Community Over Commercialization.” The goal is to look at ways we can share scholarship in ways that benefit everyone. 

If you want to get involved and learn more, check out these on-campus events run by the George Washington Open Source Project:

Oct 22nd, 7pm-9:30pm Movie Night with Q&A for Open Access Week

University Student Center Amphitheater

Join the GW OSPO for a showing of "The Internet's Own Boy: The Aaron Swartz Story", an award-winning movie about a computer programmer, writer, political organizer, and internet activist and his battle with the U.S. government and the publishing industry as he risks everything in the pursuit of sharing knowledge. The screening will be followed by a Q&A panel to talk about research, publishing, access to information, and other important topics raised throughout this film.

Popcorn will be provided. The first 25 attendees will get a homemade chocolate chip peanut butter cookie!

Oct 24, 11:30am-12:30pm GW Coders' Lunch and Learn: Care Work and Accessibility in p5.js and Open Source Software*

Join us in SEH, B2600 or online in Zoom: https://go.gwu.edu/gwcoderszoom

We are very excited to host the lead maintainer of the open source project p5.js.  p5.js is a friendly tool for learning to code and make art. It is a free and open-source JavaScript library built by an inclusive, nurturing community. p5.js welcomes artists, designers, beginners, educators, and anyone else! Qianqian Ye, the lead maintainer will discuss care work, accessibility, demonstrate the tool, and answer questions.

Oct 25, 12pm-1pm GW OSPO Webinar Panel Discussion: Can Diamond Open Access disrupt the broken paywall publishing model and save science with the help of open source software?

Join us online: GW OSPO Zoom Webinar

Our distinguished panel of Diamond Open Access experts from across the globe will explore possible paths forward for open access publishing.  Please come and bring your hard questions for this group to try to answer.

If you want to explore and learn about Open Access on your own time, here are some materials and resources to explore Open Access:

Paywall Documentary: Not familiar with the world of Scholarly Publishing, or the Open Access movement? Take some time to watch the documentary “Paywall.” Paywall is an excellent introduction to the world of Open Access for complete beginners and it’s a great watch. 

PHD Comics: Don’t have the time for a full documentary? Try this video comic from PHD comics about Open Access that provides a dynamic illustrated introduction to the topic. 

Open Access and Your Research: Curious what Open Access means for you and your own work? Check out this instructional video from the Scholarly Communications Committee about what to expect. 

OA LibGuide: Need to find open access material to learn about medicine? Try our Open Access LibGuide which contains links to textbooks, journals, and other resources people can use. 

  1. What is open access? International Open Access Week. Accessed October 17, 2024. https://www.openaccess.nl/en/what-is-open-access
  2. Paywall: The Business of Scholarship. The Movie.; 2018. Accessed October 18, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAzTR8eq20k
  3. Open Access Explained!; 2012. Accessed October 18, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5rVH1KGBCY
  4. Open Access and Your Research.; 2022. Accessed October 18, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SpLN7BbzGg

Published on

[Note: at points throughout the article, I’ve used the first person singular, rather than the objective outside perspective of most Rotation articles, because throughout I share my own experiences]. 

According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 29% of people in the US (close to 1 in 3) report battling depression in their lifetime, and 18% ( close to 1 in 5) report current treatment for depression (Witters, 2023). Anecdotally, the number may be much higher. But despite the commonality of depression, those suffering it can often feel uniquely alone. October’s Depression Awareness Month – designated by the National Institute of Mental Health in 1994 – is an opportunity to learn about the illness, share your story to reduce stigma, or a chance to reach out to someone you know or suspect is suffering. 

Education:

One of the best ways to observe Depression Awareness Month is to read about it. I recommend Andrew Solomon’s The Noonday Demon: an Atlas of Depression, which remains unparalleled in its depth of insight and reporting from the frontlines of the disorder. 

Depression is always a subjective, personal experience – in part because pain isolates us (we feel our own pain immediately and others remotely), in part because pain shrinks horizons until we cannot see anything else. For this reason, the deeply personal accounts in The Noonday Demon go farther, education wise, than the anodyne, clinical tone of a psychiatric journal. For sufferers of depression, Solomon’s work – which includes his own experience and many interviews with others – can broaden our perspective and maybe even ease our sense of being alone. For relatives, friends, or coworkers of someone with depression, The Noonday Demon yields a rich and harrowing insight into the chasms of pain that can exist in a normal human lifespan.

Fortunately, while The Noonday Demon is a book of 500+ pages, Andrew Solomon has made excerpts, including the 1998 New Yorker article that started the book, freely available. 

For a quick read into the experience of antidepressants, I recommend a short story by David Foster Wallace called “The Planet Trillaphon as it Stands in Relation to the Bad Thing,” which compares using antidepressants to being on another planet. 

Sharing Your Story: 

Another way to honor Depression Awareness Month is to share your story (to whatever degree you feel comfortable with, most likely with a trusted friend). Discussing mental health can reduce the stigma around it and maybe give better expression to something very difficult to express. Talking can also reveal a two-way communication of tips and insights that might not otherwise have happened. 

For example, some things that have worked for me: 

  • Running: an umbrella review published in British Journal of Sports Medicine analyzed 100 meta-reviews of controlled trials comparing exercise to medicine or talk therapy and concluded that exercise was 1.5x effective as either (Singh et al., 2023). Anecdotally speaking, running (in particular) greatly ameliorated my mental state, both by giving me a tangible goal to work towards but also in relief from stress. I lived for a couple years in Germany, for example, and training for a half marathon gave me consistency and dignity amidst the uncertainty and unfamiliarity. 
  • Health Maintenance: just like the earth is an ecosystem with the surface affecting the atmosphere and vice versa, our bodies affect our minds, and our minds affect our bodies. I find it easy to overly philosophize depression, but often, the solution might be as simple as hydrating, sleeping enough, and exercising. If I’m not addressing these bodily concerns, then I personally don’t want to assume too much beyond what I’m feeling. 
  • Addressing Stressors: similarly, while severe depression may persist despite the circumstances, anxiety and depression can often be triggered by stress events. In some cases, anxiety and depression might be the alarm-bells for the problem, not the problem itself. Sitting with a never-ending alarm might ruin someone’s sanity, but if the alarm is responding to a problem, then the alarm is actually useful. 
  • Artistic expression: much of art comes from pain; pain can be the roots that cause us to dig deeper for nutrients. Art can help transfigure directionlessness or pain. Personally, I write fiction and poetry. One of my poems, Circles Around My Circles (published in Ghost City Review), is an example of this transfiguration. 
  • Rest and Meditation: I often find that I’m not truly resting; I organize my free time into personal tasks that need accomplishing, or I’ll succumb to mindless scrolling. But we need mental rest. Sports can be healing because they provide socialization, exercise, and an absorbing task. Meditation can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system and refresh us for our tasks at hand. I particularly find time in nature refreshing, like when I kayak. 

Reach Out: 

Lastly, there’s no better way to observe Depression Awareness Month than by reaching out to someone struggling, not necessarily to talk about mental health but just to connect. We are social beings. Left alone, we all go insane. Reaching out might do more good than you’d ever know. 

Resources: 

Starry night over the mountains.
Photo by Vadim Babenko on Unsplash

References:

Singh B, Olds T, Curtis R, et al. Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2023; 57: 1203-1209. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/57/18/1203

Witters, D (2023). U.S. Depression Rates Reach New Highs. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/505745/depression-rates-reach-new-highs.aspx

Published on

Autumn weather is here and we’re starting to see hints of fall foliage!  In the coming weeks, spend some time outdoors to enjoy the weather and colors, and to capture those amazing photos. 

Enter your best photo with a chance to win a PRIZE. All digital photos submitted will be showcased in the online 2024 Himmelfarb Fall Colors Photo Gallery, and prints will be displayed in Himmelfarb Library.

To get inspired, see our blog posts from past Himmelfarb photo contests.

How to Enter and Contest Rules:

Photo submission dates:  Monday, October 14, 2024 – Friday, November 8, 2024.

  • Who may enter: GW students, faculty and staff affiliated with the School of Medicine & Health Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, and School of Nursing.
  • Complete a 2024 Online Contest Submission Form and submit an original photo (JPEG, PDF, PNG files only; file size maximum 10MB). 
  • Limit 1 entry per person.
  • Contest photo must be original and taken by the submitter in 2024.
  • Submitted photos will be displayed in online and print galleries with the photographer's name and photo title.
  • By submitting an entry, each contestant agrees to the rules of the contest.

Judging:

Photo entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and overall artistic impact. One winner will be chosen by a prior contest winner and members of the Healthy Living @ Himmelfarb Committee.

*Himmelfarb Library reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify rules at its discretion. Himmelfarb Library reserves the right to reject any entrant whose entry appears off-topic or violates the rules.

For questions, contact: Deborah Wassertzug (deborah.wassertzug@gwu.edu)

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A healthcare professional looking at a clipboard

Physician Assistant Week occurs from October 6-12 each year. This is an opportunity to celebrate PAs across the globe and in our own community. The Physician Assistant program at GW was founded in 1972, and the joint PA/MPH degree was launched in 1986. GW’s program was the first joint degree program for PA students in the US, according to program director Bart Gillum.

The PA program, ranked in the top five in the US, lasts 24 months, the PA/MPH program is 36 months. The Washington, DC location of the program makes the PA program an excellent place for PAs in training to take part in an annual leadership and advocacy summit sponsored by the AAPA, and to avail themselves of other opportunities to visit Capitol Hill to advocate on health policy.

When asked about three things that people might not know about the PA profession, Bart Gillum shared the following thoughts:

  1. "We are now "Physician Associates." In 2021 the American Academy of PAs voted to change the name from physician assistant to physician associate. While some states and institutions have already adopted the name, the new title is still in progress. Adopting the new name has been slow due to the requirement of state laws and healthcare institutions to be updated. In the meantime, you might continue to hear physician assistant and physician associate or even just PA  interchangeably."
  2. "Unlike physicians who undergo residency training for a specific specialty, PAs have the unique ability to move between medical specialties without additional formal training. A PA can work in areas such as cardiology, emergency medicine, or dermatology and switch to another field. This provides more flexibility for those who want to work in a variety of settings throughout their career."
  3. "While PAs are most prevalent in the US. PAs or PA-like professionals are present in about 15-20 other countries, including Canada, the UK, Australia, The Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, and New Zealand. Other countries are currently exploring incorporating PAs in their healthcare systems."
Infographic on physician assistants from AAPA.org
Physician Assistants at a glance (https://www.aapa.org/download/80021/)

Himmelfarb Library has many resources available to support PA students, beginning with the Physician Assistants research guide. Here you will find links to textbooks and videos, resources for diagnosis, a guide especially for PA/MPH students on doing a literature review, PANCE prep materials, resources for clerkship, and much more.

Don't forget to thank a physician assistant this week -- their important work expands patient access to healthcare. Tune in to both Good Morning America and the TODAY show on Friday morning, October 11, for a chance to see PAs representing their profession!

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Picture of a woman physical therapist working with an older woman of color. "Happy National Physical Therapy Month."

October is National Physical Therapy Month! This National Physical Therapy (PT) Month, we want to celebrate and acknowledge the fantastic work of Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs), and PT educators. Himmelfarb Library is proud to provide resources to support PT research and learning to help further education and understanding within the field. Here are some great physical therapy resources provided by Himmelfarb Library:

Journals

Our journal collection includes some great PT titles! Here are just a few of what we offer:

  • American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation: This journal publishes cutting-edge basic and clinical research, clinical case reports, and in-depth topical reviews of interest to rehabilitation professionals.
  • Current Sports Medicine Reports: The official clinical journal of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), this journal focuses entirely on clinical sports medicine, including aspects of physical therapy such as training, prevention, and rehabilitation, and sport-specific illness and injury.
  • Journal of Physical Therapy Education: This journal publishes works of discovery, application, and integration and enriches academic and clinical PT education with evidence-based decision-making processes to prepare learners, support faculty and clinicians, and inform administrators.
  • Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Journal (PTJ): This leading journal for research in PT and related fields publishes content for clinicians and scientists using a variety of interactive approaches to improve patient care.

Textbooks

We also have a great selection of textbooks on PT-related topics including human anatomy and mechanics, rehabilitation, evidence-based practice, exercise therapy, and patient care planning. 

Here’s a sample of textbooks from each of these topics:

Databases

Databases can be a great way to find journal articles, practice guidelines, and reviews! The following databases are great for physical therapy-related searches:

  • PEDro: Physiotherapy Evidence Database: Physiotherapy randomized trials, systematic reviews, and clinical practice guidelines.
  • DiTA, Diagnostic Test Accuracy: PT database includes primary studies and systematic reviews evaluating diagnostic tests used by physical therapists.
  • CINAHL: Authoritative coverage of nursing and allied health literature.
  • PubMed: Health sciences articles including clinical, basic sciences, and public health information.
  • Scopus: Interdisciplinary citation and abstract database.

Software & Tech Tools

Our PT collection is much more than just a collection of journals, databases, and books. We also have some great software, apps, and other digital resources to support PT teaching and learning! 

  • BodyViz: Interactive 3D anatomy visualization tool that includes over 1,000 data sets from human and animal models in healthy and pathological states at different developmental stages.
  • Acland’s Video Atlas of Human Anatomy: 300+ videos of real human anatomic specimens in their natural colors.
  • NetAnatomy: Review basic concepts and study gross anatomy, radiographic anatomy, and cross-sectional anatomy.
  • Visible Body Human Anatomy Atlas: View specific structures and layers from head to toe in this online anatomy atlas.
  • Bates Visual Guide to Physical Examination: Content and clinical skills videos covering head-to-toe and systems-based physical examination techniques.

Find more great PT resources on Himmelfarb’s Physical Therapy Research Guide! 

With Humanities Highlights, Himmelfarb staff aims to spotlight useful books from our Humanities collection. This week, we’re showcasing “Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers,” by Mary Roach. 
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With Humanities Highlights, Himmelfarb staff aims to spotlight useful books from our Humanities collection. This week, we’re showcasing “Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers,” by Mary Roach. 

A copy of "Stiff" by Mary Roach sits on a shelf.

About the Book: The book that launched Mary Roach's science-writing career, "Stiff" investigates the contribution of human cadavers to science [with studies ranging from humane to grisly to wacky; from crash safety to the physics of crucifixion], as well as human burial practices [including alternatives to burial or cremation]. Written with humor and respect – and without sacrificing the ethical questions – Roach follows her journalistic interest while guiding readers along the various labs, morgues, and fields of rotting corpses in the industry.

Reasons to Read: If you like books that make you say "dang" a lot (or your preferred utterance), if you want to take a steady (but never overly macabre) look at death (and maybe get a party fact about Victorian medicine along the way), or if you want to understand the reality of cadaver testing for you or your loved one.

Reasons to Avoid: If you like your books to be focused [Roach encompasses the history of anatomy, organ donation, crash and ballistics testing, embalming techniques, funeral practices, and more.], or if you'd rather dial down the wisecracks in books about death.

Further Reading: 

Published on
Two jack of lantern pumpkins shine in darkness

With October upon us, comes celebration of spooky season. The classic signs of Halloween approaching are here: theaters show scary movie marathons for those who want thrills and frights, skeleton and ghost decor begins to grace front yards and debate over what to wear for the event itself reaches a fever pitch. But witches, ghosts, and ghouls weren’t always reserved for just Halloween. In fact, some legends were born out of explanations for very real phenomena that used to strike terror across villages.  

One particular example comes to mind. The year is 1788. Your friend has fallen ill recently. She’s lost a lot of weight, she has a fever, and her skin is growing paler by the day. She has even started coughing up blood. Even worse, these symptoms mimic that of her late brother, who died a few months previously.  Thankfully, a neighbor has identified the culprit and knows the solution: dig up her brother’s corpse, cut out his heart, and burn it. 

Wait, what? As strange as it sounds, this was a real series of events that happened in New England. Before the Germ Theory of disease, people needed explanations for the spread of disease. While bad air (Miasma Theory) or the four humors were potential explanations, when it came to the disease known as tuberculosis, vampires were offered as a potential explanation (1). 

The original legend was brought over by immigrants from European countries (2). While the exact way vampires worked depended on the region, the general idea was that those who died came back to drain life from the living, often their family members. Given how tuberculosis spreads, family members did become ill, especially given members of one family might share the same bed. Digging up the corpse of the deceased family member was seen as a way to stop the illness and put it to bed at last. Given the cold winters in the region, sometimes bodies would be well preserved when they were dug up, further playing into the idea that the dead were feasting on the living. While the burning of organs didn’t actually do anything, in the face of an invisible illness, it provided those afraid with a feeling of some agency. 

The vampire legend doesn’t arise solely from tuberculosis, but some hallmarks of the blood suckers can be traced to the pathogen: the pallor vampires are known for, along with sleeping in coffins. Other aspects of the mythical monster are hypothesized to come from other illnesses. Vampire’s aversion to light (photophobia), running water and biting others may all originate from rabies cases. Those afflicted with rabies can showcase these symptoms, and those who wrote early vampire stories may have drawn inspiration from the deadly disease (3). Symptoms of the genetic disease porphyria have also been attributed to perhaps inspiring the myth as it also causes issues with being in the sun (4).

Thankfully, we eventually figured out the real culprit behind tuberculosis wasn’t the walking dead, but a bacterium, and that we could defeat it with antibiotics, not wooden stakes. But it’s important not to judge those who believed in the vampire theory too harshly. They had figured out the contagious part of the disease. They only misattributed the vector. 

So this October, remember where part of the fear of vampirism comes from. It’s not fangs, or gothic mansions, or poor book adaptations. Instead, think of those who latched onto the legend as an explanation, who knew something deadly was spreading, but didn’t know where to look or where it would strike next. 

1. Blanding M. Vampire panic gripped New England in the 1800s. the real evil was in the air. Boston Globe (Online). Oct 27 2023. Available from: https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/vampire-panic-gripped-new-england-1800s-real-evil/docview/2882529806/se-2. 

2. Groom N. UNEARTHING THE DEAD: Medicine and Detection, Body and Mind. In: The Vampire. A New History. Yale University Press; 2018:23-40. doi:10.2307/j.ctv6gqxp2.9

3. Gómez-Alonso J. Rabies: a possible explanation for the vampire legend. Neurology. 1998;51(3):856-859. doi:10.1212/wnl.51.3.856

4. McGrath J. Are vampires real? scientists have linked diseases and decomposition to all the historical tropes of nosferatu. Business Insider. Oct 21, 2023. Available from: https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/are-vampires-real-scientists-have-linked-diseases/docview/2879550637/se-2. 

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