1 Out of 10 Doctors Recommends

August 1, 2016
The three coauthors, all physicians, entertainingly survey weird medical cases. Yes, surgeons actually grew a nose on a 22-year-old man's forehead after an injury and infection left his existing sniffer too damaged to be surgically repaired. As the doctors note, some of the practices, treatments, and ideas they cover are grounded in valid science and/or actually seem to work, but others are medical quackery. Then there are the patients who self-inflict damage. One man inserted an eel into his bottom to treat his constipation. The authors give their chapters fun names, like Honey, I Healed the Wound for a short look at the antifungal and antibacterial effects of the bee-made sweetener. This is not for the easily offended. A case in point: the chapter titled, Treating Hemorrhoids: A Real Pain in the Butt, warns that anal intercourse can exacerbate the problem and advises readers to maybe reconsider whether an intimate entrance up your exit ramp is a good idea. Skeptics will be heartened to see the references section at the end of this wow-inducing overview of medical bizarreness.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)