A Most Mysterious Memorial

BBC History Magazine has named a winner in its Mysterious Memorials contest. Sarah Johnson's epitaph recounts "the 28 times the
deceased was drained of fluid in her abdomen – the treatment for ascites, which is related to liver disease." It's thought that this was an "early example of brazen advertising" by the doctors mentioned on the stone. (If so, this was the worst advertising campaign ever. Sure, it makes me want to have a few hundred gallons of fluid drained from my abdomen, but not by these quacks.)

You can read Sarah's medical memorial and runners-up here (pdf), and all the "Shortlisted Entries" here.

Family Reunion Might Save Lives

Organizers of a Littick family reunion in Ohio hope that the get-together will help solve a family medical mystery.

Jane Reed married her husband, Steve, 35 years ago. He's a descendant of the Littick family line and since their marriage, she's tracked the untimely deaths of family members that date several generations back.

Although she said doctors haven't been able to name the problem, the family describes it as a heart rhythm problem.

Dr. Raul Weiss of The Ohio State University and Dr. Barry London of the University of Pittsburgh and their research teams have offered to attend the reunion for research purposes. During the reunion, if they wish, family members can participate in the research by giving a blood sample and having an electrocardiogram test completed. [Link]