The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth: And Other Curiosities from the History of Medicine

Ever wonder how our ancestors managed to survive the very people who were supposed to heal them? This book is a hilarious and horrifying testament to human resilience and medical ignorance. Morris has curated a collection of anecdotes that range from the tragic Hoo Loo tumor case to the absurd story of the man whose mustache caught fire from a flammable burp. It is brilliantly research-heavy, yet maintains a light, tongue-in-cheek tone that keeps the gruesome details from becoming too overwhelming. I particularly enjoyed the sections on early 19th-century surgery, even if they were absolutely terrifying to imagine. Truth is, we often forget how recently medicine was just a series of educated guesses. This is a must-read for anyone who loves a bit of the macabre mixed with their history. I laughed, I winced, and I felt very grateful for my own GP.

Wow, talk about a visceral reading experience! I was absolutely gripped by the stories of people enduring massive surgeries without a single drop of anesthesia. The courage (or desperation) of patients like Hoo Loo is truly moving. Morris balances the horror with a dry wit that I found quite refreshing, even if it gets a bit silly at times. The book highlights the sheer absurdity of human nature, from the objects we swallow to the bizarre remedies we’re willing to try. It's a quick read because of the short-chapter format, which makes it perfect for picking up and putting down. I’ve recommended it to several friends who have an interest in the "grosser" side of history. It’s an eye-opening look at the evolution of science. Absolutely brilliant.

Finally got around to reading this curious little volume, and it was certainly a ride. It reads essentially like a trauma log from an era before germs were a known quantity, which makes for some truly harrowing imagery. The chapter on the man having his ribs removed while fully awake was enough to make my stomach flip, yet I couldn't stop turning the pages. Morris does a great job of digging up these obscure stories from 19th-century medical journals that you won't find in standard textbooks. While some of the humor is a bit juvenile, particularly when dealing with objects being inserted into places they shouldn't be, the historical context is invaluable. It’s a sobering reminder of how lucky we are to live in the age of modern anesthesia. Definitely worth a look if you have a strong stomach.

This book is basically a highlight reel of every weird thing that can go wrong with the human body. It’s graphic, weird, and frequently disgusting. I found myself frequently reading passages aloud to anyone who would listen, especially the bit about the child vomiting slugs. While the book can feel a bit repetitive because it’s structured as a series of short clips, the variety of the cases keeps things moving at a brisk pace. Some might find the author’s commentary a bit snarky, but I thought it added a necessary layer of levity to what could have been a very grim subject. It's not a deep academic study, but it is a fantastic collection of curiosities. If you enjoy podcasts like Sawbones, you will find a lot to love here. Just don't read it while you're eating.

Not what I expected, but I ended up enjoying the journey through these bizarre medical archives anyway. Morris uses primary texts from the 1700s and 1800s, which gives the book an authentic, dusty feel. The author does a solid job of translating the archaic medical jargon so a modern reader can actually understand what a "purgative" or "dropsy" entails. Some of the stories are clearly tall tales or exaggerations from the time, but the book does a good job of pointing that out. My only real complaint is that it stays rooted in the past; I would have loved to see some of these weird cases from the 20th century too. Still, it’s an entertaining bedside companion for anyone who likes "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" style facts. A solid four stars for the research alone.

After hearing about this on a podcast, I knew I had to see the original accounts for myself. It’s fascinating to see how many of these "miracles" and "horrors" were actually just frauds or misdiagnoses. Morris is a great guide through this world of medical guesswork, providing enough context to make the 18th-century logic seem almost reasonable. The book is filled with instances of things like blowing smoke up people's backsides, which sounds like a joke but was a legitimate treatment. Gotta say, it makes me feel a lot better about my own doctor’s occasional fumbling. The writing is snappy and the pacing is excellent. Some of the graphic descriptions are a bit much for the squeamish, so consider yourself warned. Overall, a very fun and informative read that highlights just how far we’ve come.

A fascinating, if occasionally repetitive, stroll through the darker alleys of medical history. The visuals this book creates are truly horrific and will likely stay with me for a long time. Whether it’s people swallowing false teeth or the strange accounts of "spontaneous combustion," the book is a testament to the weirdness of the human body. Personally, I found the author's humorous tone to be a nice counterpoint to the more gruesome details, though I can see why it might grate on some. The book really excels when it shows how doctors were often doing more harm than good with their various poisons and bloodletting. It’s a series of curiosities that serves as a great introduction to the field. I’ll never look at a dentist’s drill the same way again.

As a fan of medical history, I went into this with high expectations. The cases themselves are undeniably fascinating—who doesn't want to hear about someone swallowing two dozen knives and surviving? However, the book feels more like a compiled list of blog posts than a cohesive narrative. Thomas Morris tries very hard to be the "funny guy" of the archives, but the constant 'ahems' and cheeky asides began to wear on my patience after the first fifty pages. It’s definitely a fun dip into the darker side of human anatomy, yet I wish there was more depth to the analysis of why these things happened rather than just mocking the victims. It's a decent bedside read, but it doesn't quite reach the level of some of the better medical podcasts out there. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, frankly.

Picked this up because the title caught my eye at the bookstore, and it’s definitely a conversation starter. The accounts of the exploding teeth were fascinating, but there were far fewer of them than the title suggested. Instead, the book is a massive collection of "snippets" from old medical journals. While the individual stories are interesting, reading them back-to-back feels a little like scrolling through a weird history Twitter feed. There isn’t much of a narrative thread to tie it all together, and I think a deeper dive into fewer cases would have been more effective. It's definitely entertaining, but it lacks the substance I was hoping for. To be fair, if you just want some weird facts to share at a party, this is perfect. I just wanted a bit more "meat" on the bones.

The title promised me a deep dive into dental anomalies, but the reality was quite different. My main grievance is that there are only about two accounts of actual exploding teeth in the entire book. It felt like a bait-and-switch. Instead, we get page after page of Thomas Morris trying to be the wittiest man in the room, often failing miserably. His writing is cluttered with pointless interjections and "look at me" commentary that distracts from the actual historical records. To be fair, some of the stories are genuinely shocking, but the repetitive structure and the author's condescending tone ruined the experience for me. If you’re looking for a serious medical history, look elsewhere. This felt like "Horrible Histories" for adults, but without the charm or the educational rigor. I'd skip it.