A National Evil – the curse of the goitre in Switzerland

Re:A National Evil – the curse of the goitre in Switzerland by attachedhead on Wednesday December 27, 2023 @12:12PM (#38784038)

This seems to be a slightly shortened version of an earlier article by the same author. The swiss weekly magazine "Das Magazin" published a german translation of this longer version in 2019 [1]. It is an absolutely fascinating read.

Since the article from OP is relatively short on images, the following are links to more images from the german article, with captions translated into english. Warning: images contain depictions of the medical condition discussed in the article. YMMV, but i don't consider them 'gross' or NSFW.

Image 1: https://cdn.unitycms.io/images/EzdPT4pM4HAAzsQiwi_L2d.jpg Caption de: Frau mit Kropf in Frienisberg, 1921. Caption en: Woman with goitre in Frienisberg, 1921.

Image 2: https://cdn.unitycms.io/images/5PhByWEba4W8L0W1EnHXiE.jpg Caption de: Frau mit Kretinismus, 1928. (Das Wort hat heute einen herabsetzenden Beiklang, bezeichnet aber primär eine Erkrankung von grosser Grausamkeit.). Caption en: Woman with cretinism, 1928. (Today the word has a derogatory connotation, but primarily describes an illness of great cruelty).

Image 3: https://cdn.unitycms.io/images/Bu0SX8WY4gK8jMZgebpyss.jpg Caption de: Sechs Frauen mit Kretinismus, ca. 1920. Caption en: Six women with cretinism, ca. 1920.

Image 4: https://cdn.unitycms.io/images/8qBQEgsuqq-BMdsEAPN63U.jpg Caption de: Fand die Lösung gegen den Ur-Fluch der Schweiz: Heinrich Hunziker aus Adliswil ZH, gezeichnet von Marianne Zumbrunn 1977. Caption en: Found the solution to Switzerland's original curse: Heinrich Hunziker from Adliswil ZH, drawn by Marianne Zumbrunn in 1977.

Image 5: https://cdn.unitycms.io/images/7tdlChuPq-3AIeFiSvh5U1.jpg Caption de: Experimente mit der Schneeschaufel: der Walliser Landarzt Otto Bayard, 1937. Caption en: Experiments with the snow shovel: the Valais country doctor Otto Bayard, 1937.

Image 6: https://cdn.unitycms.io/images/5JGFFaXN48BA4xOsHXf0Zu.jpg Caption de: Sonnengebräunter Naturbursche: der Herisauer Allgemeinpraktiker und spätere Chefarzt Hans Eggenberger, undatiert. Caption en: Sun-tanned outdoorsman: the Herisau general practitioner and later chief physician Hans Eggenberger, undated.

[1] https://www.tagesanzeiger.ch/wie-drei-heldenhafte-aerzte-die... or https://archive.is/rHzSV

edit: formatting

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Re:A National Evil – the curse of the goitre in Switzerland by zwirbl on Wednesday December 27, 2023 @12:38PM (#38784329)

For German speakers there's also this 'Geschichten aus der Geschichte' Podcast episode on the matter which does a fairly good job telling the story IMO. https://www.geschichte.fm/archiv/gag368/

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Re:A National Evil – the curse of the goitre in Switzerland by Vespasian on Wednesday December 27, 2023 @01:46PM (#38785107)

Can absolutely recommend that one.

A fascinating story overall and a reminder of just one of a number of everyday sicknesses we (as a society) have been able to overcome through science and understanding, despite the occasional step backwards.

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