Isles and Trials

Tag: History

  • Old Aberdeen

    Old Aberdeen

    Well. I haven’t been super great about regularly posting – which means I could probably post things for years going forward. I do have some things to report about Isles and Trials too so stay tuned.

    This is from University of Aberdeen’s website

    “The most iconic of our buildings and located on the picturesque Old Aberdeen High Street, King’s College was built to house the University after it was founded by Bishop Elphinstone under a Papal Bull issued by Pope Alexander VI on 10 February 1495. Of the original College building, only the Chapel and the Ivy Tower, constructed in 1525 and now obscured by the college’s subsequent development, now remain, all other sides of the quad having been replaced over the following centuries. The college’s facade and main entrance arch, attached to the Chapel, date to 1825, while the Cromwell Tower behind the Chapel was built in 1658.”

  • Buildings

    Buildings

    Some buildings here are in disrepair and need to be renovated. Here is one viewed from an alley.

  • Another famous Aberdonian

    Another famous Aberdonian

    Another one from Provost Skene’s house. It seems like he was producer of GTA3-5 (not involved in one or two) – at least if I believe Wikipedia as much as a museum caption. Perhaps the distinction is akin to being responsible for the Star Trek motion pictures, but skipping the first one and just starting with the Wrath of Khan. Khaaaaaaaaaaaan!

  • On to Drum Castle, the grounds

    On to Drum Castle, the grounds

    The final castle of our tour – Drum. An interesting find! Last time I saw a tree like this – it was at Muir Woods (named for the Scottish born American naturalist). This one is estimated to have been planted in the 1860s.

  • Inside Crathes Castle

    Inside Crathes Castle

    This is the ceiling with some intricate paintings. They nicely provide mirrors so you don’t have to bend your neck much.

  • Clinical trials / race for a vaccine

    Clinical trials / race for a vaccine

    So now, 2020 qualifies as history. A history exhibit on the story behind the COVID-19 vaccines touches a bit close to my heart. I did volunteer for the AstraZeneca vaccine trial (and while they were reviewing exclusion criteria … in November of 2019 – there was one for “any experimental treatment for COVID.” I had volunteered for a hydroxychloroquine versus placebo study for protection of health care providers earlier in May 2019. I scoffed, “that stuff clearly didn’t work – and I bet they’ll tell you I got placebo.” They called the national PI. I was excluded. And about 4 weeks later I got the Pfizer vaccine. Given a lot of people (including health care workers younger than me) had died – it was an immense relief. I got the second dose in January of 2020. I then shivered uncontrollably watching Ohio State lose to Alabama from my driveway with friends. I then went on to shiver nearly uncontrollably for the next 24 hours (realizing it was my immune system’s response.) This represented such an advance (getting a vaccine into human trials so quickly – with prior foundational work on mRNA having already been done.) It saddens me that so many have lost trust in science and when something like this happens again – it probably won’t go as well.

    Feelings
  • More from Edinburgh – plagued

    More from Edinburgh – plagued

    So, as we are settling into a more routine routine, to some extent – a lot of these posts will reflect a backlog. Some will even be (sort of) intersectional – where medical research meets history so to speak. This isn’t about a clinical trial – but this suit was worn by a plague doctor. The weird beak thing was a pretty intense mask (filled with lavender and other herbs to ward off the miasma – but actually pretty effectively filter out airborne Yersinia pestis). At times in my medical career I have wished for some lavender in my mask … sometimes for toxic sock syndrome / sometimes for other things.