Genetic Preponderancy in my Family Heritage

On my mother’s side there is Dysthymia or chronic depression. With dysthymia, the common symptoms of depression can linger for a long period of time often years at a time. Changes in the normal chemical balances in the brain are usually a cause and the dna coding for this imbalance can be passed down in genes making this a depression that is created not from life or situations but genetically. A history of Artists and Scientists also goes back at least six generations, the artists’ primarily graphic artist, though a few played an instrument, and the scientists ranging from botany, dentistry and chemistry. Sociopathy which is actually often found in this side of the family, symptoms being, superficial charms, intelligence, irrational thinking, lack of remorse, social reclusion, pathologic incapacity for love or attachment, lack of empathy and high levels of manipulation of others. Chronic social anxiety, or the fear and discomfort of situations that submerse a person with strangers, and antisocial personality disorder or a disorder characterized by the disregard or violations of social conduct and people in general also appear several times.

 On my Father’s side there is a strong genetic line of bipolar affective disorder, also called manic-depression, this disorder causes intense mood swings and alternating patterns of depression. As ‘mania’ worsens, individuals begin to react very impulsively, often making poor and even contradictory decisions due to unrealistic and distorted ideas about the future ( known as psychosis) , this problem can even cause great difficulty with sleep.  As with most personality disorders there are also ‘pilot fish’ disorders that seem to appear in a lot of the  family members who suffer Bipolar, those being generalized anxiety disorder which is a spastic and sometimes irrelevant reaction to stress or sometimes it only appears in the form of periodic anxiety attacks which are periods of intense fear and panic suddenly onset  most last roughly 10 to 20 minutes, these anxiety attacks are commonly caused from little to no reason and can happen at any time, and Obsessive-compulsive disorder which is repetitive behavior that can vary from hygiene, hoarding, nervous rituals such as knocking on a door a certain number of times, and even obsessions with order in their personal space, such as rooms or homes. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, which can cause damage to the heart and capillaries, Irritable bowel syndrome which is a functional gastrointestinal affliction which causes a ‘spastic colon’ and sleep apnea which is  condition in which breathing pauses during sleep causing an instance of short panicked breaths called hypopnea and snoring. Sleep apnea can often be treated by polysomnograms although the members who suffer in my family found the test gave them no such help.

Those are the significant conditions, disorders and diseases that run in my more recent family’s genetic heritage. -TH

A brief look at Schizencephaly

Schizencephaly is a birth defect that can be characterized by abnormal clefts, slits or grey matter which extends across the cerebral ventricles to the pia mater, or the innermost delicate layer surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The word itself phonetically springs from the Greeks and roughly translates as ‘to split brain’.

            Like many diseases there are two main types, Type I has grey matter tissue with ventricular or cortical lips which form at the end of a hemispheric cleft. Type II exemplifies a cerebrospinal fluid saturated cleft which usually extends over most, if not all of the cerebral hemisphere. The inflicted who have these clefts on both hemispheres often suffer from speech and developmental delays, seizures, and paralysis such as hemiparesis or quadriparesis as well as varying degrees of mental retardation, microcephaly, and hypotonia or reduced muscle tone.

Usually, with schizencephaly, the neurons line the edges of the clefts, which implicates that somewhere in early fetal development, usually embryogenesis,  a disruption  during the formation of grey matter occurred. Scientists have not been able to pinpoint a specific cause for this, it could be anything from utero strokes, exposure to toxic chemicals or infection; however scientists are leaning toward the hypothesis that it is caused by failed neuron migration in the second trimester. This theory, however is new, it used to be believed that this disorder had a genetic association with the EMX2 gene.

Treatment for individuals suffering from this disease consists of KG-ZNS with Vojta Methode,  which is a type of physical therapy specific to many genetic disorders. Sufferers also usually take part in occupational therapy, seizure treatment and even in some cases a shunt, or a small hole which moves fluid to other parts of the body. With schizencephaly, certebral shunts are used, the valve for this shunt is usually located behind the ear. Thus a person suffering this ailment can be identified as such in most cases. -T.H.

A Stroke of Genius: The Story of Joseph Bell

Whodunit?  Murder mysteries are one of the most classical genres of literature and media. They captivate mass collectives of fans yet very few pursue or learn of the real people who crack the cases. Doctor Joseph Bell, a renowned lecturer at the medical university in Edinburgh, Scotland spent his off hours testing and concluding theories and techniques he thought could apply to crime investigation.

Joseph Bell was born on the second of December 1837, in Scotland. He earned a medical degree and got a job lecturing at the highly renowned medical school, the University of Edinburgh. In his lectures, Bell often emphasized that close and sharp observations are the key to diagnosis. As an example or demonstration, he would sometimes choose a random stranger, bring them in front of the class and deduce them to the point of not only their ailments but occupation and recent activities, like knowing their previous location because of the color of dirt on their shoes. However it is his time outside the class room where the true story begins. Bell carried out some of the first serious toxicology and ballistics studies in history and was the first to start applying science to criminal investigation; he is looked upon as the Father of Forensic Science. Joseph Bell’s specialty though, was in forensic pathology, or the precise study of diseases.

It wasn’t a surprise that Joseph pursued a career in medical science, it ran in his family’s bloodline, as he was the great-grandson of Benjamin Bell. Benjamin was considered one of the first scientific surgeons and his six volume text book ‘A System of Surgery’ was considered a bible at the university where Joseph lectured and at several other medical schools. Even in today’s times his text book is referenced in medical teachings. He uncovered several important discoveries including studies of sexually transmitted diseases and stomach ulcers. Not to mention Bells father and grandfather worked at Edinburgh University as surgeons.

The Scotland Yard even consulted and involved Bell in several cases after rumors of his studies became more and more public: including the Ardlamont Mystery of 1893, investigations of Jack the Ripper and my personal favorite the Coal-Gas Mystery. The Coal-Gas mystery also called the Case of Elizabeth Chantrelle was the case that brought Joseph Bell into the spotlight. Fifteen year old Elizabeth Dyer was a student of Eugene Marie Chantrelle, a French immigrant. He seduced her, convincing her to marry him and for the next ten years he abused her, claiming he could kill her in infinite ways. One day Elizabeth fell ill, seriously ill and her maid found her unconscious on her bed. She ran to get help from a doctor but when she came back she noted slight changes in the room—the half-full glass of lemonade was now emptied and some of the oranges and grapes had disappeared too but Elizabeth was still unconscious. Chantrelle stood at the window as if to draw attention to the area, the smell of coal-gas now flooding the room. The doctor, of course picking up on smell of the gas assumed that Elizabeth suffered from Coal-gas poisoning; they moved her to a clinic where she unfortunately soon died. Bell heard about the case suspected that there was more to this than there appeared so he decided to call his friend and noted toxicologist/chemist Sir Henry Littlejohn. After examining the woman they discovered all of her symptoms were consistent of that of narcotics poisoning. Poison is a method of murder often used for quick, discrete crime, in hopes they cannot be caught and in the late 1800s it was often overlooked. Toxins rarely leave evidence so finding samples to test for poisoning is difficult. Often in today’s times, the blood, stomach contents and tissue around the entrance point are often analyzed but in Bell’s time, much less was known of the effects and ways to trace poison. They then needed more evidence to prove this discovery so Bell and Littlejohn returned to the crime scene where they found and collected a sample of vomit from the pillow. After analysis it was proven it contained high levels of opium. Chantrelle still protested that the room had a coal-gas leak and the maid told police she only smelled the gas once she returned from fetching a physician. After inspecting the pipes and having a gasfitter come in they learned that Chantrelle asked several questions about the pipe last time it was being inspected, not to mention the discovery of records saying Chantrelle not only recently purchased thirty doses of opium but three months earlier he had insured his wife for a considerable sum. It was clear now that he had staged an accidental gas poisoning to cover up his murder. His trial lasted four days and he was convicted on May 31, 1878.  As he stood on the platform, noose around his neck, he puffed his cigar and removed his hat, looking at Littlejohn he said, “Bye, Bye Littlejohn. Don’t forget to give my compliments to Joe Bell. You both did a good job in bringing me to the scaffold.” It was that quote that led to the media’s discovery of this brilliant man’s detective work.

Bell and Littlejohn went on to solve many other cases and in the summer of 1888 a new kind of predator lurked the streets of London. The Whitechapel murders carried out by the infamous ‘Jack the Ripper’ is believed to be the last public case Bell and Littlejohn ever worked. After receiving the files with three suspects separately, the two start individual research on the murders. Bell began to fixate on the letters, studying the handwriting to deduce things about the writer’s character. He utilized the evidence he was given and he and Littlejohn drew their separate conclusions writing the suspects name down and placing it in an envelope. They then exchange envelopes to see if their conclusions match up, and they do. Unfortunately, in the process of the final conclusion letter being delivered to the Scotland Yard, the letter disappears. Because of this, it is possible that we will never know what name Bell wrote down, but there is one main suspect that scientist and historians believe was the most likely for him to have written down-Montague Druitt. A few days after the letter was sent, the body of Druitt was found in the Thames river with his pockets filled with stones.  It was after this suicide that the killings stopped. Bell and Littlejohn would never know if the name they wrote was correct, nor will we.

Young Bell was raised in Scotland with deep religious roots much of which had sprung from his father’s involvement in the church, which at the time was a Christian denomination with no government ties. His father enforced strict religious rules and structure upon Joseph and his siblings. Joseph spent most of his time outside, mainly because he was fascinated by nature, especially flowers. He was known for planting flowers around his town as a young boy.

 His education started at Mr.Macdonal’s school; however his parents were displeased with the quality of education he was receiving so they transferred him to several different schools before settling at Mr. Oliphant’s school until he was transferred into Edinburgh Academy at age ten. Edinburgh Academy is a highly renowned boarding school; at the time it was the best in the country and still ranks within the top 30.  Joseph learned soon after admittance to the academy that they took education extremely seriously. Teachers ranged from supportive to downright brutal. For instance the academy’s math professor at the time, James Gloag had a reputation of beating kids with a Tawse , a strip of leather, with one end split into a number of tails for the smallest of interruptions. In Bell’s time, corporal punishment was common, taws were even referred to as ‘school straps’ and almost every professor or schoolmaster had them.

Not all of his professors were bad, D’Archy Wentworth Thompson a classics instructor was very non-violent, and believing that whipping a student would have no outcome on their ability to learn. He treated his students with respect and like young adults rather that foolish children. Joseph was impacted by this man; he would adopt several of his characteristics as he got older. Young Joseph excelled at the academy. The scrawny boy often described as having a wild mane of black hair, was energetic and athletic. He was a member of the hailes team, a sport similar to field hockey that is played with racquets known as clackens, and the tennis team. However as he grew older he preferred being more of a spectator. He enjoyed observing the mechanics of football [soccer], cricket and his personal favorite, boxing. When he graduated from the academy he pursued his education to the University of Leyden in Holland. However he found himself growing homesick and he transferred to Edinburgh University and joined the progressive and philanthropic programs they offered.

In 1859 Joseph Bell graduated from the University of Edinburgh, he was age 21 and it was from this point that his career began to take off at a rapid rate. He found work practically imediately after his graduation working in the Royal Edinburgh Infirmary, his first official research thesis titled: “On Epithetical Cancer.” Was well received and won several accolades, not to mention he was even promoted to Demonstrator of Anatomy. Though he wasn’t restricted to medical papers, an issue of Cornhill Magazine from 1860 featured an article by Bell talking about different styles of architecture and interior decorating. Though it was the only known article like this, it still shows his ability to dabble in his other interests.

Edith was a beautiful kind hearted woman with a shy streak and the second she walked into his life, she and Bell became inseparable. Their engagement lasted several years as Bell settled into his teaching job but on April 17^th, 1865 they were pronounced man and wife.

Shortly after settling into his new family and job, Edinburgh fell siege to a widespread pandemic of Diphtheria. It wasn’t long until they turned to Bell and his expertise; he soon began his examinations and experiments on the disease. He noted that Diphtheria affects the upper respiratory tract, and that he could help slow it if he had the proper technology which t that time hadn’t been created. So Bell took it upon himself to craft a special pipette and with it he could suck bacteria from the back of the glottis and ease breathing. In the modern day we now know more about the disease, Diphtheria is a bacterial infection on the throat that causes a formation of a thick, tenacious pseudomembrane that causes obstruction of the airway. Victims of this infection usually die of suffocation or choking rather than the actual bacteria. Bell’s usage of the Pipette is still one of the main ways doctors treat this rare but serious disease today. Though unfortunately, his exposure to the disease caused him to contract it, he recovered after three months and was able to return to work but he carried some long lasting effects, like stiffness in the legs that would change the way he walked for the rest of his life. Yet another tragedy struck in 1874 when his wife Edith died of puerperal peritonitis. He was in such a state of devastation people say in the month following her death his hair turned from coal to snow. This intense feeling of loss and anxiety caused him to delve even deeper into his studies, though even through all this he allotted time to spend with his children. He decided that in her honor he would help those in need and in 1875 he opened the Longmore Hospital for the Incurables, which gave healthcare to the poor and homeless. He not only owned the facility but he put time out of his day to go down and diagnose some of the more difficult cases and supply aid and medication.

Joseph Bell was an analytical leader. He was stable and data driven, keeping himself rooted in reality. This reflected in his almost flawless work; he seemed to measure his success on his intellectual ability or scientific enlightenments he was able to achieve. When he worked with the Scotland Yard he was commonly referred to as a voice of reason, he was able to draw quick conclusions and point out patterns deeply rooted in facts rather than opinions.  This gave him a meticulous, unbiased and logically sound view on his cases and made him a valuable asset to the yard. In the classroom he was always described as a thorough, prudent, methodical professor who seemed serious and detached from emotion. He often got his points across with this method. 

Joseph’s strengths were his prudent, systematic, practical, and usually serious methods of solving problems and cases. Though he usually struggled with being too critical and data-bound, sometimes he empathized with logic over emotions and people if he became too overwhelmed. In several cases his wife, Henry Littlejohn and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have stated that he had a very deadpan sense of humor that he would slip in, even at crime scenes. He was also a very solitary person and when the option arose he often elected to work alone.

Joseph Bell had a few distinct and prominent relationships in his life, the first and probably most impacting was that with his wife. Edith Murray is always described as stunningly beautiful, however it is her kind heartedness and philanthropic attitudes that made him fall for her. They married on April 17, 1865 and later had three children: Benjamin, Cecilia and Jean. Edith kept him human; it was easy for him to become lost in his research and shut off from the world but she was his rock that kept him in line. When she tragically died of disease he struggled with finding the balance, however he always made sure through anything that he saved time for his children. One of his daughters, Cecilia once said she remembered how her father would play an observation game with them. This game was where he would observe a stranger and deduce their job, traveling locations and age. Bells sheer ability to read people amazed quite a few of his students, one of whom was so inspired he began to write books. Arthur Conan Doyle, Bell’s student and surgical dresser would take extremely meticulous notes, writing all of his lectures word for word into his notebook. Occasionally he would even ask Bell to repeat himself so he could make sure he got everything written correctly. Doyle began to write stories, drawing from his notes and the things he observed as Bell’s surgical dresser. He tried several times to get his work published  with no avail so he finished out his doctorate, writing a thesis on the degeneration of sensory neurons and traveled on a whaling ship for three years. After he returned home he decided to attempt writing again changing his view from the mind of the genius to the mind of another man, a military doctor that went by the name of Johnathan Hamish Watson. It was with this that Sherlock Holmes became fully established and the first novel, A study in Scarlet was published in 1887. And like there is a real Sherlock Holmes, Joseph Bell, there was also a real Dr. Watson. His name was Dr. Patrick Watson, He was a surgeon with a high level of experience with gunshot wounds, ballistics and dialects. He served in the war and was also personal surgeon to the queen. Though it is also said Bell’s close friend Henry Littlejohn and even Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had a strong impact on the character structure of John Watson.

He was a sportsman and a bird watcher in his off hours, and when he retired at age sixty- four to his Morriswood estate he cared for an expansive green house of exotic plants and even built an apiary so he could bee keep.

Joseph ran on the arrogant side, relying on his own acuity to get him through. When he would solve cases for the police, he didn’t want the press to know his name.  He would sometimes even cover his face to avoid pictures, because he worried public awareness of his abilities would hinder his ability to solve cases.

Joseph Bell kept a good balance in his life, he solved cases and was surrounded by rather morbid scenes but kept light in his life by going to his hospital that he founded for those homeless and in need and providing them medical care, and that is only one of his several philanthropic endeavors. Because of his urges to help the people in need he was able to shed more light upon the segregation of social classes in  Great Britain at the time, moving London towards a future of social equality. Solving crimes and teaching allowed him to help make a difference in others, whether it be saving the streets of London or inspiring a future generation with medical knowledge. Bell also looked at everything with a logical manner, which helped him solve his problems with unbiased efficiency, even in the face of tragedy he was able to push through and persevere. He was strong willed and confident and it helped him get through.

I admire him for his scientific innovations, and his pure genius ability, particularly his observation skills. Two of my favorite stories about him that just inspires me to be like him are the Chantrelle Case and this small story that is often retold as being his favorite classroom trick: He would start by informing the class that the beaker contained a potent drug that had a bitter taste and a putrid smell. He then would tell them to test it by tasting and smelling it and that he too would do it to prove it was okay. Then he would dip his finger in the liquid, and placed it in his mouth. The beaker was passed around the classroom. With contorted,  grimacing, puckered faces the students did as he asked all of them would taste the liquid. Once the beaker would return to Bell he would chuckle and say something along the lines of, " I am deeply grieved to find that not one of you has developed this power of perception, which I so often speak about; for if you watched me closely, you would have found that, while I placed my forefinger in the medicine, it was the middle finger which found its way into my mouth" [CITE http://www.diogenes-club.com/joebell.htm] -T.H.

 References

 The Edinburgh Academy. (2009, 15 September) About the Academy. Retrieved October 29, 2013 from the World Wide Web: http://www.edinburghacademy.org.uk/About_the_Academy

Edwards, W. (2013). The Real Life of Sherlock Holmes: A Biography of Joseph Bell. New York: Absolute Crime.

Ramsland, K. (2009, 12 October). Observe Carefully, Deduce Shrewdly: Dr. Joseph Bell. Retrieved October 15, 2013 from the World Wide Web:                               http://www.abfm.us/articles/news/38/15/Observe-Carefully-Deduce-Shrewdly-Dr-Joseph-Bell-Part-3

Rowley, Christopher. (2003). Sherlock Holmes: The True Story of Doctor Joseph Bell. Canada.

SIPI (1996) What is Pathology? Retrieved October 29, 2013 from the World Wide Web: http://www.humpath.com/