#Malaria Mosquito Name

[wtf-scientific-papers]

Submitter comment: I'd like to submit this '[s]tudy of defensive behavior of a venomous snake as a new approach to understand snakebite' not for it's topic (worth studying!) but for it's insane methodology, which... well, I'll just let the researcher speak for himself:

[Q: Why did you decide to do this experiment?

A: Snake behavior has been generally neglected as a field of research, especially in Brazil. And most studies don’t examine what factors make them want to bite. If you study malaria, you can research the parasite that causes the disease—but if you don’t study the mosquito that carries it, you will never solve the problem. Up until now, the popular wisdom was that the jararaca would only attack if you touched it or stepped on it. But that was not what we found.

Q: Why did you need to be the victim?

A: The best way to do this research is to put snakes and a human together. In this case, the human was me. We put the snakes inside a ring on the floor of our lab until they got used to it, then I stepped in wearing special protective boots. I stepped close to the snake and also lightly on top of it. I didn’t put my whole weight on my foot, so I did not hurt the snakes. I tested 116 animals and stepped 30 times on every animal, totaling 40,480 steps.]

From the recent (aptly named) interview: Researcher steps on deadly vipers 40,000 times to better predict snakebites

[canmom]

So a little over a month ago I was reached out to by @peterkats, a gay refugee currently living in a camp with a small group of other gay and trans refugees.

Peter has, to put it mildly, had a fucking time of it. In his home country, Uganda, his partner was murdered for being trans. He stayed for some time in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya with a group of gay and trans people (pictured above), but violence from police forced them to move, and they're currently in a refugee camp run by the UNHCR. (I've been asked not to explicitly name the country but you can probably figure it out.)

Unfortunately this has not in any way been a reprieve. They've managed to flee right into an impending famine, and if that's not enough, they're still facing violence from police and other refugees, and general indifference from the UNHCR medical staff - who are also facing supply shortages. But it's not completely hopeless. When Peter contacted me, he needed money for food - I sent him some via an intermediary and he was able to get quite a bit (the exchange rate seems to be favourable). With help, things can be quite different.

We've stayed in touch since then, talking about our respective lives, the lgbtq situation in different countries, even videogames and music. He's a really sweet guy, despite it all still trying to find a place he can live free. For real, I would not survive any of this shit.

Recently a couple of people in Peter's group have caught malaria. They are currently sleeping on bare mats without mosquito nets. There seems to be some confusion about the exchange rates but as far as I have been able to gather, about €150 (~20,000ssp) gets a mattress and €10(~1000ssp) a malaria net. The UNHCR have not been able to provide any medication except paracetamol, and it's raining which promotes mosquito activity, so this is kind of an emergency.

I would very much prefer if the new friend I've made doesn't die of starvation or malaria. Unfortunately, I do not have the money to support Peter and his group alone. I've sent him money for one mattress (via PayPal for expediency, it won't show up on GFM), and I would be immensely grateful if you would be able to contribute a bit to getting them another (which would be just about enough to keep six people safe from mosquitoes if sleeping three to a mattress).

Beyond that, these guys are prohibited from working so they would definitely benefit from food money. And if anyone has an idea for a long term plan to get them somewhere safer where they're less likely to get bashed, I am sure Peter would appreciate hearing about it. We talked a bit about the UK asylum process but getting everyone here would be very difficult (passports, flights etc.).

But still like, I can only do so much on my own, and I want to give these guys a fighting chance. So if you could pass this around and donate if you can spare a bit? I'd be insanely grateful.

[fatehbaz]

"defending civilization against bugs"

lol the mosquito sculpture

---

Sir Ronald Ross had just returned from an expedition to Sierra Leone. The British doctor had been leading efforts to tackle the malaria that so often killed English colonists in the country, and in December 1899 he gave a lecture to the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce [...]. [H]e argued that "in the coming century, the success of imperialism will depend largely upon success with the microscope."

Text by: Rohan Deb Roy. "Decolonise science - time to end another imperial era." The Conversation. 5 April 2018.

---

[A]s [...] Diane Nelson explains: The creation of transportation infrastructure such as canals and railroads, the deployment of armies, and the clearing of ground to plant tropical products all had to confront [...] microbial resistance. The French, British, and US raced to find a cure for malaria [...]. One French colonial official complained in 1908: “fever and dysentery are the ‘generals’ that defend hot countries against our incursions and prevent us from replacing the aborigines that we have to make use of.” [...] [T]ropical medicine was assigned the role of a “counterinsurgent field.” [...] [T]he discovery of mosquitoes as malaria and yellow fever carriers reawakened long-cherished plans such as the construction of the Panama Canal (1904–1914) [...]. In 1916, the director of the US Bureau of Entomology and longtime general secretary of the American Association for the Advancement of Science rejoiced at this success as “an object lesson for the sanitarians of the world” -- it demonstrated “that it is possible for the white race to live healthfully in the tropics.” As Timothy Mitchell writes: “In 1915, the year after the canal’s completion, the newly established Rockefeller Foundation took over the mosquito campaign from the U.S. Army and launched a worldwide program" [...]. The [...] measures to combat dangerous diseases always had the collateral benefit of social pacification. In 1918, George Vincent, president of the Rockefeller Foundation, candidly declared: “For purposes of placating primitive and suspicious peoples, medicine has some decided advantages over machine guns." The construction of the Panama Canal [...] advanced the military expansion of the United States in the Caribbean.

Text by: Fahim Amir. "Cloudy Swords." e-flux Journal Issue #115. February 2021.

---

Richard P. Strong [had been] recently appointed director of Harvard’s new Department of Tropical Medicine [...]. In 1914, just one year after the creation of Harvard’s Department of Tropical Medicine, Strong took on an additional assignment that cemented the ties between his department and American business interests abroad. As newly appointed director of the Laboratories of the Hospitals and of Research Work of United Fruit Company, he set sail in July 1914 to United Fruit plantations in Cuba, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Panama. […] As a shareholder in two British rubber plantations, [...] Strong approached Harvey Firestone, chief executive of the tire and rubber-processing conglomerate that bore his name, in December 1925 with a proposal to conduct an extensive biological and medical survey of the interior region of Liberia. Strong found a receptive ear. Firestone had negotiated tentative agreements in 1925 with the Liberian government for [...] a 99-year concession to optionally lease up to a million acres of Liberian land for rubber plantations. [...]

Nearly all of the [Harvard tropical medicine] department’s expeditions were to industrial plantations in the making. […] [I]nfluenced by the recommendations and financial backing of Harvard alumni such as Philippine governor Gen. William Cameron Forbes and patrons such as Edward Atkins, who were making their wealth in the banana and sugarcane industries, Harvard hired Strong, then head of the Philippine Bureau of Science’s Biological Laboratory, and personal physician to Forbes, to establish the second Department of Tropical Medicine in the United States [...].

Strong and Forbes both left Manila for Boston in 1913. Strong began assembling a team of researchers and a course of instruction to take advantage of the increasing overseas presence of US firms. Forbes became an overseer to Harvard University and a director of United Fruit Company, the agricultural products marketing conglomerate best known for its extensive holdings of banana plantations throughout Central America. […] In 1912 United Fruit controlled over 300,000 acres of land in the tropics [...] and a ready supply of [...] samples taken from the company’s hospitals and surrounding plantations, Strong boasted that no “tropical school of medicine in the world … had such an asset.” “It is something of a victory for Harvard,” he argued. “We could not for a million dollars procure such advantages.”

Over the next two decades, he established a research funding model reliant on the medical and biological services the Harvard department could provide US-based multinational firms in enhancing their overseas production and trade in coffee, bananas, rubber, oil, and other tropical commodities. [...] As the expedition set sail for Monrovia, Strong wrote in his diary that he hoped their efforts would push the United States to “exert a more stimulating influence upon the development of the … country and its people” as it had in the Philippines, Panama, and Puerto Rico. [...] Harvard’s Department of Tropical Medicine was thoroughly entangled in the material relationships – transportation infrastructure, labor regimes, and commodity production – that were instrumental in advancing the interests of firms like United Fruit, Firestone Tire and Rubber Company, and the American Chicle Company as they transformed landscapes across the globe.

Text by: Gregg Mitman. "Forgotten Paths of Empire: Ecology, Disease, and Commerce in the Making of Liberia's Plantation Economy." Environmental History Volume 22 Number 1. January 2017.

[samie21]

Hello everyone, first of all let me apologize to burge into you with this sad news; I can't help it but tell the world about what's happening regarding the lives of LGBTQI refugees in Kakuma refugee Camp.

It's heavily raining, the mosquitoes are very many from here and there. the coldness is way too hard to handle, under these poor shelters, poor bedding, and lack of mosquito nets...

And this has resulted into a tropical disaster of malaria, high fevers, according to doctors' perspectives.

so please, I disclose this to you that as LGBTQI refugees can't go through this with out you engaging in this matter. thanks for the time, for the cause of survival for LGBTQ+ refugees; you could tap to our gofund.me fundraiser link and go through it. Thanks...

Samie Psalm

Founder: GREEN LIGHTS KAKUMA

Kakuma Refugee Camp.

[liminalwings]

Greenery of the Draconic Persuasion

When you think of dragons and plants associated with them, what’s the first thing you think of? Most likely Dragon’s Blood, but what other plants out there are also associated with dragons? This is more of an overview rather than a suggestion of “use these plants”, because some of them really just… aren’t all pleasant to work with, but still have a fascinating history. 

Dragon’s Blood

Still good to go over the big one we all know. Dracaena is a genus of trees that is noted for having certain members, such as Dracaena draco and Dracaena cinnabari, that bleed a red resin when cut; this resin is referred to as ‘Dragon’s Blood’. The name of this genus comes from the Greek ‘drakaina’, which is the name for a female dragon. It has also been tied to the myth of Heracles, particularly the 11th task and the dragon Ladon, by some interpretations Ladon is the dragon guarding the tree or is the tree; by others, the Dracaena springs from Ladon’s blood when slain. 

Do note, however, that the majority of Dragon’s Blood resin on the market these days comes from a different genus of tree entirely, Calamus dracunculus (formerly Daemonorops draco and Calamus draco), while other genera of trees also exude a red resin that may also be referred to as Dragon’s Blood, all technically having different properties. The tree that was believed to be originally used and written about, Dracaena cinnabari of Socotra, is rated ‘vulnerable’ on its conservation status, while Dracaena draco is listed as ‘endangered’. Calamus draco meanwhile does not seem to be threatened. 

This collective of red resins do have a long history of use in medicine, art, and ritual in various cultures. The most frequent magical uses of the resin are as an incense for protection or cleansing, and dissolved in alcohol as a magical ink. With how many different trees act as a source of ‘dragon’s blood’, it is good to keep in mind that different species may vary in terms of magical/energetic traits, and that the attraction to Dragon’s Blood as a magical component could be considered these days to be more based on symbolism and human-given attributes. 

Tarragon

Artemisia dracunculus, or “Little Dragon of Artemis”, often referred to as just “dragon” in Swedish and Dutch and, in the past, German; a name that was given for the appearance of its coiled roots, or likening the shape of the leaves to dragon tongues. It is in the same genus as Mugwort, Wormwood, and Sagebrush, and French Tarragon is most frequently used for culinary purposes with a somewhat licorice-like flavor. It was believed, per Pliny the Elder, that Tarragon would ward away dragons and venomous serpents (unproven of course) and could cure snakebite (also unproven). There aren’t many historic magical uses otherwise, though some modern witchcraft practices have given it associations with protection, banishment, and healing. Scientifically, it has been proven effective at repelling insects and as a mosquito larvicidal, effectively combating the spread of malaria through less environmentally-hazardous means. 

Snapdragon

Antirrhinum majus, also referred to as ‘toadflax’, ‘dog flower’, ‘dragon flower’. It is so named because of the flower’s appearance, which is likened to a dragon’s snout that opens and closes when squeezed laterally. They come in a wonderful range of colors and, like other dragon-associated plants, are considered to be protective: in Medieval Europe, they were believed to protect from witches and ill magic, and were planted near castle gates or hung above cribs to ward off evil spirits. They were also used as a charm against falsehood, and in flower language symbolized ‘truth-telling’. The skull-like seed pods have commonly been worn to protect from curses and other bewitchments. 

Dragon Arum

Dracunculus vulgaris, also referred to as dragon lily, vampire lily, devil’s tongue, and, in its native Greece, drakondia. Like its larger cousin, the Titan arum, it is not a flower most people would be including in a nice bouquet, with respect to its fragrance being like that of rotting meat to attract flies as pollinators. Like Tarragon, not only does it share the same Latin “little dragon” name, it was also believed to ward away serpents(also also unproven), though some sources also claim that it generates serpents (flies attract other critters that snakes eat, so yeah I could see that as a conclusion). It is also one of many in the Arum family that can produce heat (thermogenesis), reaching about 65°F/18°C, which is used to lure flies to the flower for pollination. These unique physical properties can lend themselves to equally interesting potential magical associations. 

Dragon Root/Green Dragon

Arisaema dracontium is a plant native to North America. All parts of the plant are highly toxic to humans when eaten raw due to the presence of Calcium oxalate. I am including it here only to show the range of dragon-associated plants and do not necessarily advocate its use. Though historically, it has in fact been used as medicine, especially as an abortifacient and to stimulate menstrual flow. 

__

This is by no means an exhaustive list of plants with dragon-inspired names, as can be seen here. But for those wanting to include draconic plants in their practice but can’t afford or can’t find a place to obtain dragon’s blood, or otherwise want to avoid using it, there are comparatively more easily-obtained alternatives at your local stores, such as Tarragon, Dragonfruit, and Snapdragons, or perhaps another native species local to you. Just make sure to do your research and know if cautions must be taken, what the physical attributes are, and if a plant is endangered or not. 

Resources

https://blogs.reading.ac.uk/tropical-biodiversity/2013/03/dracaenaceae-dragons-blood-and-the-language-of-the-birds/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon%27s_blood

https://herbsocietyblog.wordpress.com/2023/07/03/herb-of-the-month-french-tarragon-the-little-dragon-herb/

https://dsps.lib.uiowa.edu/roots/french-tarragon/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8076785/

https://www.gardenguides.com/126335-history-snapdragons.html

https://www.flower.style/stylewatch/discover-the-curious-origins-of-snapdragons-not-to-worry-they-dont-actually-bite

https://www.petalrepublic.com/snapdragon-flower-meaning/

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/44638/pg44638-images.html#page-153

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dracunculus_vulgaris

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arisaema_dracontium

https://ebrary.net/28107/environment/snapdragon

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/arisaema-dracontium/

https://www.yellowwood.net/post/skunk-jacks-dragons-the-curious-arum-family

[casketjones]

I'm not sure how to info dump for a bunch of character concepts in a way that's digestible but eh whatever

Concept work for a group of mafia hitwomen and their long suffering handler. They're likely going to be used in a underground illegal wrestling ring arc because that's all I really want in my media.

This post plus additional sketches and more background info will be going up on my patreon and kofi tomorrow.

more under the cut,

They're all vampires that I really cooked up to test a concept for vamps for my comic project. Based on a blood sucking animal and a historical anti-vampire burial method, some of the burial methods are gonna be pushed and fibbed because there's not that many of them. so yeah incidental vampires will have a cage motif even tho I know good and well that cages were to prevent resurrection men getting in not vampires getting out. I feel that's thematically close enough. There's so many really good sanguivore animals out there these are maybe too safe even.

The other thing I really wanted to accomplish with these designs is targeting lesbians, hey ladies these are for you. How am I doing?

going left to right here we got

Flea- She's a Flea I tried taking a lot from Blake's Ghost of a Flea but I don't think it comes through. Her grave-shackle is that scythe coming out her shoulder, it's maybe a bit of a stretch, the real thing was buried in the ground next to the corpse so if it rose it would decapitate itself but I didn't really want to complicate the design with a bunch of dirt or something. Regardless I like her design a lot. Short hairy goblin of a woman, someone stop me from naming her Puce.

Mosquito- Her hair took a little bit to sort out, it used to be real bad but this mess is perfect. Horrible 90's stylized part call back, reminiscent of boxer braids while being ostentatious enough to work in any setting. That cool bangle is her grave-shackle, an actual shackle this time. Her build was immediate, huge arms, weird long butt, perfection. She's the easiest to dress which isn't that surprising considering shes thinner but usually big arms are really difficult in women's wear. Flea is actually the second easiest to dress. There's gotta be a better name than Malaria, but i could call her Mal.

Geo(?)- small mafia man, constantly put upon, constantly behind the 8-ball with upper management; you know the type. The other guys definitely tell him he's lucky all the time but they'd never switch assignments with him. Why is he so small? because I can do whatever i want. His name might be Geoffrey.

Lamprey- Went through the most iterations, was very hard to piece together a woman this disaster lesbian. The spike through the heart, traditionally meant to keep the alleged vampire pinned to the ground was always part of the design, so was the long neck and heart lipstick, the hook earring came and went. Everything else was difficult; general build was pretty similar but i didn't actually work until I gave her a gut and dropped her waist. I used to have gill markings on her neck that looked like vampire bite marks and that took a while to give up but that hair is too good. She probably will end up being named Nakkila, it's a Finnish town with lamprey on their crest.

Leech- Took just two stabs to get her hair, body and face where I wanted it. Those bright red eyebrows work so well to subtly mimic leech markings, her hair shapes are perfect and I love drawing them. It's hard to tell at this size but her lips are sewn together which works almost too well for the theming, the cartoon jack'o lantern shape just sits right on a leech. Being built like a brick shithouse with fantastic fat rolls really gives the body diversity in the group the punch it needs. But dear god in heaven she is so hard to dress! I'm liking this dress a moderate amount right now and I really love the shoes but it's not perfect. I've tried suits instead, I've down active wear, all crazy difficult. It's like fashion doesn't want to accentuate horizontal stripes on large bodies or something? I gotta keep trying on it. I've almost convinced myself to name her Annelid.

[verashalurks]

I know this is like dying but I’ve waited so long to post this cuz I wanted to get as much as I can but since I haven’t seen another alternate m*leven ship name in forever, I’ve decided to post all the alternate m*leven ship names I’ve seen.

milkvan

macarena

mumble

miley cyrus

melvin 

milkshake

mitochondria 

Keke waka 

milkdud

Misaligned Fallopian Tubes

machine gun

milkcurd

mildew

milkman

moonshine

menstruation

midleven 

Macroeconomice

microwave

Macadamia nut

monkeyvenom

masturbation

mythology

Minotaur

malware

malnutrition

Minecraft mobs

moon landing conspiracy

margerine

murmers

milkyway 

mcchicken

monsoon

melted marshmallows

mango

maroon 5

Of Mice and Men

Madagascar

Marty McFly

melville

Milk of Magnesia 

Milkwaukee

Milkchocchip

M-1 Rifles

Meerkats

Mlvn

M&Ms

McDonalds

McVans

Milehighclubs

Mitskivans

Mychemicalromance

Monsterhighs

Millennials

Malnourished Skin

Mona Lisa

Mushroom Raviolis

MK-16

Mascara

Monoclonal Antibodies

Mamma mia

Mealworm

messenger

mentoses

milkweed

microbe

mimetite 

morsels

mozzarella sticks

milkchicken

minestrone

macaroni

Methamphetamine

Markiplier

milkbag 

machine gun kelly

zoo wee mamas

Milevensies

molotov

mismatches

mandalorian

mildred

magdalena bay

milulu

Milkmaids

minimum wages

mailman

malt vinegars

moshimonsters

mids

mocha monsters

Marley and Me

Mitosis

three musketeers

milkshit

Miranda Sings

motorola

mobility exercises

Malnourished Foreskin

miscellaneous

McNuggets

microfungus

minnie mouse

millipede

milkmonsters

monkey ooh ooh ah ah

martians

milquetoast

Manicure

milkbone 

Meryl Streep

macadamias

Maple Syrup

mildew

multivitamins

mascarpone

mikeisdefinitelyisdefinitelyahetrosexual

magnesium

magician

mickey mouse clubhouse

Macaulay Culkin

Molotov Cocktail

meatball choppers

milky cereal cup

monkey see monkey do’s

meth lab

millyrocks

Milklovers

midvans

mac and cheese

mindflayer

Marvin martians

malteesers

minivan

MilkTit

milk and cookies

milklords

Tickle Me Elmos

minnions

mad mothers

mariposa

Milkbag

mitskivan 

Mucinex

mixed signals

Milkytitty

mighty morphin power rangers

🥛🚚

Milkvillains

Mosquito bites

Mug cakes

Moldy milks

micropenis

maggots

Machupichu

mephistopheles

malted milk

musculoskeletal

Mcdonald's happy meals

moose mooses

macaroni n cheese

maternity leave

moustache mountain

mocha cake a la goldilocks

Mcstuffins

Mcmuffin

Nickleback

MonkeyBall

mistletoes

moo moo

microphone

master of puppets

middleman

Monster of Men

Melted Cream Cheese

milkythooth's

meltdowns

mosh pits

Mikinam 

Megatron Titty

MontyPhyton

malaria

michigans

malibubarbie

Mockingbird

Machine Gunner

Milkbone

Milftits

Mcflurry

mangos

metric system

milkydudes

milk cartons

milklevel

Milan champions league

mcladdles

mustard

malfunctioning minotaurs

moaning myrtle

meep city

mount vesuvius

millyrocker

mango salsa 

milkspill

Mitochondrial Disease

m'leven

michigan

Machine Gunner

Maybelline

Mascot

Moldy Mozzarellas

malt powder

machine gun kelly

Manila papers

Merlin’s Beard

mackerel

Moldymilk

mariachi

mein kampf

melevenene

Miku

mediocre meat loaf

Mambo Jambos

Microscope 

my little pony

Menstrual cup

Mothman 

Megamind

Msg

Marvins 

Mesopotamias

Meralco

misanthropic villains

Mishawaka

Moldy bread

Marsupials

Marvin

Melon rinds

Moondance

Moldy macaroni

Magical miscarriages

Mauled maggots

Machine gunners

Moscova

Mondays

Momento Morí

mitochondrion

Megatron

Misused toilet

meeting micky mouse

melatonin deficiency

Minions

Milkovitch

Manly-man

McLovin It

Mexico

milkytruck

molars

Married Salamanders

mister mustard

Mario Kart

Mouse rat

marshal mathers

militia

milebin

Mewtoo

Margaritas

Mick Jagger

Elr 

Milkwaffers

Milkweven

Mud Stain

Mileperson

milerescent

Milanese

Manatee Turd

Magistrate

Mario run

Mint-chip icecream

Milkwaffers

Microsoft

miléveune

Mesothelioma

Moomoos

matchstick

malteser

morallysus

Macronutrient 

Miel

Milanese

milkies

Microsoft11

mineral water

multiplier

Mario Kart Wii

mild salsa

Minnesota

motorcycle

Minecart

Maltodextrin

muffin mans

Midlife crisis

Mortadella

Matcha

Microdickvan

Mac & cheese

Middle aged vans

Super Mario 64

Metamorphosis

Malcom in the middle

Magic Mike

711

Marijuana

mozzarella

Microbial virus

MySpace

Materasso Eminflex

microsoft software protection platform

Micheal Jackson

Mistyped

Miscarriage

Magnetic dipole

Marble Countertop

Michelin star

Milkkawaii

Mathematics

Microgodzilla

Milkchunk

milktruck

malooban

Masachussets Institute of Technology

Mango Juice

Mary had a little lamb

Menthols

Mark of Athenas

mendocino

[historia-vitae-magistras]

@cafeleningrad tagged me to name 23 books I read in 2023 and my only coping mechanisms are sex and research so whoooooo I've got all 23 and they were hard to pick.

Vinland Saga by Makoto Yukimura.

The Polar Bear Expedition: The Heroes of America's Forgotten Invasion of Russia, 1918-1919 by James Carl Nelson

The Sum of Us by Heather McGee

Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation Into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin by Megan Rosenbloom

Intimate Matters: A History of Sexuality in America by John D'Emilio and ‎Estelle B. Freedman

The Anglo-Saxons: A History of the Beginnings of England: 400 – 1066 by Marc Morris

Sex, Soldiers and the South Pacific, 1939-45: Queer Identities in Australia in the Second World War by Yorick Smaal

Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention—and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

A History of New Zealand in 100 Objects by Jock Phillips

Dispossessed Lives: Enslaved Women, Violence, and the Archive by Marisa J. Fuentes.

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price

Cafe Neandertal: Excavating Our Past in One of Europe's Most Ancient Places by Beebe Bahrami

Albion's Seed: Four British Folkways in America by David Hackett Fischer

1945: The Year That Made Modern Canada by Ken Cuthbertson

The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree & Arthur der Weduwen

The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company by William Dalrymple.

A History of Nigeria by Toyin Falola

Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II by John W. Dower

Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico by TR Fehrenbach.

A History of New Zealand Women by Barbara Brookes.

A History of Disability By Henri-Jacques Stiker

Mosquito Soldiers: Malaria, Yellow Fever, and the Course of the American Civil War by Andrew Bell

Revels in Madness: Insanity in Medicine and Literature by Allen Thiher

tagging @elfpen an anyone else who'd like to participate! give me those fiction recommendations because i anxiety read non-fiction lmao.

[coffee-in-veins]

Can animals be infected with the crimson curse?

hullo hullo o/

thank you for the ask! it's always so nice to receive an ask about CC. i love rambling about it and its implications. sorry for the wait, life can get pretty hectic here ^^' hope the wait will be worth it

quick answer: the answer to your question is a definite canonical yes!

long answer: we can see examples of infected fauna and altho sometimes it's harder to draw a firm line between mutated people and mutated animals, there are some very clear-cut examples.

the biggest example, we have this bugger:

i hope it's not a spoiler, but its name is Crocodillian and it is a crocodile infected with CC to the point of mutation. it definitely can infect your heroes too, so there is a canonical instance of CC spreading from an infected animal to a human.

also we have those nasty little shits:

those are sycophants, and they'll be the bane of your existence with their high dodge, stress attacks and - you guessed it - a high chance to make one of your adventurers infected.

another thing worth mention are supplicants:

canonically, this is a name of the tick - not the body itself. because from what i gather, the body it rides on is dead/catatonic and is puppeteered by the tick itself. they, too, spread CC and are around in huge numbers, assuring their place as another infection vector. which means, even dead aren't safe from not being an infection vector, since we don't know how big the ticks are before they become this huge mass of fed blood and limbs.

on top of all that, we have event descriptions from the game itself:

The Town is Abuzz! event reads:

"A crumbling stone entry to a forgotten labyrinthian garden has been uncovered! The discoverer, sadly, has perished from innumerable insect stings. Concern rises."

another one, A Maddening Whine, reads:

"Intolerable! Clouds of mosquitoes and other, less identifiable pests continue to descend upon the Hamlet with maddening persistence! Illness and irritation abound"

the second one is even more interesting, since it directly mentions ilness in its text. this is purely my speculation, but i believe that even regular mosquitos can spread CC, much like malaria. however, most people who aren't as hardened as adventurers are, simply succumb to the eldritch overdose instead of becoming infected and starting mutations. i say most, because i believe some would be sturdy enough to also survive and become proper, mutated infected. after all, we have another story which describes an adventurer becoming one of the fishfolk and the Siren is literally a woman from Hamlet who had the misfortune of having a crush on the Ancestor, so the flesh is maleable in DD, and can be shaped and shifted.

and even if the latter examples are somewhat muddy (we cannot know that sycophants and supplicants aren't things spawned from the infected humans), Crocodillian shows without a shadow of doubt that CC has zoonotic vector.

hope the answer was worth the wait! ^^ feel free to ask anything else if you'd like

[animal-language-of-the-day]

Hawaiian Crow / 'Alalā — Corvus Hawaiiensis

For context i started this because i came across a post on my "For You" tab on my main ((Sharkthe-cat)) awhile back talking about an endangered lynx, and i think it said something about it being an animal of the day. If i find it, i'll link it here. But i loved that idea so i figured i'd do that myself, but with endangered organisms and languages, sort of as an outlet for my passion for ((endangered)) languages and my many researching sessions of endangered animals as a kid.

This will also likely take inspiration form the channel imshawn getoffmylawn, please check out his channel, it has lots of really cool videos on obscure and endangered languages, so you may find it of interest if you're a language nerd like me.

My main sources will be Wikipedia and the Ethnologue ((for languages from the Americas and the Pacific as i only have that version at the moment)), and i will attempt at posting once per day, alternating between both organisms and languages.

I always appreciate corrections, please let me know if i have gotten a fact wrong, if you have any other feedback, or literally have anything to say i'd love to know your thoughts on this :D

————————————————————————

IUCN 3.1 status — EW (Extinct in the wild)

NatureServe status — GH (Possibly extinct)

Population: 120 (all in breeding programs)

Distribution: Hawai'i Island, Hawai'i, USA

"Family Tree:"

Family - Corvidae

Subgenus - Corvinae

Genus - Corvus

Etymology:

'Alalā is the Hawaiian word for to cry, bleat, squeal, bawl, etc., and the crow itself was given that name for its distinctive call.

Programs: Keahou and Maui Bird Conservation Centres

As with many other crows, Hawaiian crows are known for their intelligence and socialness. Captive individuals use sticks as tools to extract food from holes drilled in logs, and juveniles are known to use them without training or learning from others. They are regarded as 'aumākua, or family guardians, by some native Hawaiians.

The 'alalā are the most endangered species in the family corvidae and the only corvid left in Hawai'i, and they have been extinct in the wild since 2002. In the wild, their main predator was the Hawaiian hawk (which itself is near threatened). Most crows adapt very well to humans presence, but the 'alalā population has gone down drastically in their presence. Their population decreased due to various reasons, including deforestation (as with many other species), the introduction of non-native species (cats, dogs, mongooses, rats), and in particular, avian malaria, caused by deforestation allowing the rise of invasive plants and mosquitoes. They are considered to be an indicator species by scientists (a species that is used by scientists to represent the state of the area based on how well it's doing in its environment), and the absence of them has caused many plant species that rely on them to suffer as a result.

Bibliography:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawaiian_crow

https://volcanoheritagecottages.com/2021/11/13/the-recovery-story-of-hawaiis-revered-alala/

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/alala-hawaiian-crow

[handeaux]

From Grocer’s Itch To Milk Leg: Here Are 17 Antique Diseases That Once Tormented Cincinnatians

If you practiced medicine in Cincinnati during the 1800s, you encountered some nasty and mostly fatal germs like typhus, diphtheria, smallpox, and dysentery. In the age before antibiotics, your therapeutic options might involve anything from leeches to opium to a big dose of hope. Cincinnatians endured many diseases we don’t hear about anymore. Here are a few of them.

Black Water Fever For a good portion of its first century, Cincinnati saw regular infestations of malaria, usually identified then as “bilious fever.” In extreme cases, malaria transformed into the usually fatal Black Water Fever, characterized by extremely dark urine caused by red blood cells bursting and releasing a flood of hemoglobin. It was just as nasty as it sounds.

Bronze John Cincinnati was largely built on commercial relations with the American South and consequently we adopted a lot of Southern terms. One was “Bronze John” as a name for Yellow Fever. That term seems to have originated in Memphis. Cincinnati newspapers watched Memphis intently. If “Bronze John” appeared in Memphis, it was almost certain that Yellow Fever would erupt in Cincinnati.

Catarrh A multitude of ailments, from the common cold to asthma and hay fever were lumped together under the name Catarrh. Almost any condition that involved a stuffy nose or chest congestion got diagnosed as such. Amazingly, the most commonly prescribed treatments for Catarrh involved smoking aromatic herbs or grinding such spicy plants into powder and inhaling them as snuff.

Chin Cough Today, we call it whooping cough or pertussis. We vaccinate children so they don’t get it. Back in the day, it was sometimes called “Chin Cough” and was among the maladies certain to be banished with a dose of the patent medicines promoted by fly-by-night hucksters passing through town. An 1822 editorial in the Cincinnati Gazette so enthusiastically supported universal cowpox vaccination that the writer claimed it not only prevented smallpox but “effectively cured scrofulous swellings [inflamed lymph nodes], ophthalmia [conjunctivitis] and chin-cough.”

Collywobbles Although this is the name of a real disease, namely a nervous or upset stomach, hardly anyone ever used the word in a serious situation. Adults suffered from dyspepsia. Greedy little kids who ate too much candy got the collywobbles. The term was also used humorously in political commentary to satirize politicians who feigned distress on learning about the machinations of their opponents.

Cooties It was a schoolyard taunt for those of a certain generation: “Stay away from girls because they’ve got Cooties.” Or it was a game – still manufactured by Hasbro. Long ago, Cooties were no laughing matter; it was a nickname for lice. Although lice infestations were not rare in Cincinnati, “Cooties” usually referred to lice endured by soldiers in various wars, especially World War I.

Dandy Fever Today, we think of Dengue Fever as a tropical inconvenience, but it was once fairly common in Cincinnati, generating a number of nicknames including “Bucket Fever,” “Broken Bone Fever” and “Dandy Fever.” The tendency of this mosquito-borne disease to cause severe joint pain led sufferers to adopt a very stiff-jointed mode of walking in which they appeared to imitate the gait of a dandy.

Dry Bellyache Sometimes known as “Painter’s Colic,” the disease called Dry Bellyache is essentially lead poisoning. It is one of the symptoms of exposure to heavy metals such as lead. Some of the first described cases were traced to consumption of cheap rum, which accumulated a hefty dose of lead from the solder holding distillation coils together.

Grippe Usually referred to as “The Grippe” or “La Grippe,” influenza was a dangerous infection then and now. The term comes from the French word for influenza, hence the “La.” In an attempt to Anglicize the French term, some newspapers used “The Grip.” Death resulted so often from The Grippe that newspapers alerted travelers to avoid cities in which it was rampant. The Cincinnati Gazette of 18 April 1837 carried the news, for example, that The Grippe was raging in Constantinople.

Grocer’s Itch In the days before packaged goods, grocers sold a lot of bulk staples such as flour, lard and sugar. An occupational condition known as Grocer’s Itch was common among Cincinnati’s shopkeepers and was caused by a type of mite, Acarus sacchari, known as the “sugar insect” although it was not an insect; mites have eight legs. Anyone devoting any amount of time to measuring raw sugar was likely to see their arms and hands infested with mite bites.

Jail Fever When sanitary conditions in Cincinnati’s finest homes were iffy at best, the city’s prisons were positively deplorable. Among other diseases, typhus was endemic and so common among prisoners that it gained the nickname “Jail Fever.” The Cincinnati Gazette [25 January 1876] emphasized just how serious the situation was: “A case was mentioned of a jail prisoner who was brought into court to receive his sentence while suffering with typhus fever, and within one week every member of the Court, judge, jurors, Sheriffs and all were dead.”

Milk Leg The Cincinnati Semi-Weekly Gazette of 14 October 1873 carried a letter promising quick relief from Milk Leg. The remedy, involving chamber lye and boiled mullein leaves, appears to be more trouble than it was worth, but the correspondent claimed it cured her after she “had lain from in December till the next corn planting.” Today, we would call Milk Leg phlebitis, a condition in which the veins of the leg become inflamed.

Salt Rheum If you were afflicted by Salt Rheum in 1853, an advertisement in the Cincinnati Enquirer offered sure relief: “Salt Rheum, (or Tetter), Scald Head and Ring Worms positively cured in every ninety-seven cases in a hundred, by the use of Gridley’s Salt Rheum Ointment, which is justly ranked by the most learned physicians as one of the most important discoveries of the nineteenth century.” Salt Rheum, Tetter and Scald Head were all various forms of skin disease including eczema, psoriasis, and some forms of herpes. Another dermatological affliction, involving small whitish patches of itchy skin caused by cold weather was known as Chilblains.

Scorbutic Fever Almost unheard of today, except among adherents of extreme diets, scurvy is a debilitating disease caused by a shortage of Vitamin C. In extreme cases, scurvy could produce elevated body temperatures variously known as Scorbutic Fever or “Camp Fever.” The “camp” in question was not a vacation getaway but a prison camp and reflected the abysmal food provided to the inmates.

Scrivener’s Palsy There are not many scriveners employed these days, so think of poor Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Hunched over a poorly lit desk, scribbling away all day was bound to have an effect, and so it did, in an affliction that we might call “Writer’s Cramp” today, if there were any writers who still used a pencil and paper. The Cincinnati Gazette of 8 July 1875 reported the emergence of a similar affliction, “Telegrapher’s Palsy.” Also caused by clerical work was “Typewriter’s Disease,” but this was a mental condition in which over-concentration on transcribing verbiage led to a sort of psychosomatic blindness in which the victim was unable to read at all.

Scrumpox The malady known as Scrumpox is still around today but, since its cause is now known, it goes by a different name – Herpes Gladiatorum. As the older name implies, it is a skin condition, a form of herpes, passed along by athletes rubbing exposed skin together, as in a rugby scrum. In fact, the first attempt at a scientific name for the disease was Herpes Rugbiorum. It also shows up as “Wrestler’s Herpes.” The Enquirer of 12 April 1896 listed scrumpox among some other athletic disorders including “Golf Arm” and “Cyclist’s Back.”

Sinking Chills The Cincinnati Gazette of 30 April 1874 reported: “Andrew Palmer, a pioneer citizen of Butler Township, died yesterday, of sinking chills, aged 70 years.” Mr. Palmer may have been the victim of any number of pernicious or intermittent fevers, the most common of which were a symptom of malaria. Sinking Chills also described a sort of general malaise targeted by a lot of the spring tonics and nostrums concocted by the patent medicine industry. Another antique term for malarial fevers was Ague, usually called The Ague.

[princerevelucide]

ok i had an idea recently for an owl house oc. she’s a potions student fascinated by diseases and rot and decay and when she can multitrack she also goes into healing (to find out what to do, so she can figure out what not to do, and then do that) and abominations (to use the slime to mutate potions and such). she gets a mosquito palisman named Maisy (like ‘mozzie’) and prides herself on being a Harmacist

but the most important detail about her is that her name is Malaria and she is THRILLED to find out via luz that she shares her name with a deadly human realm disease

[shooison]

Names

some names for mileven i found while scowering the byler tag after only 10 minutes

i love the names you ppl come up with 😭

menstruation

moomoomilk

milkman

microsofts

malwarebytes

melvins

milkshakes

morbiuses

Update:

Mildews

Marshmallow

mashed potatoes

manslaughter

Marijuana

Mosquito

Megamind

Mormon

Mozzarella

MinnieMouse

Malaria

[lemontoastcloud]

Please help my friend with malaria treatment, almost at money goal!!

UPDATE: we were able to meet the goal, thank you!!

Hello, my dear friend Wesonga Yazid has recently been diagnosed with malaria and needs treatment as soon as possible. Mosquito bites can cause malaria and the orphanage in Uganda that he runs/lives in has lots of mosquitos unfortunately. He’s feeling very sick and is having issues eating because of his tongue hurting too. He is so close to the amount we need for treatment, and if you can’t donate please reblog because it is completely free and always a help! Thank you for reading 🙏

$51/$75

We only need $24 more! Just $24 and Yazid can get treatment for his malaria, any and every donation is appreciated and so is every reblog, thank you :)

Wesonga Yazid is the caretaker for an orphanage in Bugiri, Uganda named God Provides Orphanage and Ministry, which cares for and schools over 50 orphans as well as struggling families.

If you want to learn more about Yazid and his orphanage check out @/mahougirlmaddie and @/yazid007

Cash/app: https://cash.app/$savegodprovides

Ve/nmo: https://venmo.com/savegodprovides

Pay/Pal: https://www.paypal.me/MMcclain507

GoFu/ndMe: https://gofund.me/c4f99aaf

Tags are for visibility

[garglyswoof]

you wanted a story, so lemme tell you that today i learned malaria was named after the roman expression mal aria, meaning bad air, and originates from the time when roman emperors had their palace on the roman forum. however, the forum was built on dried out swamp ground, so there were a lot of mosquitos in the palace--and they carried the disease we know today as malaria

I am really gullible so I hope this is true because it sounds plausible and cool. I love random historical factoids. And thank you, I was sad no one responded <3