Curio Cabinet

If you used Google earlier this week, odds are that you saw a Google Doodle featuring Justine Siegemund, a woman who changed the medical world forever. Believe it or not, women were largely excluded from obstetrics (the branch of medicine concerned with childbirth and maternal health) for centuries throughout much of Europe, until Siegemund changed things. In 1690, she became the first person to publish a medical text about obstetrics from a woman’s perspective, and the first woman to ever publish a German medical text.
 
Not much is known about Siegemund’s early life, but she was still a young woman in 17th-century Germany when she began suffering from a prolapsed uterus. A uterus becomes prolapsed when the ligaments and muscles that hold the organ in place are weakened, causing tissue to bulge out of the vagina. At the time, the condition wasn’t well understood, so Siegemund had difficulty finding adequate help from doctors and midwives. Since women could be midwives but not doctors, Siegemund was forced to seek help mostly from men, who not only didn’t understand her condition but often misdiagnosed her as being pregnant. Frustrated by the poor quality of healthcare available to her, Siegemund decided to educate herself on obstetrics.
 
She quickly encountered two new obstacles: doctors weren’t eager to help a woman learn about the medical sciences, and midwives were secretive about their trade. Moreover, nearly everything to do with childbirth was spread by word of mouth, meaning that there was no formal or academic resource that Siegemund could consult. Nevertheless, she started practicing as a midwife with what she could learn. She began by delivering children among the poor, eventually earning a reputation as a reliable midwife. As her reputation grew, nobles and even royalty became her patrons, and she eventually became the official court midwife in Berlin.
 
Unlike most of her peers, who relied on drugs and surgical instruments to assist in childbirth, Siegemund found innovative ways to safely deliver babies, even in cases where her peers might have given up. For example, when a baby began to emerge shoulders-first, she developed a way to safely rotate it in the birth canal before pulling it out. Before then, babies born in such a position often died. She also found a way to more safely perform breech deliveries, which were particularly dangerous for birthing mothers.
 
But her greatest contribution to obstetrics and midwifery was that she was willing to openly share what she had learned through study and experience. Oddly enough, her innovations gained her many critics from the traditional practitioners who believed her methods were dangerous and ineffective. This didn’t deter Siegemund, and she became so renowned in her field that she was encouraged by Queen Mary II of England to write down all she knew. This led her to publish The Court Midwife, which not only included text descriptions but detailed illustrations. In fact, the Google Doodle that paid homage to her referenced some of these illustrations by drawing the first “O” in the form of a pair of hands reaching toward a baby in-utero. March 28, when the Doodle was shown, was the anniversary of the day that her book was certified by the European University Viadrina Frankfurt as a medical textbook. In its time, the book was an instant success. Though it was originally published in German, it was soon translated to other languages, becoming the authoritative text on matters of midwifery throughout Europe. Quite a few family trees today likely owe many of their branches to her pioneering endeavors. Due to her medical issues, Siegemund was never able to have children of her own. Yet, through her tenacity, brilliance, and generosity, she personally delivered around 6,200 babies, and her written guidance led to the safe delivery of many more. No wonder she’s remembered as a mother of modern obstetrics.

 
[Image description: A black-and-white copper engraving of Justine Siegemund wearing a head covering, her body surrounded by an ovular frame.] Credit & copyright: Rodak, 1690, Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain, Image cropped for size.

Here’s a man who lifted weights to new heights. This week in 1891, Edward Levy of Birmingham, England, became the first champion of the first ever international weightlifting competition. Strongmen who performed feats of unbelievable strength were popular performers in early circuses, but weightlifting as a sport was in its infancy in the 1800s. Before 1891, there had been several competitions, but there were no governing bodies for the sport and it was largely unregulated and unstandardized. Even when Levy competed at the first World Championships, there were far fewer rules than there are today. For example, competitors weren’t divided by weight classes, making it a lifting free-for-all. By today’s standards, the weights might seem underwhelming too. Levy was only pressing weights up to 86 pounds per hand, and only three competitors that year managed to lift 180 pounds on a single barbell over their heads. Compare that to modern athletes who routinely press over twice that. But that’s not to say that Levy and his contemporaries weren’t impressive in their time. Back then, few people could dedicate to full-time training, nor did they have the advanced understanding of nutrition and human physiology that modern athletes enjoy today. Though it was considered more of a hobby than a career, Levy worked as an athletic teacher when he wasn’t competing. Clearly he liked to break a mental sweat too!
 

[Image description: An out-of-focus person lifts a dumbell] Credit & copyright: jarmoluk, Pixabay
 

You won’t win any brownie points for confusing this sweet treat with brownies! While Texas sheet cake may look similar to brownies, it is bigger, fluffier, and has a strange history that centers around—of all things—funerals. In fact, in some parts of the U.S., it is still referred to as “funeral cake.”
 
Texas sheet cake is, quite simply, a thin layer of chocolate cake made in a shallow pan and topped with poured chocolate icing and sometimes pecans. Unlike brownies, which are made without leavening agents (which gives them a chewy, cookie-like texture) Texas sheet cake is a true cake, with a light, fluffy texture. Although former first lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson is sometimes credited as the cake’s inventor, the truth is that no one actually knows who baked the first Texas sheet cake. Even its name points to its mysterious origins, as it’s believed that the “sheet” in “sheet cake” may have evolved from the word “sheath”, since pouring frosting over a cake is sometimes referred to as “sheathing” the cake. The “Texas” part of the cake’s name is equally puzzling, since chocolate sheet cakes had been popular in the U.S., especially in the south, for at least a decade by the time Texas sheet cake got its name. Some believe that the large, flat pan the cake is baked in has something to do with the name, since “everything’s bigger in Texas.” However, it’s likely that the name came about because one of the first official recipes for sheet cake was printed in a Texas newspaper.
 
Before then, the cake had gone by many names, including “buttermilk brownies”, since early recipes usually called for buttermilk. But its most common nickname was “funeral cake.” Because sheet cake is so easy to make on short notice and can serve many people at once, it was a natural fit for funeral receptions and gained a reputation as the go-to dish to feed mourners. Some also called it by the more cheerful nickname of “church lady cake.” Whatever you call it, there’s no doubt that Texas sheet cake is as easy to eat as it is to make.

 
[Image description: Square pieces of Texas sheet cake stacked on a plate.] Credit & copyright: RitaE, Pixabay

When you think of drinks made with yeast, you might think wine, beer or whiskey. Now, you can add milk to the list. Commercial enterprises based around producing milk proteins with yeast may soon be bringing their products to a store near you. While yeast-made dairy has been in the works for years, a California-based company named Perfect Day is now courting large food manufacturers like General Mills. And it’s not just liquid milk they’re bringing to the table, but milk products like cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. Other companies are planning to release similar products, signaling that there may be a creamy gold rush for the technology.
 
Why would anyone choose milk made from yeast over good-old-fashioned cow milk? There are a lot of reasons. Environmentalists and animal rights groups have long criticized the conventional dairy industry for its greenhouse gas emissions and its treatment of dairy cows. Because this new technology uses single-celled fungi to produce milk proteins, cows are completely taken out of the equation. Those who have sensitive dietary needs regarding milk can look forward to milk that is lactose and cholesterol-free, and therefore easier to digest. The process for making the milk is fairly simple too. In fact, it’s similar to how many alcoholic beverages are made. The process is called precision fermentation. A specific yeast that has been made to create dairy proteins is first fed sugar in a warm, wet environment that is computer-monitored. The yeast ferments in sugar, then the dairy proteins it produces are separated and washed. Precision fermentation is also used to produce insulin and rennet, so it’s been around for quite a while. The result is identical to what is found in cow’s milk but without the aforementioned downsides, and it’s a much more convincing replacement than plant-based milk substitutes. Dairy we say more?

 
[Image description: A decanter and glass of milk against a black background] Credit & copyright: congerdesign, Pixabay, image not associated with Perfect Day or any other company.

Bears, oh my! A pair of college wrestlers made the news recently for their harrowing encounter with a grizzly bear. They were able to fend off the creature thanks to their quick thinking, but what is the average person supposed to do in a similar situation when they don’t have the benefit of collegiate athleticism? The National Park Service (NPS) in the U.S. actually offers pretty detailed advice on what unlucky hikers should do if they encounter one of these apex predators.
 
One of the main things to keep in mind is that hikers should avoid triggering a bear’s chase instinct. When threatened, some bears will perform a bluff charge. As the name implies, a bear charging at a person isn’t necessarily committing to attacking them. When a bear appears to be preparing to charge, the best thing to do is start talking to the bear in a calm voice while backing away. If the bear does a bluff charge anyway, it’s best to stand one’s ground. Running will often cause a bear to chase, making the situation much more dangerous.
 
If a bear charges and commits to the attack, advice changes depending on the type of bear. With black bears—which are smaller and less aggressive—the NPS recommends, “FIGHT BACK WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE! Do not play dead.” If it’s a brown bear or a grizzly, it’s best to play dead. That’s exactly what Brady Lowry did when he and his friend, Kendell Cummings, ran across a female grizzly. Lowry didn’t have time to run before being struck by the bear, while Cummings got about 30 yards away before turning back to help his friend. But even two college wrestlers in peak condition are no match for an angry grizzly, and the two barely escaped with their lives. Cummings’s decision to help his friend diverted the bear’s attention, but left him with ghastly injuries along his skull, face, arms and legs. Based on his account, it appears that the bear lost interest after he was too wounded and exhausted to run or fight back. His actions may well have saved his friend’s life. Maybe the best defense in a bear attack is a friend who has your back.

 
[Image description: A grizzly bear walking in the woods.] Credit & copyright: ArthurTopham, Pixabay