Medical Mysteries: Six Cases for Curious Minds

Warning: this course gets delightfully graphic!

In each 50 minute class, we will explore the following cases:

Week 1: Phineas Gage, the man who survived a railroad spike through the head
Week 2: Gloria Ramirez, the woman who poisoned an ER via the smell of her skin
Week 3: The Soap Lady, a woman who mysteriously turned to "soap" after her death
Week 4: The Dancing Plague of 1518, in which hundreds of people danced for two months straight
Week 5: Brooke Greenberg, the girl who never aged
Week 6: Terrare, the man who ate everything 

The first half hour or so will be spent discussing each case's presentation and pertinent details. We will then move on to what caused each person's symptoms (if known) and the suspected hypotheses. After that, the class will open for discussion, follow-up questions, and what-if scenarios. 

The only homework is to AVOID looking up these cases so that you may delight in them for the first time with your classmates!