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Eli's death is a conundrum. As he fell backwards he probably had a hyperflexion injury to the cervical spine. We read that he 'broke his neck, so mere dislocation is disallowed. The Jeffersen atlas fracture is unlikely as this usually requires axial compression. Similarly the hangman's fracture of the axis...
One of the curses which God warned would afflict the Israelites if they failed to obey his commands was 'painful boils' of the knees and legs 'spreading from the soles' of the feet 'to the top' of the head (Dt 28:35). Interestingly, Satan afflicted Job with exactly this condition despite...
Under Old Testament Law a woman who was suspected (but not proven) to be guilty of marital infidelity was made to drink a mixture of holy water and dust from the tabernacle floor (v 17). If she was innocent, nothing untoward would happen, but if she was guilty, the Lord...
Mephibosheth, the five year old son of Jonathan, was dropped by his nurse as she was fleeing on hearing the news of Saul's and Jonathan's death (2 Sa 4:4). As a result he became 'crippled in both feet', a condition which persisted into adult life. We are not given much...
Although details are sketchy the context suggests an acute paralysis of the upper limb, which was healed in response to the prophet's prayer. Possible diagnoses include transient ischaemic attack, axillary artery embolus, hysterical paralysis or brachial plexus neuropraxia. In view of the age and constitution of the patient, apparent absence...
King Jehoram's intestinal disease was characterised by chronicity, prolapse and death in great pain at the relatively young age of 40. Severe bacillary dysentery may result in prolap&e but is usually not chronic, while inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's and Ulcerative colitis are chronic but don't cause prolapse. Sigmoidorectal...
Acts 12:23 The gospel writer Luke and the Jewish historian Josephus give us only sketchy details of Herod Agrippa's death, but there is enough information to make a reasonable diagnosis. We are told that the disease process involved worms and was characterised by severe abdominal pain leading to death in...
The quick onset, rapid spread and early mortality of the illness afflicting the Philistines suggests that the 'tumours' were inflammatory rather than neoplastic. The weight of evidence[1] implicates Yersinia pestis as the pathogen, making this probably the earliest recorded outbreak of bubonic plague in human history. The disease is transmitted...
Spontaneous headache of sudden onset in a child resulting in death in less than four hours would most probably be due either to acute bacterial meningitis or subarachnoid haemorrhage. In this particular case the absence of fever, lack of other constitutional symptoms and speed of onset and progression make subarachnoid...
What are the two most probable diagnoses? Which of these is more likely? Why? What underlying pathology might predispose to this? Was Elisha's management really CPR? Why or why not? Luke's opinion in the next issue.
