Unsolved Medical Mysteries: Explaining the Unexplainable - Brandy Schillace, The Great Courses

Written by Brandy Schillace, The Great Courses
Read by Brandy Schillace
Format: M4B
Bitrate: 128 Kbps
Unabridged

Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
Release date: 06-16-25

In the 1630s, children in southern France described a chilling sensation: worms wriggling beneath their skin. Were these parasitic infestations or figments of their imagination? Centuries earlier, a 14th-century French king insisted his body was made of glass, fearing a single misstep could shatter him. And today, doctors encounter baffling conditions like stiff person syndrome, fibromyalgia, long Covid, and the common migraine.

What links these mysteries across time? Why do some ailments defy explanation, even in our advanced medical era? Unsolved Medical Mysteries: Explaining the Unexplainable is your chance to explore the strangest and most confounding cases in medical history. In 12 gripping lectures, acclaimed author, historian, and medical humanities expert Dr. Brandy Schillace guides you on a fascinating journey into the unknown, from historical enigmas to modern medical conundrums. With her unique blend of storytelling and scientific insight, Dr. Schillace digs into a range of medical mysteries, including:

· Water and sun allergies

· Split personalities

· Facial blindness

· Foreign accent syndrome

· Tree person syndrome

One theme in this course is the interplay between mind and body—and another is the ethical dimensions of medicine. Over the centuries, society at large and even callous physicians have dismissed patient complaints, particularly women, with a diagnosis of “it’s all in your head.” But thanks to 21st-century tools and techniques, scientists better understand the biological reality of autoimmune disorders, neurological conditions, and more.

This course is not just about what we don’t know—it’s about the hope of discovery. As Dr. Schillace emphasizes, every unanswered question is an opportunity. Whether it’s decoding the genetic causes of autoimmune disorders or unraveling the neuroscience of Alzheimer’s or Autism, each discovery brings us closer to explaining the unexplainable. This course is a celebration of curiosity, resilience, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge—a must for anyone intrigued by the stranger side of science and the hope of solving medicine’s greatest puzzles.