Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses

The ages are suffering from various diseases. With the progress of society evolving and medicine, but health problems continue to worsen. Photographs taken in the nineteenth century demonstrate, with any anomalies addressed for the help to doctors unhappy patients. Watch and wonder what diseases people suffered in the late nineteenth century.

Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses

Rare pictures taken in the 1890-ies, are stored in the archive of the Utrecht medical University. Patients with a variety of deformities went to doctors, begging for help. Doctors tried to cure them in all possible ways.

University hospital of the Dutch city of Utrecht is one of the oldest in the country. It exists since the Foundation of Utrecht University in 1636. Now medical standards are much higher, and these photos were wracked with pain and suffering of the people depicted on them.

Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
The old man, whose head grew a horn. It was formed because of an excess in the body keratin.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
A girl suffering from melanocytic nevus — one of the types of cancer of the skin. These dark spots continue to grow along with the child.

Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
The doctors removed a tumor from the right shoulder of the man.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
The man was treated for a tumor that formed on his head.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
The guy suffers from a huge facial tumour.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
This patient made a reconstruction of the nose.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
The patient, suffering from hyperthyroidism, when the thyroid gland produces too many hormones.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
Doctors treated this woman from congenital anomalies of the face.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
Oligodactylia is one of the most rare congenital diseases where the arm or leg is missing a finger.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
The patient suffering from hibernoma — a rare form of benign tumors.
Portraits of pain: striking photographs of patients from nineteenth-century suffering from serious illnesses
This young man was suffering from a growth on his arm.

Since the beginning of time humanity is struggling with the disease. Despite the fact that the medicine goes forward and heals almost everything, some diagnoses remain hopeless until now. The war between health and disease continues, and who will become the winner — is still unclear.

Have you met people with similar anomalies in our time?

Keywords: 19th century | Anomalies | Disease | Hospital | Doctors | Treatment | Patients | Rare photos | Photo archives

     

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