In the world of Patrick O'Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin series, Stephen Maturin is a man of many layers—naturalist, spy, and skilled physician. But for those of us who dive deep into the historical mechanics of his life, one detail has always invited curiosity: Why did he need two different universities to complete his medical education? While previous posts explored the scattered fragments of Stephen's childhood, tracing his path through the medical wards of the late 18th century proved to be a much more complex puzzle. It required looking past the fiction and into the shifting sands of the French Revolution and the strict religious barriers of Trinity College Dublin. In today's post, we're "walking the wards" of 1780s Paris and the delivery rooms of Dublin's Rotunda Hospital to organize Stephen's training timeline. From cheering the fall of the Bastille to earning the right to wear the scarlet robes of a Doctor of Medicine, this is how political upheaval an...
Cole’s Notes & Substack: Something New Is in the Ink “Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.” That was the old rule of the press. Today, the barrels are digital, the presses run on servers, and the advice is simpler: never pick a fight with someone who has a Substack. I’m currently in the engine room getting things organized for the season ahead, refreshing this site, and connecting all the moving parts. The new Substack will be called View From the Plateau . If you want to get ahead of the curve, you can subscribe early right here: 👉 Subscribe to the New Substack Publication The archive is quiet at this very moment while the plumbing gets hooked up, but fresh essays, reported pieces, and regular dispatches are rolling out this fall.
Well, the gainful employment company is holding a clean up the work place day today. Prizes for the best departmental clean-up. Maybe it's just better to wrap the office up and worry about it after the holiday weekend.
Comments