News in Brief: medieval medicine and Creme Egg crimes
One 15th century cure for nosebleeds includes the dipping of a man's testicles in cold water and vinegarLouis Ashworth with permission for Varsity
Medieval medical manuscripts go on display
As part of a new exhibition called 'Curious Cures,' the University Library has collected manuscripts dating as far back as the late 11th century, detailing medieval cures to an array of ailments. One 15th century cure for nosebleeds includes the dipping of a man's testicles in cold water and vinegar. Another manuscript appears to suggest that weasel testicles were considered a potential solution to female infertility.
Dr Freeman, the UL's curator of medieval manuscripts told[1] the BBC that understanding of human medicine in the Middle Ages was based on the notion of the "four humours," namely black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm.
Man steals GBP220 worth of Cadbury Creme Eggs
A man has admitted[2] to stealing more than GBP220 worth of Cadbury Creme Eggs from a Tesco Express petrol station in Peterborough, according to the BBC. Deon De Groot, who attempted the chocolate heist last Saturday (22/03), was found to have stuffed boxes of the sweet treats into a duffle bag and into his jacket. De Groot was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison, suspended for a year, and has been banned from entering Cambridgeshire for the next three months.
PC Guy Cunningham, who arrested De Groot, said: "Thanks to the quick reaction by staff who flagged us down, we were able to catch De Groot red-handed and return the stolen items to the store."
March March march a self-described 'pointless' challenge
In March 1979, Cambridge maths student Jonathan Partington had the idea of marching from Fenland town March to the city of Cambridge in a journey now known as the "March March march". The journey is about 48km and has since become a near-yearly tradition. The group's current lead official is Colin Bell, who told[3] the BBC that he has had to "turn people away" for this year's March March march as it has received so much attention.
The march took place on Saturday (22/03) and had 44 sign-ups. It is tradition for the group to stop during the march, which usually takes about 12 hours, in order to write and send postcards to the University's Maths department. Bell said: "It's pointless, but it's a nice walking challenge and that's why we do it every year."
PM examines Cambridge's potholes
Following the government's announcement that it would provide an extra GBP4.8bn of funding for works on motorways and major A-roads, prime minister Keir Starmer visited a Halfords in Cambridge on Monday (24/03), where he spoke to members of the public about pothole damage.
One person claimed[4] that budgets for repairing potholes are "the wrong way around," according to Cambridge Independent. Starmer responded: "The first thing we need to do is get a bit of accountability into it, to know which councils are doing what and where--how many times they are filling in holes--so we can get a bit of data on that, which we haven't got." Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, told[5] the BBC: "The implication that we are not spending [funding] well is not helpful." Want to share your thoughts on this article?
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