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From Hippocrates to COVID-19: sniffing out the disease

The ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates, used the ‘art of smell’ to diagnose diseases around 400BC. He also formulated miasmatic theory, which posited that disease is caused by bad smells. Bad air was strongly believed by many physicians to be the...

Down with the nose, down with it flat

In Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens, Timon urges prostitutes to spread syphilis throughout Athens. He implores the whores, Phrynia and Timandra, to: Consumptions* sow In hollow bones of man; strike their sharp shins,And mar men’s spurring*. Crack the lawyer’s voice**, That...

The art of hearing: a conversation between silence and colour

The image on the ENT & Audiology News September/October 2025 cover is not merely an artwork – it is a conversation. A conversation in colour. A dialogue between silence and sound, between science and emotion. It is part of a...

The use of a tactical throat mic guitar amp system to improve communication in theatre in the COVID era

During the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV2) pandemic, current guidelines dictate that surgical teams wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) in theatre. Currently this is, at a minimum, an FFP3 respirator, a visor, fluid repellent gown and gloves [1]. Many surgeons, particularly in...

How will our grandchildren view COVID-19?

Alan Johnson, known to our readers as the former President of ENT UK, gives us his thoughts on the COVID pandemic, looking at it through the lens of other health crises. As I write, COVID-19 is displacing almost all other...

Ear, nose and throat surgery in children – where will it be in 15 and 50 years?

Michael Kuo, David Albert and Mike Saunders have put their collective heads together to predict the future of ENT surgery in children; will there be a rise in workload due to increasing survival of children with complex medical problems? Or...

The future of rhinology

Over the last few decades, rhinology has been one of the most dynamic and progressive areas of ENT. Professor Fokkens is perfectly placed to offer insight into the future possibilities that could transform our patients’ care, many of which are...

Training in the use of medical devices
– how should it be done?

Adequate training in novel medical devices is imperative, not only to ensure patient safety, but also to give clinicians the confidence to use the device in question. In this article, Andrea Gillies explains the philosophy of one of the equipment...