Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
Diseases and Diagnoses From the Age of Exploration
Speaker
William Pfeiffer, M.D.
Coordinator
Jeff Sakihara
Sailors who fell ill during long sea voyages in the age
of exploration often had their symptoms eloquently
described in ship’s logs and sailor’s journals. Can we
diagnose their ailments today using these sources?
How do they compare with the diagnoses made at
the time, and how do the treatments differ? These
stories told by early explorers are memorable—
some quite unforgettable—and they give us an
understanding of the human toll taken by acute
disease in past centuries.
of exploration often had their symptoms eloquently
described in ship’s logs and sailor’s journals. Can we
diagnose their ailments today using these sources?
How do they compare with the diagnoses made at
the time, and how do the treatments differ? These
stories told by early explorers are memorable—
some quite unforgettable—and they give us an
understanding of the human toll taken by acute
disease in past centuries.
Speaker Bio
Presenter: William Pfeiffer is a pediatrician with
the Southern California Permanente Medical
Group. He previously practiced for 17 years at
Hawaii Permanente Medical Group in Honolulu.
He received his M.D. from Rutgers New Jersey
Medical School and completed his residency in
pediatrics at the University of Colorado.
the Southern California Permanente Medical
Group. He previously practiced for 17 years at
Hawaii Permanente Medical Group in Honolulu.
He received his M.D. from Rutgers New Jersey
Medical School and completed his residency in
pediatrics at the University of Colorado.
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