# Historically important pickled head **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 2, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605 "2009-01-02T17:24:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/1 "2009-01-02T17:24:14Z")
To get the new year off on the right foot, [here](http://pusware.com/rdct/) is an interesting article on the fungal disease cocciodioidomycosis. It includes a link to a photo of the pickled head of the first known human victim of this disease, preserved for posterity in a South American medical school. He looks quite peaceful, actually. \*It’s a bit disturbing that when I searched to see if this topic had been broached on the board before, food links including “What are you hungry for right now?” came up. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/2 "2009-01-02T18:33:49Z")
Cool blog. I’ve bookmarked it for future reading. Couldn’t figure out the head though. I mean, it looks like what you would expect the severed, pickled head of a 19th century vacquero to look like. Were there supposed to be obvious signs of disease? If so, I missed it. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/3 "2009-01-02T18:44:19Z")
If that head were wearing lipstick, it’d look like one of Jamie Gumb’s trophies. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/4 "2009-01-03T01:50:58Z")
I was idly scrolling through MPSIMS and had to go back when this thread title caught my eye. It’s kind of awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/5 "2009-01-03T02:08:54Z")
[Preserved head of Saint Catherine of Siena](http://www.loupiote.com/photos/2088997413.shtml), complete with a fresh wimple Whereabouts of the [preserved head of Jeremy Bentham](http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Bentham-Project/Faqs/auto_head.htm), 19th century philosopher (no pictures) Speculation on the cryogenically [preserved head of Ted Williams](http://joshqpublic.com/2008/07/16/ted-williams-head/), with whimsical artist’s conception [Preserved Head](http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=344137660), a metal band from Kentucky ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/6 "2009-01-03T02:51:48Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > Couldn’t figure out the head though. I mean, it looks like what you would expect the severed, pickled head of a 19th century vacquero to look like. Were there supposed to be obvious signs of disease? If so, I missed it. You know scientists, always exited to get a little head. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/7 "2009-01-03T05:50:59Z")
Cocciodiodes immitis. It’s so much fun to say. In Kentucky of course the first fungus that comes to mind is Histoplasma capsulatum, not cocciodiodes since that’s found in the western U.S. So this particular medical technologist (not me, thank goodness) didn’t think that opening fungal culture plates while **not under the hood** was any big deal. Turned out that the patient had been visiting her daughter in California earlier. And cocci spores go airborne very easily. Aside from a major freakout by the entire microbiology department and a refresher course in how to handle fungal plates it all turned out well however. Lab work can be fun. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/8 "2009-01-03T12:58:27Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > You know scientists, always exited to get a little head. That comment seemed kind of jarring. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/9 "2009-01-03T13:44:01Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > Whereabouts of the [preserved head of Jeremy Bentham](http://www.ucl.ac.uk/Bentham-Project/Faqs/auto_head.htm), 19th century philosopher (no pictures) Meet Jeremy… > **[Jeremy Bentham’s Head Fell Off](https://anita64.wordpress.com/2007/10/21/jeremy-benthams-head-fell-off/)** > > Jeremy Bentham was an interesting guy who advocated for things like equal rights for women and the abolition of slavery. Among the many other important things Jeremy Bentham accomplished I also lea… …because I know you all wanted to. (I’ve got a great pic in my old Man, Myth & Magic collection.) You know, now I’ve got “Jeremy Bentham’s Head” going through my mind to the tune of “Timothy Leary’s Dead”. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/10 "2009-01-03T13:53:21Z")
You know, in the future, they’ll have the heads of all sorts of historical figures, still alive in jars. Even ones who are dead today! I saw a documentary series about it. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/11 "2009-01-03T14:02:39Z")
> [@Q.E.D](#): > > You know, in the future, they’ll have the heads of all sorts of historical figures, still alive in jars. Even ones who are dead today! I saw a documentary series about it. Next you’re going to be telling me they have space-ships and kleptomaniac, cigar-smoking, alcoholic robots in this “Future” of yours. And Lunar Theme Parks! And Blackjack, And Hookers! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/12 "2009-01-03T15:15:28Z")
In fact, forget the blackjack and the theme parks! ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/13 "2009-01-03T15:34:06Z")
[tangent] [Death mask - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_mask) Link to death masks of Shakespeare, Swift, Franklin, etc. [http://library.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/C0770/index.html](http://library.princeton.edu/libraries/firestone/rbsc/aids/C0770/index.html) [/tangent] We now return you to your regularly scheduled program…😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/14 "2009-01-03T17:22:05Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > [Preserved Head](http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=344137660), a metal band from Kentucky > [@Q.E.D](#): > > You know, in the future, they’ll have the heads of all sorts of historical figures, still alive in jars. Even ones who are dead today! I saw a documentary series about it. Cross these two concepts and you get the Philly alternative band [Nixon’s Head](http://www.groovedisques.com/nixon.htm). Curiously, though, they came up with the name in 1986, so it wasn’t a **Futurama** reference. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/15 "2009-01-03T19:30:43Z")
> [@KGS](#): > > That comment seemed kind of jarring. Put a lid on it KGS. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/16 "2009-01-03T20:47:00Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Put a lid on it KGS. Will you two quit screwing around? Put a cork in it, this is not bottle royale for the worst pun. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/17 "2009-01-03T21:08:32Z")
> [@Khampelf](#): > > Will you two quit screwing around? Put a cork in it, this is not bottle royale for the worst pun. Someone has their pickles in a twist. We can all make puns without losing our heads, okay? ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/18 "2009-01-03T21:51:27Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Someone has their pickles in a twist. We can all make puns without losing our heads, okay? OK, dude. Cadaver. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/19 "2009-01-03T22:03:12Z")
[St. Oliver Plunkett’s head](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/St_Oliver_Plunkett%27s_head_2007-10-5.jpg), Drogheda, Co. Louth, Ireland. ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605/20 "2009-01-04T06:52:00Z")
I wish I was punny like you guys. ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/historically-important-pickled-head/479605.md?page=2)