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One Medicine

How Understanding Animals Can Save Our Lives

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About this listen

 It all started with a Hob Nob. As Dr Matt Morgan, an intensive care consultant, examined a patient who had suffered a cardiac arrest after inhaling some biscuit crumbs, he saw a flock of birds fly past the window. They must inhale objects all the time when flying, how do they survive? he thought to himself. This began an investigation that spanned continents, species and millennia.

For animal science has so much to teach us about human medicine. While some of the overlaps and parallels are obvious – we know how much DNA we share with primates, the first pig heart has been transplanted into a human – there is so much more that we have learnt from the animal world. For example, studying kangaroos, in particular the female’s three vaginas, has improved in-vitro fertilisation success rates. Watching how a giraffe breathes can help save the life of someone struggling with asthma. Investigating why birds that live in the frozen Arctic circle don’t freeze to death led to advances with treating hypothermia. Getting a ECG on the 150kg heart of a humpback whale was instrumental to keeping patients with cardiac failure living longer.

We owe animals so much, it’s time to focus on examining how they live and what we still have to learn from them. Better shared understanding of how our species coexists with millions of others can lead to untold medical advances, help both humans and animals and improve the world for all creatures from single-celled bacteria to a 30,000 kg whale. Who knows, maybe a kiss from a frog will save your life?©2023 Matt Morgan (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, UK Animals Biological Sciences History & Commentary Medical Medicine & Health Care Industry Outdoors & Nature Professionals & Academics Science Science & Technology Medicine Heartfelt
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Having loved Dr Morgan’s first book, I anticipated this to be as good and it did not disappoint. Dr Morgan has a way of weaving stories, and in this book he connects the lives of humans and animals with a fascinating thread. I think I learnt something new from every chapter and will look at my animal companions in a new light from here on. As a nurse, the medical theme of the book obviously interests me, but Dr Morgan explains everything in terms that require no prior medical knowledge, yet without ever making it oversimplified or long winded. I enjoyed the delivery of the book in his welsh lilt and already look forward to the next one, whatever that may be.

Fascinating trip into nature

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Fascinating book. Loved it, don’t stop writing your books are always so insightful and thought provoking.

Another brilliant book by Matt

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