Weird Inventions That Saved Lives: The Bifurcated Needle

Blogger: Amber Lemus

By Photo Credit: James Gathany
Content Providers(s): CDC

Returning to our series of Weird Inventions That Saved Lives, we meet a microbiologist by the name of Benjamin Rubin. Rubin was born in New York City on September 27th, 1917. Although we don’t know why he chose microbiology as his doctorate major, we do know that he was always fascinated by science. 

In 1965, Rubin was working for a company called Wyeth Laboratories, who was helping on the campaign to eradicate smallpox. Smallpox was a terrible disease ravaging the entire world. More than two million people each year were killed by Smallpox, and yet there was no cure. There was a vaccine, but the administration of this vaccine was a costly, difficult and inaccessible process, especially in underdeveloped countries. The new technology of the vaccine gun made it possible to administer over one thousand doses of the vaccine per hour, which was an amazing rate and useful for outbreaks in large cities or for vaccinating large military encampments. However, the heavy steel devices were difficult to transport, especially into jungles or rural areas, it took specialized training to use them, and they were expensive to manufacture. Not to mention you needed a constant supply of sterile parts and sealants, and the vaccine itself was in short supply.

Vaccine "Jet" Gun
Public Domain Photo - CDC

Rubin set his mind to solve this problem and find a way to make the administration of the vaccine more accessible. He grinded down a needle from a sewing machine into a forked needle. With a few adjustments, he discovered this needle could hold a tiny bit of the vaccine between the tines and when jabbed into the patient’s skin, it would successfully deliver the dose needed to inoculate the patient. He called it the bifurcated needle.

This new method used less of the vaccine, making the same amount inoculate four times as many people, and also made it possible for traveling into dense jungles or sparsely populated areas. Workers could administer the vaccine with little training. And best of all, these needles were cheap. It cost only five dollars per one thousand needles. They were reusable and could be sterilized easily and en masse. It was a brilliantly simple solution.

Benjamin A. Rubin
Photo: Public Domain
National Inventor's Hall of Fame

The Wyeth Laboratory company believed so strongly in the mission to eradicate smallpox that they even waived the royalty payments for the needles manufactured during the eradication campaign under their contract with the WHO. 

The WHO deployed Rubin’s new tool worldwide and the bifurcated needle delivered more than 200 million doses of the smallpox vaccine per year. 

In 1980, the WHO announced that Smallpox was dead. For the first time in history, mankind eradicated a deadly disease. This simple device, created from a grinded down sewing needle, saved more than two million lives per year. 

Benjamin Rubin was inducted into the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame in 1992. 

*****

Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  

She lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with her prince charming and three children. Between enjoying life as a homeschool mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/  and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Echoes of the Ancient New Testament Cities: Sardis

Matthew J. Elliott

Used from www.toursaroundturkey.com

Today marks the end of this journey with the 7 churches written to in the book of Revelation. It's been revealing to me, and I hope it has been for you, as readers!  Sardis was a church that had one of the most unexpected histories throughout this entire series so far. We still have a few more cities to visit, but the reputation Sardis had merited its own article. 

I’ve shared about earthquakes a lot in this series, and Sardis was similarly rebuilt after a massive earthquake around 17 AD. This earthquake destroyed twelve major cities in Asia Minor, and Tacitus explicitly states in his Book of Annals that Sardis was hit the hardest. Emperor Tiberius pledged 10 million sesterces (or a million dollars) and granted them a 5-year waiver on imperial taxes. 

That is not the most troublesome part of their history either. Sardis was the capital of the ancient Lydian Empire and was well known for its wealth and prestige. History attributes this wealth to the city being the first to create coins made of pure gold and silver from the Pactolus River, which flowed at the bottom of the giant plateau of cliffs where the city stood. The city was protected on three sides.

Used from lavistachurchofchrist.org

With that kind of prestige, Sardis was well sought after, and it fell twice. Once in 547 BC to Cyrus the Great and then again in 218 BC under Antiochus the Great's conquest. This city did not fall twice because it was not well protected. It fell because the city guard was overconfident. They believed the city walls made it impenetrable. Both armies scaled the wall at night using secret paths that were left unprotected while the city slept. Does that sound familiar? 

The city was famous for its old riches and also for the assistance Rome offered it. In everything, the city leaned heavily into its reputation, and all of it led to nothing more than a city that fell twice because of the prideful ambition of its people. By the end of the first century, the city was a shadow of its former glory, holding on to what it had lost, but limiting its own growth and prosperity. 

Culturally, Sardis was also known to be a major center for wool production and fabric dyeing. Some sources I found indicated that it was invented in Sardis. While I did not verify that claim, it is something fascinating to think about considering Revelation 3:4. It was also a place where Pagan rituals were regularly practiced in the Temple of Artemis, which would have required a massive amount of clean robes for the people who lived there. 

One of the more fascinating things that I found was how ancient Greek and Roman cities, such as Sardis, kept official records of citizenship. Criminals and anyone who died were physically erased from official records. I will say that this claim is not exclusive to Sardis, but the fact that we have Revelation 3:5 indicates there is some connection to the city. I don’t know if I like the idea of my loved ones or even criminals being wiped from existence.

Something that was made abundantly clear to me about the seven churches in Revelation is that the messages sent to them in scripture are directly tied to their history and culture. In Sardis, their primary enemy was not an external force like it was in Pergamum or even internal heresies like it was in Thyatira. The city was an enemy to itself, and they needed to wake up and understand that things weren’t going to change until they fell again.

This city was filled with compromises. While archaeology and history show a thriving population to the world, internally they were lifeless, self-centered, and filled with pride. There were a few who remained faithful, and the promises they received offered a substantial reward for their courage to stand firm.  That is something worth keeping a watchful eye on. 

Sardis is a great reminder that reputation and reality are not the same thing. They had everything: wealth, prestige, strategic placement, and even imperial favor. But those things mean nothing without the right focus on them. Sardis teaches us that our spiritual strength isn’t just maintained, it is something we exercise daily so that it pushes us deeper into faith. 

 ~ Biography ~

Matthew James Elliott (M.J. Elliott) is a passionate writer who loves to encourage and inspire others. He served in various ministry roles for over 15 years, which gave him a unique perspective on people and Biblical History. Matthew holds a degree in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Wesleyan University, with a focus on Pastoral Care, Christian Education, and Worship.

Matthew is married and has three wonderful children who bring him immense joy and inspiration. One of his favorite things to do with them is to share stories they can someday learn from. When writing a story, he aspires to minister to others with love, equip them with encouragement, and use the gift God has given him as a writer to help readers experience God in a real and meaningful way.

Find Matthew on Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, BookBub, and His Website. He has written Devotionals, An Episodic Series, Novellas, and Commentaries for The Gospel Daily.

~ Highlighted Release ~

If you're curious about The Hope of Inheritance, or any of my books, you can keep up with me on Facebook. You can also read my episodic content on REAM Right Now! The Ephesus Pages, Mysteries in Ephesus (Season 2) is available there for free to my followers. I will be releasing more content there soon.

~~~

In the aftermath of the Great Fire of 64 AD, Rome lies in ruins. Emperor Nero and his ruthless Prefect of the City, Lysias, unleash a wave of persecution that threatens the very existence of the early church.

Nathaniel, a seasoned scribe and longtime companion of Luke, records the journeys that will shape the future of the faith as it was taught by those who walked with Christ. They are known as The Founders.

From the destruction of Colossae to the tribulations in Ephesus… From the Council of Corinth to the shattered streets of Rome… Nathaniel and his brother Zadok witness courage, betrayal, and the final days of two of the greatest founders — Peter and Paul.

Four men are chosen.

Their message will change everything.

Hope will rise again.

Lulu Bell Parr - Wild West Champion by Nancy J. Farrier

Lulu Bell Parr_Photo by Terry Baer

We’ve all heard of the famous cowgirls, Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane. We know of their prowess with guns and horses, and the way they made a name for themselves in an era when women weren’t know to have such skills. One of the lesser known women who had a claim to fame in the time period is Lulu Bell Parr.

Lulu grew up in Indiana. Her parents died when she was very young, probably 3-years-old. She and her brother went to live with an aunt and uncle in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Living on their farm, Lulu fell in love with the animals and became a skilled rider by the time she was eight-years-old. 

Although not much is known about Lulu’s early years, she left home in 1903 and joined the Pawnee Bill Wild West Show. She had skill in doing trick riding and shooting guns, but she excelled at riding bucking broncos. She seemed to have a knack for riding an unbroken horse and the people who flocked to the shows loved to watch her. At one point she was titled, “Champion Lady Bucking Horse Rider of the World.”

In 1908, Lulu left Pawnee Bill’s show and joined Colonel Cummins Wild West Brighton Tour. She wanted the chance to go to Europe and perform there. The highlight of her trip was the chance to perform in front of King Edward in England. 

Buffalo Bill and Pawnee Bill

The following year, Lulu left Colonel Cummins because she had the chance to be part of the Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Back in the United States, she traveled with Buffalo Bill until 1913. Buffalo Bill was so taken with Lulu that he presented her with an ivory handled colt with the words engraved, “Buffalo Bill Code to Lulu Parr – 1911.”

In 1916, Lulu moved back to the Pawnee Bill show, but the popularity of the Wild West shows was beginning to wane. Until her retirement in 1929, she went from one small time show to another. By the time she retired at fifty-three, she was broke.

Photo by Terry Baer

Lulu went to Ohio and lived with her brother and his wife. She often entertained neighborhood children with her stories of the wild west and the adventures she’d experienced. She collected mementos from her time with the shows. Lulu’s outfits that she wore were intricate and colorful. Lulu died in 1960 from a stroke.

Have you ever heard of Lulu Bell Parr? While most of us have heard of Buffalo Bill, have you ever heard of Pawnee Bill or Colonel Cummings? I would love to hear your thoughts.  

Nancy J. Farrier is an award-winning, New York Times best-selling author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats and dog, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

HHH August Book Day!

7 BOOKS YOU'LL WANT TO ADD TO YOUR TBR LIST!

CHRISTMAS UNDER THE STARS
by Donna Schlachter

November 1858, Utah Territory: Edie Meredith strives to keep her temper and her tongue under control as she heads west with her brother to California. Raised in an itinerant preacher family, she promises she will never marry a man of the cloth. Tom Aiken, drover of the wagon train, longs to answer his true calling: to preach. While he realizes not every woman would choose a preacher for a husband, he hopes to soon find his helpmeet. Suspicious ‘accidents’ plague their journey. Is someone trying to keep them from reaching their destination? Or will misunderstandings and circumstances keep them apart? FREE when you sign up for Donna's newsletter!

FREED BY THE FRONTIER
By Denise Farnsworth, Sherry Shindelar, and Susan Craft

Three remarkable women find themselves caught between two worlds on the American frontier. A captive of the Comanche must choose between escaping to white society or her growing feelings for a rising war chief in 1850s Texas. A Georgia judge's daughter flees an unwanted betrothal, only to be captured by Creek warriors but protected by a mysterious brave. And in 1754, an English lady traveling the Great Wagon Road to become a teacher discovers her carefully planned future may not survive her attraction to a protective frontiersman

  

LISSA AND THE SPY
by Camille Elliot 

In Regency-era London, Miss Lissa Gardinier enters her second Season seeking a marriage in order to escape her mother's constant criticism. So she represses her cheeky remarks behind a quiet, innocent facade. The enigmatic Lord Jeremy Stoude is dismayed when a chance encounter with Miss Gardinier entangles her in his world of secrets and subterfuge. He cannot afford to be distracted by Lissa’s charming smile and unflappable demeanor. As danger stalks them and true feelings come to light, can Lissa and Jeremy navigate the labyrinth of society’s expectations and their own insecurities to find love? FREE when you sign up for Camille's newsletter!

MOUNTAIN PROPHECY
by Linda Hoover

In 1918, Dusty and Darla's Appalachian relatives still feud with their neighbors, are deeply superstitious and believe in local folklore. The teen twins deal with it every summer. But this time two young women have disappeared into an abandoned mine, and the mountain families believe trolls looking for brides are responsible.

Prince Aidan's isolated clan has waited hundreds of years for the fulfillment of a prophecy that says a heavenly being will come to them, marry the prince and lead them to a better life. After catching a glimpse of Darla, Aidan knows it’s only a matter of time.

 

SWEDISH SUNRISE

by Linda Shenton Matchett

After being accepted into America’s Office of Strategic Services, Birgit Westgard is assigned a dull, clerical job in Stockholm, Sweden. Then her handsome boss taps her to be his “plus-one” at events where they collect intelligence, plant propaganda, and dance the nights away. Can she remain impervious to his charm? Silas Cronin’s plane crashes in neutral Sweden, and he’s interned. Bored, he volunteers when the government comes looking for a typist. Suddenly, he’s in Stockholm, mired in intrigue and subterfuge with a gorgeous secretary who wants nothing to do with him. Is she right that wartime is no time for romance?

THE RELUCTANT HEALER OF HALIFAX
by Terrie Todd

RE-RELEASED WITH A NEW COVER AND BONUS MATERIAL!


Rose Onishi is on track to fulfill her lifelong goal of becoming a concert pianist. When forced to leave her beloved home to work on the Thornes’ farm, her dream fades to match the black dirt staining her callused hands. When Rusty Thorne joins the army, he never imagines becoming a Japanese prisoner of war. Though he begs God to help him not hate his brutal captors, Rusty can no longer even hear the Japanese language without revulsion. Only his rare letters from home sustain him—especially the notes from his mother’s helper, which the girl signs simply as “Rose.”

 

WORTH KEEPING
by Kimberly Keagan

PREORDER NOW FOR 99 CENTS!
Max Dennison arrives at Akethorpe Hall with every intention of selling the English country estate he’s inherited. Instead, he finds himself drawn into the life of a West Suffolk village—and increasingly captivated by the vicar's daughter.

Eliza Davies has long since learned that trusting the wrong person can come at a high cost. The last thing she needs is a charming American who has no intention of staying.

As summer unfolds, unexpected friendships, family secrets, and difficult choices begin to reshape both their futures. But when duty and opportunity pull in opposite directions, Max and Eliza must decide what matters most—and what is truly worth keeping. 

Up, Up and Away, Hot Air and Gas Balloons in History

 

            

                                                       Joseph Montgolfier                                     Etienne Montgolfier                                                                 Public Domain                                    Public Domain

While traveling by land and sea was making steady progress, some thought about traveling through the air. If you research hot air balloons, you’re likely to read about Frenchmen Joseph Montgolfier and his brother Etienne. Joseph noticed that hot, smoky air caused paper to rise. He and his brother created a balloon of cotton muslin with paper glued to both sides. It was 67 feet tall and 44 feet wide. When they held a demonstration in 1872, the Royal Science Academy asked them to repeat it in Paris for King Louis XVI. The next year, the brothers went to the palace forecourt, and in front of the king and his family, and a courtyard packed with curious onlookers, the balloon was sent aloft carrying a sheep, a rooster and a duck in a wicker basket. It went 2,000 feet into the air, then slowly descended, landing two miles away eight minutes later.

If animals could go up, men could, too. Experiments were done first with the balloon on a tether, going to higher and higher altitudes. Finally, on November 21, 1783, Pilantre de Rezier and Marquis d’Ariandes were the first men to fly in an untethered balloon. They flew for twenty-five minutes, covering five miles before landing the balloon safely in open countryside.

                                                          Picture by Charles Louis Desrais

Gas balloons were also being tested. On August 27, 1783, Jacques Charles and the Robert brothers launched the first hydrogen balloon. Men on horseback followed to see where it would land. Forty-five minutes later, it came down in the village of Gonesse, where terrified peasants attacked it with pitchforks and knives until it was destroyed.

                                                                    Public Domain

December 1, 1783, Professor Jacques Charles and Nicolas-Louis Robert took another flight in a balloon of their own design.

                             Antoine Louis Francois Sergent d.t Sergent.Marceau

By the beginning of the 19th century, ballooning had become part of the popular culture. Celebrations weren’t complete without at least one assent. Men and women both rose above pleasure grounds and gardens all over Europe. Even before 1800, it wasn’t enough just to go up in a balloon or watch one rise. Balloonists parachuted over the side, with Jeanne-Genevieve being the first woman to do so in 1798. Acrobats hung a trapeze bar from the bottom of the basket and performed high above the ground.

                                                                        Public Domain

Balloons were used in many countries to conduct weather and climate experiments and for observation during wartime. The picture below shows Union soldiers filling a balloon before the Battle of Fair Oaks.

                                                   Library of Congress Military       

You would also see balloons at resort areas, fairs, and parks to give people an opportunity to go up in a tethered balloon. For a price, of course. In my book, “Lighter Than Air,” set in 1900 near Brighton, England, Elena finds herself in need of a way to make money to pay her father’s gambling debt. When she investigates a balloon tethered at Queen’s Park, she starts a series of events that takes her and her friend Justin up, up and away, rather than the rescue he intended.

Keep Elena Bishop out of trouble for the summer—how hard can it be?

Brighton, England, 1900

Justin Ramsey has plans as high as a hot air balloon. But his older brother Richard, Earl of Dunningham, brings him down to earth with orders to join the army. Determined to make his own way, Justin agrees to a deal: if he can successfully manage the neighborhood while Richard is away for the summer, he will earn the right to control his own future. His childhood friend, Elena, with her negligent father, has a penchant for getting herself in scrapes, but Justin is confident he can protect her.

Desperate to save her family’s estate, Elena Bishop embarks on an innovative plan to bring in revenue. Her efforts backfire when they draw the attention of the Ramsey family and the ire of her father's enemy, who stands to gain everything if Elena fails. Certain she is following God's leading, Elena doubles down and fights back against the obstacles and naysayers. Will her friend Justin help her salvage her idea, or will it destroy his own future as well as hers?

Even as Justin and Elena disagree over her plan, an attraction beyond friendship ignites between them. As time runs out and tensions rise, Justin and Elena face danger and decisions that will test their new-found love and change the course of their lives.

 LIGHTER THAN AIR

Linda has been writing since childhood, but her publishing career started with writing columns and a middle-grade serial for the South Charleston Spectator. A retired librarian, she now enjoys being a full-time author in her home office. She writes not only to entertain but to encourage readers with God’s faithfulness.

You are invited to visit her website, Linda Hoover Books, to learn more about her and her books. You can stay in touch when you subscribe to her newsletter, and as a thank you, you’ll receive a novella, Joel & Ella.

LINDA HOOVER BOOKS