It was a quiet Sunday morning.
The kind where tea goes cold before rounds, and the newspaper lies folded like a patient waiting to be seen. I found myself thinking of those old anatomy halls — chalk dust in the air, bones in glass jars, and the kind of laughter that only weary medical students knew.
We didn’t have Google. We had mnemonics, jokes, whispered insults, and crossword puzzles that felt like minor neurology exams.
So here is a small Sunday offering — not to test intelligence, but to loosen old synapses and warm up those long-resting grey cells.
Take a breath.
Smile.
And see what your brain still remembers.
🧠 Medical Mnemonic Quiz
- Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can’t Handle
Carpal bones → S = Scaphoid - Oh Oh Oh, To Touch And Feel Very Good Velvet, AH
Cranial nerves → O = Olfactory - Some Angry Lady Figured Out PMS
Branches of external carotid → S = Superior thyroid - TAILS
Microcytic anaemia → T = Thalassaemia - PUMPS
Upper GI bleed → P = Peptic ulcer - HITS
Splenectomy indications → H = Hereditary spherocytosis - ABCDE
Secondary hypertension → A = Apnoea - GA LAW
Ranson’s criteria → G = Glucose - VINDICATE
Causes of acute abdomen → V = Vascular - 5 I’s
DKA causes → I = Infection
😄 Sunday Humour Corner
1. Why did the neuron refuse to fire?
Because it said, “On a Sunday, I work on a slow synapse.”
2. Why do old surgeons love crossword puzzles?
Because it’s the only time they can incise vertically and dissect horizontally.
3. What is a doctor’s favourite yoga pose?
The Supine Procrastinator — perfect balance between duty and denial.
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🧩 Crossword Clues
Across
- Boat-shaped wrist bone
- Muscular pump of circulation
- Organ that makes urine
- Organ for gas exchange
- Organ that churns food
- Control centre of body
- Organ that filters platelets
- Absorptive digestive tube
✅
Mnemonic Quiz Answers
Carpal bones
Scaphoid, Lunate, Triquetrum, Pisiform, Trapezium, Trapezoid, Capitate, Hamate
Cranial nerves
Olfactory, Optic, Oculomotor, Trochlear, Trigeminal, Abducens, Facial, Vestibulocochlear, Glossopharyngeal, Vagus, Accessory, Hypoglossal
External carotid branches
Superior thyroid, Ascending pharyngeal, Lingual, Facial, Occipital, Posterior auricular, Maxillary, Superficial temporal
Microcytic anaemia
Thalassaemia, Anaemia of chronic disease, Iron deficiency, Lead poisoning, Sideroblastic anaemia
Upper GI bleed
Peptic ulcer, Uraemia, Mallory–Weiss tear, Portal hypertension, Stress ulcer
Splenectomy
Hereditary spherocytosis, Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, Trauma, Splenomegaly
Secondary hypertension
Apnoea, Bad kidneys, Coarctation, Drugs, Endocrine
Ranson criteria
Glucose, Age, LDH, AST, WBC
Acute abdomen
Vascular, Infection, Neoplasm, Degeneration, Inflammation, Congenital, Autoimmune, Trauma, Endocrine
DKA causes
Infection, Infarction, Pregnancy, Indiscretion, Insulin lack
4. Why don’t skeletons fight each other?
Because they don’t have the guts.
5. Why was the ECG so calm?
Because it always knew how to keep a steady line.
The Owl and the Silent Well (An Uncommon Panchatantra Tale)
In a faraway forest, there was a deep well hidden under a tangle of old banyan roots. The well held cool, sweet water, and many animals came there quietly at dusk.
An old owl lived in the hollow of a peepal tree beside this well. He was not a loud owl. He did not preach or debate. He simply watched.
One summer, a proud monkey discovered the well. Delighted, he swung from branch to branch and shouted down to the darkness:
“See how high I am! The world belongs to those who climb!”
The owl said nothing.
Each day the monkey grew noisier. He mocked the deer for walking, the tortoise for crawling, and even the wind for blowing slowly.
One afternoon, while swinging and boasting, the monkey slipped and fell — straight into the dark well.
The walls were smooth. The water was deep. Panic filled his mind faster than water filled his lungs.
He screamed for help.
Animals gathered, but no one could climb down or pull him up. Panic spread through the forest.
Then the owl spoke.
Not loudly. Not proudly. Just one sentence:
“Hold the rope silently, and climb.”
The animals froze.
“Where is the rope?” they asked.
The owl pointed to the old banyan roots. One long root still touched the inner wall of the well. In his noise and pride, the monkey had never noticed it.
The animals lowered the root. The monkey held it, silently this time, and climbed out.
When he reached the top, he bowed to everyone — especially the owl.
From that day, the monkey still climbed trees.
But he never shouted down again.
Moral of the Story
Wisdom is often quiet.
The rope that saves you is sometimes already there — if you stop shouting long enough to see it.
The Tortoise Who Became Minister
In a dense forest, the lion was the king. As most kings go, he was strong, feared, and quite lazy.
One season, a clever tortoise arrived in the forest. He walked slowly, spoke carefully, and listened more than he talked. Nobody noticed him much at first.
But the lion did.
“Why are you so quiet?” asked the lion.
The tortoise replied,
“Noise creates enemies. Silence creates plans.”
Impressed, the lion appointed him as an advisor.
Soon, the tortoise began making suggestions:
“Do not hunt too much in one area.”
“Let the deer feel safe.”
“Keep the wolves busy with small tasks.”
The forest began to prosper. Animals stopped migrating. Food became plentiful. The lion grew famous.
But the tiger grew jealous.
He cornered the tortoise one night.
“You move slowly. You are soft. You have no claws. How did you reach the king’s ear?” the tiger hissed.
The tortoise smiled gently.
“I never tried to be powerful,” he said.
“I only tried to be necessary.”
The tiger went to the lion and accused the tortoise of secret plotting. The lion, wounded by doubt, dismissed the tortoise without asking for explanation.
The forest slowly returned to chaos.
Prey scattered. Hunger returned. Fights increased. The tiger disappeared.
Years later, an old lion sat alone and whispered to himself:
“I sent away wisdom because I feared whispers.”
Moral of the Tale
The best advisors are not the loudest.
Power that fears quiet minds slowly destroys itself.