"Who Do You Think You Are", Series 14: #10 Ruby Wax

[Greenvale]

I'd never been very interested in her, and almost didn't bother watching it, but found it oddly interesting. You got the feeling that her parents must've squashed their past - some guilt about failing to assist the dentist relatives, probably, and possibly also an awareness of the mental health history of the family on her maternal side. Many non-observant Jews didn't want to talk or think about the past, so that doesn't seem too unusual.
But although it didn't go very far back in years, overall it worked.
- When's the next series?

Same here<

[Rena]

I found the episode interesting too, but I couldn't help wondering why nobody put two and two together about the ancestors health history which I think was probably the result of working in dentistry which used mercury for filling teeth.

Old fashioned Hatter manufacturers who used mercury to style their hats was where the saying "Mad as a Hatter" originated.

Good point, except that I think it was the other sister, and their mother who had the mental health condition.

I can't recall how many family members were living together when the husband and wife practiced their dentistry.  Ruby mentioned her mother had bouts of irrationality and was afraid the cause could be genetic.  Then we were transported back to Austria where we heard the older generation had a dentistry laboratory.  It seemed that the dentist at one time practiced from home, so how many of his relatives could have been affected -we don't know.   It's hazardous not to wash your hands after touching liquid mercury, but there's also dangers from inhaling vapour when the mercury is mixed with the amalgum, this could affect unborn babies.

[Regorian]

Mental illness was a taboo until very recently. I expect Ruby was totally unknowing until it all came out in WDYTYA. Parents were not going to tell her about the anti-Jewish actions by the Nazis either. 

[Phil Goater]

Question: Who do you think you are?
Answer: A raving lunatic !

The answer on the basis of family history isn't exactly an easy one for Ruby Wax! Three cheers for revealing the genetic component to such issues. Thankfully modern medicine has made it possible to correct chemical imbalances and enable folk dealt such a bad hand the opportunity to lead more normal lives. Ruby was keen to find environmental factors to explain her mother's behaviour and at the beginning appeared to blame her parents for her own issues. No doubt environmental factors can trigger the errant behaviour but they would appear to fuel a predisposition outside the individual's control. This program contributes to the discussion of mental health issues and encourages us to be non-judgemental. Despite her annoying penchant for self-publicity I salute Ruby for allowing this to be shared.

Phil

(Relation of Josiah Parker of Broadmoor)

[Rena]

I'm waiting for the day when scientists discover everything about the genes we inherit because I'd like to know if we also inherit memory cells.

[Mowsehowse]

I'm waiting for the day when scientists discover everything about the genes we inherit because I'd like to know if we also inherit memory cells. 

As in forgetting things? 
Or knowing things from previous times we can't have learned in our own life time?

[Rena]

I'm waiting for the day when scientists discover everything about the genes we inherit because I'd like to know if we also inherit memory cells. 

As in forgetting things? 
Or knowing things from previous times we can't have learned in our own life time?

Yes, it's about the things we dredge up from "somewhere in the back of my mind", or "I don't know where that (word/expression) came from".

Bryan and I used to spend our lunch break watching a TV programme called "Call My Bluff", where panellists had to guess the meaning of ancient and out of common usage words and we'd join in too.

There were many I guessed at but I've been absolutely startled at various words that I instantly knew, prior to any definition being given, although I'd never heard or read the words before (in this lifetime - oo-er ). 

[Mowsehowse]

I do know what you mean RENA
In fact, I frequently murmur "Well, well, Horatio," or "another Horatio situation," to my husband......

(Hamlet if anyone needs me to say that.)

[ThrelfallYorky]

A "genetic memory" (should it go far enough back) might be very helpful to many of us with stubborn ancestral brick walls - we might be able to dredge up where/when they were born, and who their parents were.....?
Wishful dreaming..... ah well....