Final Jeopardy: Medical History (12-31-25)
The Final Jeopardy question (12/31/2025) in the category “Medical History” was:
Now associated with women in labor, it was first used by French doctors in 1901 to treat sciatica with cocaine
Today is the last semifinal of the 2025 Second Chance Tournament (Week 3). One of these players will make it to the finals: Ryan Sharpe, a recent graduate from Oakville, Ontario; Jenna Hayes, an attorney from New York, NY; and Dan Puma, a salesperson from Chicago, IL.
The links in their names will take you to each one’s original game, and you can see if their second chance was predicted in the comments.
Round 1 Categories: Presidential Firsts – Animals in History & Legend – Hobbies & Pastimes – Potpourri – The TV City – Lose a Letter…
Dan found the Jeopardy! round Daily Double in “Presidential Firsts” under the $600 clue on the 3rd pick of the round. He was in second place with $800 now, $200 less than Ryan’s lead. Dan bet $1,000 allowance and he was RIGHT.
Calvin Coolidge was the first & so far only president on born this date; 3 have died on it show
Dan finished in the lead with $6,600. Ryan and Jenna were tied in second with $4,800.
Round 2 Categories: Happy New Year! Movie Edition – “L” on Earth – Photo: Finnish – Spot On – Nonfiction – What Does That Mean?
Jenna found the first Daily Double in “”L” on Earth” under the $1,200 clue on the 1st pick. The scores were the same as above. Jenna bet $3,000 she was RIGHT.
This Himalayan city situated at an elevation of about 12,000 feet has a name meaning “God’s place” show
Jenna got the last Daily Double in “Nonfiction” under the $1,600 clue on the very next pick. In the lead with $7,800 now, she had $1,200 more than Dan in second place. Jenna bet $3,800 this time, and she was RIGHT again.
The L.A. Times said images & ideas in this Tom Wolfe book glistened “like a rocket screaming to the heavens” show
Dan finished in the lead with $15,800. Ryan was next with $12,400 and Jenna was last with $12,000. All clues were shown.
TWO of the contestants got Final Jeopardy! right.
WHAT IS AN EPIDURAL?
According to a 2002 article on caudal epidural injections on www.painphysicianjournal.com, the French neurologist and radiologist, Jean Anthanase Sicard, “was the first to describe injection of dilute solutions of cocaine through the sacral hiatus into the epidural space in 1901, to treat patients suffering from severe, intractable sciatic pain or lumbago.” There is a chronological table on there, showing the evolution of the treatment.
Other treatments for sciatica reported in the early 1900s were tried by reputable doctors, including an injection of a serum of magnesium. There was, of course, no shortage of quack cures. The Pulsocon was one particular invention that claimed to relieve a host of ailments, including sciatica and arthritis. Its creator made a bundle, despite false advertisements and a jail sentence!
Jenna got it right. She bet $3,801 and finished with $15,801.
Ryan got it right, too. He bet $11,601 and finished with $24,001.
Dan misunderstood the clue and wrote down Tylenol. He lost his $9,001 bet and finished with $6,799. So Ryan Sharpe won the match. We will see Ryan compete against Dondi DeMarco and Abigail Arnold for the next 2 days.
HAVE A FUN, HAPPY & SAFE NEW YEAR’S EVE, EVERYONE!
A triple stumper from each round:
“L” ON EARTH ($1200) Montserrat & Guadeloupe are part of this chain of islands
NONFICTION ($2000) This 1977 work by reporter Michael Herr has been called the best book ever written about the Vietnam War
2 years ago: TWO of the players got this FJ in “FROM THE FRENCH”
With murder, shadows, a nosy reporter & Peter Lorre, 1940’s “Stranger on the Third Floor” is the first example of this, some say show
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Wow, what a very competitive game tonight! As for me, I did a bit better than average, but none of us could come up with the correct response for FJ. In fact, all I could come up with was morphine. Oh well!
The daily doubles were found immediately in the first two clues in Double Jeopardy! It’s very unusual and we don’t see that often all the time.
This is the second time this happens. Last time 2 Daily Doubles were the first 2 picks of the Double Jeopardy! Round was December 26, 2023.