Hippocrates: father of mini-invasive nasal surgery.

Hippocrates, a Greek physician during the fifth century BC., is often considered the father of medicine. The Corpus Hippocraticum comprising of 58 volumes was writing between 450 and 150 BC. The objective of our study was to detail the management of nasal polyps during this period. We read and analyzed all volumes of the Corpus Hippocraticum in French translation and extracted all passages dealing with nasal polyps (n = 6). Surgical procedures in the Corpus Hippocraticum are described in great detail. The first surgical strategy for the removal of nasal polyps was by mini-invasive nasal approach: the lopping method and the sponge method. We explain the two mini-invasive nasal approaches with drawings. The meticulously detailed observations of the corpus give us a precious insight into the early perception of diseases, their progression and early attempts of treatment.

The brain of René Descartes (1650): A neuro-anatomical analysis.

The skull of René Descartes is held in the National Museum of Natural History since the 19th c. Up to date, only anthropological examinations were carried out, focusing on the cranial capacity and phrenological interpretation of the skull morphology. Using CT-scan based 3D technology, a reconstruction of the endocast was performed, allowing for its first complete description and inter-disciplinary analysis: assessment of metrical and non-metrical features, retrospective diagnosis of anatomical anomalies, and confrontation with neuro-psychological abilities of this well-identified individual.