Reappraisal of the etymology of tendo Achillis: Achilles, the aggressor or the sufferer?

This study critically reassesses the etymology of the tendo Achillis, examining its connection to Achilles as depicted in classic epics. It challenges the interpretation by Joseph Hyrtl, first presented in the 19th century and still widely accepted, which credits Philippus Verheyen with the introduction of Achilles-related terminology in the late 17th century. Through an extensive review of anatomical publications from the 16th to the early 18th century across Western Europe, categorized into four distinct periods, this study investigates the origins of the nomenclature for the distal tendon of the triceps surae (DTTS = tendo calcaneus), including both the terminology and the narrative contexts beyond its anatomical functions. The findings reveal that names associated with Achilles predate Verheyen, contradicting Hyrtl's timeline, and suggesting a more intricate association with the figure of Achilles. This not only illuminates the development of one of the most recognized anatomical eponyms but also enhances our understanding of the interplay between medical terminology and cultural narratives.

The Oldest Bryophyte Herbarium Specimens from Central Europe, Collected by M. E. Boretius in 1717: Taxonomy, Nomenclature, Datation and Ethnopharmacology.

The WA Herbarium at the University of Warsaw houses a collection of plants created in 1717 by Matthew Ernest Boretius. They were gathered in former East Prussia, near Angerburg, now Wegorzewo (Poland). It is the oldest plant collection from this part of Europe. Boretius compiled the herbarium as a collection of all the surrounding plants, but their folk names (Polish and German) recorded in the herbarium confirm the ethnobiological or ethnopharmaceutical importance of some species. We identified bryophyte species and checked the accuracy of their original identifications recorded in the herbarium. We provided their Latin (scientific, pre-Linnaean) nomenclature together with German and Polish vernacular names. We contextualised this information within the history of the medicinal use of bryophytes around 1717, when the plant collection was created. We also investigated whether the specimens could have come from Northeastern Poland. Mosses and liverworts from the herbarium were identified nomenclaturally (by means of their original scientific polynomial names written on herbarium sheets) and taxonomically. The herbarium holds two species and one subspecies of liverwort and 27 species and one variety of moss. The accuracy of the original identifications was assessed, with a particular focus on the species considered medicinal at the time. We found that bryophytes were poorly known in the time of Boretius, which was the last period in bryology before the introduction of magnifying devices into this science (this crucial step was made by Dillenius in 1741). The vernacular names used in the herbarium were recorded for Marchantia polymorpha and Polytrichum commune-the only two species with confirmed medicinal use by the year 1717.

Causas médicas de exención para el servicio militar obligatorio durante el siglo XIX en Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz, España / Medical causes of exemption for compulsory military service during the 19th century in Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz, Spain / Razões médicas para isenção do serviço militar obrigatório durante o século XIX em Jerez de los Caballeros, Badajoz, Espanha

Introducción: el objeto del estudio es la población de Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz). Debido a la implantación del Servicio Militar obligatorio en España, el reclutamiento se efectuaba basándose en los censos de los Ayuntamientos, eligiendo a una quinta parte de los mozos sorteables. Objetivo: exponer las causas de exención por parte de los quintos para no realizar el Servicio Militar, durante el siglo XIX. Material y métodos: la investigación en el Archivo Histórico Municipal de Jerez de los Caballeros, así como en publicaciones actuales y de la época, refiriendo las patologías médicas esgrimidas según la Clasificación Internacional de Enfermedades de Jacques Bertillon. Resultados: los mozos utilizaban toda clase de argumentos, entre ellos patologías médicas, reales o no, para eludir el Servicio Militar, el cual era muy cuestionado en la época, y que suponía muchas veces una sentencia de muerte para el quinto, debido a los frecuentes conflictos militares en los que estuvo envuelta España durante el siglo XIX. Discusión: el sorteo se efectuaba mediante unos bombos de manera pública, pero se podía evitar la realización del Servicio Militar, mediante el pago de una cantidad, o sustituciones, lo que suponía una gran discriminación. Conclusiones: a consecuencia del descontento popular que suponía el Servicio Militar obligatorio, los mozos seleccionados esgrimían toda clase de excusas para eludir su realización, circunstancia que fue aumentado con el correr de los años, y por consecuencia también la cantidad de quintos que lo lograban.

Introduction: the object of the study is the population of Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz). Due to the implementation of the obligatory Military Service in Spain, the recruitment was carried out based on the census of the City Councils, choosing a fifth part of the drawable young men. Objective: to expose the causes of exemption on the part of the fifth for not performing the Military Service, during the 19th century. Material and methods: research in the Municipal Historical Archive of Jerez de los Caballeros, as well as in current and period publications, referring to the medical pathologies used according to Jacques Bertillon's International Classification of Diseases. Results: the young men used all kinds of arguments, among them medical pathologies, real or not, to avoid the Military Service, which was very questioned at the time, and which was often a death sentence for the fifth, due to the frequent military conflicts in which Spain was involved during the 19th century. Discussion: the lottery was carried out by means of a public drawing of lots, but the Military Service could be avoided by paying an amount, or substitutions, which meant a great discrimination. Conclusions: as a consequence of the popular dissatisfaction with the compulsory military service, the selected young men used all kinds of excuses to avoid performing it, a circumstance that increased over the years, and as a consequence, so did the number of young men who did so.

Introdução: o objeto de estudo é a população de Jerez de los Caballeros (Badajoz). Devido à introdução do serviço militar obrigatório na Espanha, o recrutamento foi realizado com base nos censos dos conselhos municipais, sendo selecionado um quinto dos jovens elegíveis. Objetivo: expor as causas da isenção por parte dos quintos por não prestarem o serviço militar durante o século XIX. Material e métodos: pesquisa no Arquivo Histórico Municipal de Jerez de los Caballeros, bem como em publicações atuais e da época, referentes às patologias médicas utilizadas de acordo com a Classificação Internacional de Doenças de Jacques Bertillon. Resultados: os jovens usaram todos os tipos de argumentos, incluindo patologias médicas, reais ou não, para evitar o serviço militar, que era altamente questionado na época e que muitas vezes significava uma sentença de morte para o quinto, devido aos frequentes conflitos militares nos quais a Espanha estava envolvida durante o século XIX. Discussão: o sorteio era realizado por meio de um sorteio público, mas o serviço militar podia ser evitado mediante o pagamento de uma taxa ou substituições, o que significava uma grande discriminação. Conclusões: como resultado do descontentamento popular com o serviço militar obrigatório, os jovens selecionados usaram todos os tipos de desculpas para não cumpri-lo, uma circunstância que aumentou com o passar dos anos e, consequentemente, também o número de recrutas que o cumpriram.

De lunatico inquirendo: managing family inheritance across madness in eighteenth-century London.

An 'inquisition' (or inquiry) held before a Justice of the Peace was the primary instrument for management of lunacy in eighteenth-century England. Yet its purpose was to protect wealth rather than the individual. The 1766 case book of Dr John Monro, London's leading doctor for madness, unexpectedly records a consultation that links two siblings who both had inquisitions. Nicholas Jeffreys' only son was attested lunatic in 1744: to circumvent inheritance through primogeniture, Jeffreys directed the family wealth to his last living child. One of his three daughters married Lord Camden, a former Lord Chancellor: after her and her second sister's deaths, the last-surviving sister was also placed under inquisition in 1780, to ensure the inheritance for his own family.

John Greenwood's sidenotes on a 1778 John Hunter text at The New York Academy of Medicine.

John Greenwood (1760-1819) was George Washington's preferred dentist. He practiced in New York and made at least one of eight sets of dentures Washington wore (currently in the collection of the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). We know very little about John Greenwood's (JG) formal education, except that he came from a famous family of dentists. He inherited from his father, Isaac Greenwood, one important book of the time, John Hunter's 1778 treatise, A Natural History of the Human Teeth. That copy was donated to the New York Academy of Medicine by descendants of John Greenwood. Recently, we became aware of extensive marginalia that John Greenwood wrote in this book. The present article describes John Greenwood's opinion on a variety of dental subjects such as the causes and mechanisms of tooth destruction and gum disease and the presence of microscopic annamalcula that were thought to be connected to poor oral hygiene. Although John Greenwood was self-educated, his observations are surprisingly insightful and at least 37 years ahead of what was described in the contemporary literature.

["The enlightened absolutism", Polizeistaat, Catherine II and formation of sanitary epidemiological legislation in the second half of XVIII century].

The second half of the 18th century went down in history as the era of "Enlightened absolutism". In Russia, it is associated with the reign of Empress Catherine II (1762-1796). In her political activities, Catherine II was guided by ideas of "regular" "police" state that were edited in accordance with new trends and new intellectual fashion. The monarch was now obliged to take care of "common good" and seek universal "decency" through establishing "lawful government". Besides, in order to achieve this goal, he had to use police as a tool of "beneficial" violence. The application of police measures supposed struggle with dangerous epidemics causing serious damage to population of the state. The article analyzes process of becoming of sanitary epidemiological legislation of Catherine II, placing it in broad context of "enlightened absolutism" policy.

Dolley and James Madison through the lens of medicine, sickness, and health.

The political lives of our founding fathers and mothers have been examined in great detail by many historians, but their experiences with medicine, health, and disease have generally received only cursory attention from most biographers. Yet focusing a lens on their often dramatic encounters with epidemics, disease, and medical treatments of their time lends them a corporeal presence that is absent from most historical accounts and serves to humanize them as flesh and blood individuals. James and Dolley Madison serve as prime examples of American icons who both dealt frequently with health challenges in the trajectory of their daily lives. This essay reflects the "health biographies" of James and Dolley Madison, which opens a revealing window into eighteenth century society and medicine, demonstrating graphically that even the elite, who had access to the best of contemporary medicine and physicians, were far from immune to debilitating illness.

Friedrich Jakub Fuker and his universal preventive tincture.

Fridrich Jakub Fuker (1749-1805), a physician from Kosice, is the author of works on medical topics, as well as works on social life. In addition to his medical practice, he also owned a pharmacy, and his short work on a universal preventive tincture is related to this. The author argues that there is no universal medicine, but it is possible to prepare a universal preventive preparation suitable for everyone, every age and sex. Fuker has announced that he will prepare such a tincture, available in his pharmacy, along with information on its use. However, he did not divulge its composition, as supposedly, any physician knowledgeable in the matter would figure it out on his own. With the universal tincture, Fuker abandoned rational medicine, perhaps suffering from involutional depression or acting as a salesman.

Restructuring Trade: Circulation of Medicinal Materials in East Asia in the 18th Century.

In the 18th century, the trade of medicinal materials in East Asia showed a trend of rapid development, and by the second half of the 18th century, it became the largest commodity category in East Asia's international trade. The growth of medicinal material trade during this period was not a simple trade issue, but was closely related to a series of changes in economic fields, such as the market network, trade balance and production. The changes in the international trade environment from the 17th to the 19th centuries greatly increased the demand for medicinal materials. It also affected the production of medicinal materials. The medicinal material industries in East Asian countries were characterised by specialisation and marketisation, and provided the market with abundant and high-quality medicinal materials. In turn, the development of the medicinal material industry promoted international trade, making medicinal materials the largest traded commodity in East Asia. In the 18th century, the development of medicinal material trade promoted the recalibration of international trade, and changed the commodity structure of East Asian trade. It is a result of the transformation of international trade and economic relations, and an important participant in the development of East Asian economy. Trade of medicinal materials in the 18th century expanded the market network and formed a positive interaction between trade and production, and reshaped the international trade structure of East Asia.

Knowledge and attitudes of Polish prosecutors and general Polish population in regard to post-mortem computed tomography in 2019. / Trudne poczatki psychiatrii sadowo-lekarskiej w Imperium Rosyjskim w XVIII stuleciu.

This publication reveals the origins of forensic psychiatry in tsarist Russia during a selected historical period. The article reveals the first forensic and medical examinations of the mental state of defendants, as well as the first major legal regulations in this area. The issue of the participation of a medical expert (usually physicians) as an expert witness in court proceedings in the examination of the mental state is discussed from legal and historical, as well as historical and medical aspects.

La alimentación en el cuidado de pobres y enfermos. El registro de compras en el Hospital San Juan de Dios de La Serena (1796) / Feeding the poor and sick during the 18th century. The register of purchases at a hospital of La Serena, Chile

This article analyzes the feeding forms and care, in a record made by the nursing friars of the Hospital San Juan de Dios of La Serena in 1796. The food intake of both patients and hospital staff, is examined through a quantitative and qualitative perspective. In this context, it is proposed that food intake, in a monastic space dedicated to the care of the poor and sick, responded to doctrinal elements typical of the Western Catholic tradition, but above all to local economic conditions. It supported the poor who wandered in a city with economic and social growth at the end of the 18th century.

Roma Religion: 1775 and 2018 Compared over Time.

The objective of the present study was to compare the religiosity of the Roma in the 18th century with the present. In 1775 and 1776, Samuel Augustini ab Hortis detailed the way of life of the Roma community in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in his work "Von dem Heutigen Zustände, Sonderbaren Sitten und Lebensart, Wie Auch von Denen Übrigen Eigenschaften und Umständen der Zigeuner in Ungarn" (On the Contemporary Situation, Distinctive Manners and Way of Life, as Well as the Other Characteristics and Circumstances of Gypsies in Greater Hungary). A detailed content analysis of the part of his work dealing with religion was performed. Subsequently, in 2018, field research was conducted in the environment in which Samuel Augustini lived and worked. It involved six key informants, each representing a different municipality. Data collection was carried out over two periods: in the summer months of 2012-2013 and the winter period of 2018-2019. After the interviews with the key informants, more than 70 participants were included in semi-structured interviews through snowball sampling, and another 40 participants were included in two focus groups. The data was evaluated and content analysis was used to process the data. The findings confirm that both in the past and the present, the Roma community adopted the dominant religion of the host country. In the studied environments, the activities of the majority, present then and now in the Catholic Church, failed, and various other missionary movements, such as the Maranatha Mission, came to the fore. Membership in new religious movements resulted in social changes in marginalized Roma communities. However, they may not have only had positive effects. Various effects of their activities may be studied in the future.

Classic Text No. 128: Thomas Brown's comments on Erasmus Darwin's view on madness.

In his book Observations on the Zoonomia of Erasmus Darwin MD, Thomas Brown included a critical chapter on the analysis of madness proposed by Darwin in Zoonomia. Although neither Darwin nor Brown are ground-breaking in their views on madness, they illustrate the transitional accounts of madness that were being entertained at the end of the eighteenth century, particularly among writers who had studied at Edinburgh University.

A centuries-old manmade reef in the Caribbean does not substitute natural reefs in terms of species assemblages and interspecific competition.

With increasing maritime activities in the proximity of coral reefs, a growing number of manmade structures are becoming available for coral colonisation. Yet, little is known about the sessile community composition of such artificial reefs in comparison with that of natural coral reefs. Here, we compared the diversity of corals and their competitors for substrate space between a centuries-old manmade structure and the nearest natural reef at St. Eustatius, eastern Caribbean. The artificial reef had a significantly lower species richness and fewer competitive interactions than the natural reef. The artificial reef was dominated by a cover of crustose coralline algae and zoantharians, instead of turf algae and fire corals on the natural reef. Significant differences in species composition were also found between exposed and sheltered sites on both reefs. Our study indicates that even a centuries-old manmade reef cannot serve as a surrogate for natural reefs.

La oposición a la Homeopatía desde una perspectiva histórica. Análisis de sus causas / The opposition to Homeopathy from a historical perspective. Analysis of its causes

La contextualización del momento histórico en el que surgió la Homeopatía, la postura que tomó Samuel Hahnemann ante aquellos que la criticaban y algunos de los conceptos que se utilizaron para descalificar el ejercicio de este método médico clínico terapéutico son los fundamentos de este texto. Se destaca, de manera primordial y a la luz de la Historia, el rechazo que sufrió la Homeopatía al interior de algunos grupos de médicos convencionales del siglo XVIII, postura que fue secundada por asociaciones de farmacéuticos que se sintieron amenazados por la posibilidad de que los homeópatas fueran, al mismo tiempo, agentes boticarios responsables de la preparación de sus propios medicamentos.

The following elements are the basis of this text: The contextualization of the historical moment in which Homeopathy arose, the posture taken by Samuel Hahnemann to those who criticized him, and some of the concepts that were used to discredit the practice of this therapeutic clinical method (Homeopathy). In a primordial manner, as shown by history, Homeopathy's rejection inside of some groups of conventional physicians in the 18th century is highlighted. This position was seconded by pharmaceutical associations, which felt threatened by the possibility that homeopaths could also be apothecary agents responsible for the elaboration of their own medications.

History of dermatology: the study of skin diseases over the centuries

Abstract The study of skin, the science of dermatology, has undergone significant transformations throughout the centuries. From the first descriptions of skin diseases in Egyptian papyri and in Hippocratic writings to the first treatises on dermatology, important individuals and discoveries have marked the specialty. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the specialty consolidated itself as a field of medical study based on the first classifications of dermatoses, diagnostic methods, and drug treatments. In the 20th century, the scientific and technological revolution transformed dermatological practice, incorporating new therapeutic resources, as well as surgical and aesthetic procedures. In the face of such a vigorous process, it is important to provide a historical synthesis for the medical community to recognize and understand the origins that supported one of the most relevant specialties in the current medical scenario.

History of dermatology: the study of skin diseases over the centuries.

The study of skin, the science of dermatology, has undergone significant transformations throughout the centuries. From the first descriptions of skin diseases in Egyptian papyri and in Hippocratic writings to the first treatises on dermatology, important individuals and discoveries have marked the specialty. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the specialty consolidated itself as a field of medical study based on the first classifications of dermatoses, diagnostic methods, and drug treatments. In the 20th century, the scientific and technological revolution transformed dermatological practice, incorporating new therapeutic resources, as well as surgical and aesthetic procedures. In the face of such a vigorous process, it is important to provide a historical synthesis for the medical community to recognize and understand the origins that supported one of the most relevant specialties in the current medical scenario.

William Hunter's aristocratic post mortems.

William Hunter's writings, lectures and his collection of circa 1,400 pathological specimens at the University of Glasgow show that, within the scientific limitations of the 18th Century, he had a sound grasp of the significance of morbid anatomical appearances. Unlike John Hunter's collection at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, few of the Hunterian specimens at Glasgow have an accompanying case history. Within the Special Collections at the Glasgow University Library are a small number of post mortem reports, including four involving William Hunter's aristocratic patients. This article explores these patient cases, and also the only instance recorded by John Hunter of William working with him on a post mortem of an aristocrat, that of the Marquis of Rockingham, Prime Minister, who died in 1782. The study aims to better understand William Hunter's medical practice and his professional connections with other practitioners. The post mortem examinations were carried out by a surgeon/anatomist and observed by the patient's physician(s). For aristocratic post mortems, those attending were senior and well-established practitioners. The notes made were not particularly detailed. The reports show clearly that William Hunter's practice, in the 1760s at least, was not confined to midwifery.

Health care at the St. George Monastery at the Prague Castle in the 17th and 18th century.

The article expresses main phenomena of the health care at the oldest Czech monastery - St. George Monastery at the Prague Castle - in the early modern period. The care is studied based on the period regulations, archive information about resident and local (para)medics, facilities, control or diseases. The medical problems had to be in the spotlight of the monastery inhabitants since every disease meant the paralysing of the nun community. In this respect, the monastery was not independent of its environs. The St. George nuns was often brought face to face with male (para)medics. Direction of the men within the monastery belonged to the main problems of the health care in the early modern female communities.

Social Structure in a Roma Settlement: Comparison over Time.

The objective of the present study was to compare the social structure and internal establishment of a Roma community in two historical periods: in the 18th century and the present. We analysed Samuel Augustini ab Hortis's work, "Von dem Heutigen Zustände, Sonderbaren Sitten und Lebensart, Wie Auch von Denen Übrigen Eigenschaften und Umständen der Zigeuner in Ungarn" (On the Contemporary Situation, Distinctive Manners and Way of Life, as Well as the Other Characteristics and Circumstances of Gypsies in Greater Hungary), written in 1775-1776. Using content analysis, we subsequently compared his findings with our recent data from analogous qualitative research in a geographically-defined area of north-eastern Slovakia, the same region in which Augustini lived. Data collection was intensely conducted in 2012-2013 and once more in 2017-2019. The qualitative methods included direct observation, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Four key informants and more than 70 participants collaborated in the study. The greatest difference we observed compared to the 18th century was the absence of a leader of the community, a "vajda", whose status was taken over by a new social class of "entrepreneurs". The most vulnerable group of the segregated and separated Roma communities are the "degesa", the lowest social class. They face a phenomenon consisting of so-called triple marginalization: they live in one of the most underdeveloped regions of the country, they inhabit segregated settlements and they are excluded by their own ethnic group. The socioeconomic status of the richest classes has changed faces, while the socioeconomic status of the lowest has not. We found a misconception among helping professionals (e.g., social workers) regarding the homogeneity of the Roma community. This calls for more attention to the erroneous use of the ethnic-based approach in the helping professions.