The 'horns' of a medical dilemma: Alexander the Great.
J Hist Neurosci
; 13(2): 159-65; discussion 166-7, 2004 Jun.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-15370324
ABSTRACT
Retrospective 'diagnosis' of clinical disorders of famous historical figures has been of medical interest. In the absence of a patient's 'body', the validity of 'physical symptoms' and their interpretation by contemporary diagnostic criteria are questionable. When the symptoms have been gleaned from the patients's effigy which, as in the case of Alexander the Great, is submerged in legend, the enterprise becomes inherently hazardous. In the present paper, some of the conceptual problems underlying retrospective diagnoses will be identified. Then the use of iconographic records, such as numismatics and sculpture, to provide evidence of clinical symptoms will be shown to be highly misleading.
Buscar no Google
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Escoliose
/
Escultura
/
Vértebras Cervicais
/
Lesões das Artérias Carótidas
/
Dissecação da Artéria Carótida Interna
/
Pessoas Famosas
/
Historiografia
/
Medicina nas Artes
/
Numismática
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2004
Tipo de documento:
Article