Pliny the Elder: Lessons from the Naturalist as an Early Neuroscientist.
Neuroscientist
; 29(2): 150-157, 2023 04.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34160310
ABSTRACT
Pliny the Elder was a prolific Roman author, naturalist, and military leader. Yet, his impact on modern-day neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurology has been little explored. Here, we aimed to trace the origins of our current understanding of the brain in ancient Rome through Pliny and his work, Natural History. As his magnum opus, this 37-book tome catalogs the facts and observations of natural life collected by Pliny, reflecting the knowledge of his time. Following the cephalocentric school of thought, Pliny places the brain as an agent for consciousness and details its diseases. Further, we explore Pliny's methods, which allow him to build a thorough collection of clinical descriptions and remedies. This body of work serves as an important lesson for future neuroscientists on the power of observation, the role of the humanities, and the necessity of understanding the origin of modern scientific thinking.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Encéfalo
/
Neurociencias
Límite:
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Neuroscientist
Asunto de la revista:
NEUROLOGIA
/
PSIQUIATRIA
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos