Along came a spider: Medicine's most famous spider eponyms.

Spiders have long been admired for the beauty of their webs. They are celebrated in popular culture as well as in medical eponyms. This contribution provides the historical background for three spider-related eponyms: nevus araneus (spider angioma), arachnodactyly, and the arachnoid mater. Nevus araneus was first named and described by Sir Erasmus Wilson in 1842. Arachnodactyly was described in 1896 by Antoine Marfan using the term pattes d'araignée, which means spider legs. In 1902, Emile Charles Achard proposed the term arachnodactyly for this clinical finding. The arachnoid mater had been named in 1699 by Frederik Ruysch. The clinical management of spider bites from the only two dangerous venomous spiders within the United States, the black widow spider (Latrodectus mactans) and the brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa), is reviewed.

Life and death of Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev / Vida e morte de Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev

Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev was a Russian innovative neuroscientist, extraordinary in the study, diagnosis, and research in the fields of neurology, psychology, morphology, physiology, and psychiatry. Considering the ample and multifaceted scientific feats, only some are touched in a very brief manner. However, it is necessary to highlight his contributions to neurology, with the description of structures, signs and syndromes, to physiology, including reflexology, which later underpinned behaviorism, to psychology, including objective psychology and suggestion. His accomplishments and legacy remained until the present days. Some comments about the scenery that involved his death are also presented.

Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev foi um neurocientista russo inovador, extraordinário no estudo, diagnóstico, e pesquisa nas áreas da neurologia, psicologia, morfologia, fisiologia e psiquiatria. Considerando seus feitos científicos amplos e multifacetados, apenas alguns são tocados de um modo muito abreviado. Entretanto, é necessário realçar suas contribuições à neurologia, com a descrição de estruturas, sinais e síndromes, à fisiologia, compreendendo a reflexologia, que mais tarde fundamentou o behaviorismo, à psicologia, incluindo a psicologia objetiva e a sugestão. Suas realizações e legado se mantiveram até a presente data. Alguns comentários sobre o cenário que envolveu sua morte também são apresentados.

Life and death of Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev.

Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev was a Russian innovative neuroscientist, extraordinary in the study, diagnosis, and research in the fields of neurology, psychology, morphology, physiology, and psychiatry. Considering the ample and multifaceted scientific feats, only some are touched in a very brief manner. However, it is necessary to highlight his contributions to neurology, with the description of structures, signs and syndromes, to physiology, including reflexology, which later underpinned behaviorism, to psychology, including objective psychology and suggestion. His accomplishments and legacy remained until the present days. Some comments about the scenery that involved his death are also presented.

Fascial eponyms may help elucidate terminological and nomenclatural development.

It has been reported that at least 700 anatomical eponyms were in existence at the end of the 19th century, yet the number of eponyms expressly relating to fasciae is unknown, and these anatomical expressions have yet to be described as a group. This study accordingly aimed to assemble a comprehensive-as-possible list of these terms, to investigate their customary usage, and to consider whether their existence might usefully shed light on contemporary fascia-relating terminological development. A search for fascia-relating eponyms incorporated within a range of English language anatomical and medical publications during the past 400 years resulted in the discovery of 44 eponyms that explicitly refer to aspects of fascia. This article outlines and discusses the origin, meaning, and use of these terms, and concludes that an understanding of the history of fascial eponyms may be of value when addressing contemporary concerns with the language used to describe fascia.

Evaluation of healthcare professionals' understanding of eponymous maneuvers and mnemonics in emergency obstetric care provision.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eponymous maneuvers and mnemonics taught for the management of shoulder dystocia, vaginal breech delivery, and uterine inversion were remembered and understood in practice. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to obstetricians and midwives collecting information about the HELPERR and PALE SISTER mnemonics. Three extended matching questions evaluated participants' knowledge of the correct maneuvers, with their matching eponyms, used in the management of shoulder dystocia, vaginal breech delivery, and uterine inversion. RESULTS: Of the 112 participants, 90% were familiar with the HELPERR mnemonic, with 79% using it in their practice. Of those who used it, only 32% could correctly decipher it (P = 0.032). PALE SISTER was mostly unfamiliar. The percentages of correct maneuvers used for managing shoulder dystocia, breech delivery, and uterine inversion were 84.6%, 58.3%, and 28.6%, respectively. However, the eponyms were correctly matched to their maneuvers in only 33.3%, 14.3%, and 0% of cases, respectively (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The meanings of the mnemonics for obstetric emergencies were frequently recalled incorrectly. This, together with the poor correlation between knowledge of maneuvers and their eponyms, limits their usefulness and indicates that teaching should focus on learning without relying on mnemonics and eponyms.

Achilles tendon: the 305th anniversary of the French priority on the introduction of the famous anatomical eponym.

This article presents a detailed chronology regarding the development of terminology relating to the calcaneal tendon, from ancient times to modern day nomenclature. The notable contributions of Flemish anatomist Philip Verheyen, French surgeon Jean-Louis Petit, German anatomist and surgeon Lorenz Heister, along with the actual origin of the famous anatomical eponym "Achilles tendon" are analysed. During the study of the aforementioned authors, it was revealed that the term was first adopted, in its original French form, by J.-L. Petit in 1705 and later in 1717, in its Latin form, by L. Heister.

Hyphenated history: Erb-Duchenne brachial plexus palsy.

Throughout history, the discoveries of their predecessors have led physicians to revolutionary advances in the understanding and practice of medicine. The result is a plethora of hyphenated eponyms paying tribute to individuals connected through time by a common interest. The history of Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne, the "father of electrotherapy and electrodiagnosis," and Wilhelm Heinrich Erb, the "father of neurology," offers insight into the personal and professional lives of these astute clinicians and their collaborative medical breakthrough in the area of neurologic paralysis affecting the upper limbs.

Barré-Lieou syndrome and the problem of the obsolete eponym.

BACKGROUND: Eponym lists in major sources can give an aura of legitimacy to discredited diagnoses, as exemplified by the case of Barré-Lieou syndrome, a 'rare' vestibular disorder. METHODS: A literature review for information on the posterior cervical syndrome of Barré-Lieou. RESULTS: Barré-Lieou syndrome includes very common symptoms--tinnitus, dizziness, and head or neck pain--attributed to ischaemia caused by cervical sympathetic nerve compression. Its original description brings together many unrelated disorders, and its causative mechanism has been discredited. However, it appears credulously in a number of eponym lists, and references to the syndrome are steadily increasing on the internet in general and on alternative medicine and legal profession websites in particular. CONCLUSION: By inclusion in eponym lists, without a disclaimer, a syndrome can be given legitimacy before the general public. A syndrome, such as Barré-Lieou syndrome, that is useless to the medical profession can unfortunately prove to be very useful for litigants and disability claimants.

[Pott triad and Schmorl nodules. A historical overview of kyphosis with special reference to tuberculous spondylitis and Scheuermann disease]. / Von Pott-Trias und Schmorl-Knoten. Ein geschichtlicher Uberblick zur Kyphose unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der tuberkulösen Spondylitis und des Morbus Scheuermann.

This report provides an overview of the history of the different types of kyphosis (arcuated and angulated forms). Especially tuberculous spondylitis and Scheuermann's disease are pointed out from among the large group of kyphotic diseases. Therefore, Beckhterew's disease, the combination of rickets and kyphosis as well as the dysraphic diseases and constitutional kyphosis caused by faulty posture are only mentioned. These two special types of kyphosis (Scheuermann's disease and tuberculous spondylitis) are presented from the first description with diagnostic findings, the ideas of pathogenesis and aspects of treatment through to the different periods of medical history. This article describes the way of thinking and discussing of opinion leaders at the beginning of the century and the influence of new techniques and developments (asepsis, antisepsis, anesthesia, bacteriology, X-ray, antibiotics) on the differential diagnosis and therapy. It is impossible to give a complete overview of all aspects during the centuries concerning tuberculous spondylitis or arcuated kyphosis. The authors of this article have focussed their studies on developments from the first descriptions until World War II, based mainly on literature from German journals and historical books from the library of the German Museum for Orthopedic History and Science.

A historical review of the illustrations of the circle of Willis from antiquity to 1664.

When Thomas Willis published Cerebri Anatome in 1664, he demonstrated within its pages the greatest insight to date into the structure and function of the circular arterial anastomosis that later came to bear his name. For centuries prior, others had described and illustrated the vascular arrangement on the base of the brain with increasing yet incomplete accuracy, and it was not until Willis' treatment of the subject, accompanied by the fine drawings of Christopher Wren, that a complete account of the "circle of Willis" was provided.

[Eponyms and epilepsy (history of Eastern civilizations)]. / Eponimi i epilepsija (istorijat istocnih civilizacija).

The history of eponyms for epilepsy in the lands of the Eastern globe present the portrait of the attitudes of both the laymen and skilled people towards the disease and patient, as well as to the Nature itself. As opposed to the West which during the Middle ages changed its concepts of epilepsy as the organic brain disease for the sublime 'alchemic' position, the people of the East were more prone to consider from the beginning of their civilization till the XIX century that epilepsy is the consequence of the evanescent spiritual and extracorporal forces which by themselves were out of their reach. As compared to the western civilization, the historical resources are, often as a consequence of a linguistic barriers, more scarce-as consequently is the number of eponyms, but are nevertheless picturesque. The medical science from Babylonian period presumed that epileptic manifestations are the consequence of the demonic or ill spiritual actions. There existed an attitude that at the beginning of an epileptic attack the patient was possessed by a demon (the Akkadic, i.e., Babylonian verb "sibtu" denoting epilepsy, had the meaning "to seize" or "to be obsessed"); at the end of the clonic phase the demon departed from the body. Different demons were responsible for different forms of epilepsy such as nocturnal and children epilepsy, absence epilepsy and pure convulsions, simple and complex automatisms, and gelastic epilepsy. Thus, the doctors from the period of Babylon aside from making primordial classification of epilepsies, knew about their clinical picture (prodromal symptoms and aura, Jackson's epilepsy. Todd's paralysis), postictal phenomena and intericatl emotional instability; provocative factors were also known (sleep deprivation, emotions, as well as alcohol, albeit in a negative sense-as a cure for epilepsy). There is no doubt than in the period of Babylon the clinical picture of serial fits and its progress to status epilepticus were clearly recognized and considered as life threatening events. Persian history of epilepsy, except from the 6th century Zoroastrian "Avesta" document, lacks the written or spoken medical heritage untill the 7th century A.D. and the Arabic conquest of the entire Moslem world. On the other hand, Islamic medicine should be freed from the simple prejudice that the Moslem authors were only the translators of Greek medicine; contrary to such a view, their work contains a high degree of individuality. Although Mohammed introduced a lot of novelty into medicine, Khoran and the Sayings do not explicitly refer to epilepsy. Of importance is to notice that Moslem medicine did not have demons in the "repertoire" of direct causes of epilepsy. The causes and the cures of epilepsy were more magic-mystical and occult in nature, which is reminiscent of the European, as well as Serbian Middle age attitudes. Avicenna recognized difference between children and adult epilepsy. He considered insomnia and afternoon siesta as well as intensive sounds and light to be a provocative factors, whereby we see that at least empirically he knew of sleep (deprivation), startle and reflex epilepsy. The XIII century invasion of Mongols brought about the recession in Moslem Medicine; it recovered only in the XVIII century under the strong influence of European medicine handed over to us through Jewish doctors of various nationalities. The story of the China history of epilepsy has its debut approximately in the 8th century B. C. Medical texts from this period name epilepsy "Dian" and "Xian" which meant "the falling sickness" and "convulsions", respectively. Chinese medical terminology often interchangeably used the words "mania", "madness" and "psychosis" for "epilepsy" which, aside from a prominent language barrier, brings additional confusion. Although Chinese documents gave the first description of the grand mal epileptic attack already in the 8th century B. C. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

[Epilepsy, eponyms and patron saints (history of Western civilization)]. / Epilepsija, eponimi i pokrovitelji (istorijat zapadnih civilizacija).

From a historic point of view, epilepsy and its eponyms were in an ontogenetic symbiosis throughout their history. Epilepsy is a disease with a history of eponyms presenting the frame of mind of both streetwise as well as skilled "authors" about its origin and nature. From ancient times the names for epilepsy, archetypal Hippocratic disease, just as rich in number as varied in their implication, reflected the local folkways of thinking. In this article we briefly presented more than 50 eponyms and patrons of epilepsy. As the source of information we used both the apocryphal, canonical and hagiographic as well as heretic literature, legends and iconography from the Middle Ages of domestic and foreign origin. Pre- and post-Hippocratic era, apart from stemming from the oldest written medical sources, point to the position that the disease had organic origin located in the brain. The period of Rome adopted the attitudes set by Galen which remained en vogue throughout the emerging Middle Ages and Renaissance. These eras generated new eponyms which reflected a downfall in the manor, stating that the disease is the consequence of supernatural forces. In the "Age of darkness" eponyms for epilepsy reflected more the relation of men to the Nature than to the disease or a sick man; this is evidenced through the generation of number of patrons for the disease. The most famous patron of patients with epilepsy was St. Valentine (after conversion from pagandom he died in Rome as a martyr, c. 270). He was allotted a patronage either due to the phonic resemblance of his name with the (past participle of the) verb "fallen"-as Martin Luther claimed, or due to a cure of epilepsy of the son of a Roman rhetor who built for him a chapel in which he continued to cure the sick. The emergence of a flamboyant personality of Paracelsus on the historic scene of the XVI century represents a less successful attempt to revoke the way of thinking set by the old Greek doctors; however, it brought about the precipitous decay of attitudes that started with Romans and inaugurated the way of thinking characteristic of Renaissance and the ages thereafter. Serbian literature of the Middle Age was strongly impacted by influences that fanned from Italy (Salerno) and south France (Montpellier), reflecting the attitudes of medical schools and universities prevailing at that time Europe. The name [symbol: see text] from Hilandar Medical Codex No 517 (XV-XVI century) is obviously taken from Byzantine medicine, which was founded on the works of Hippocrates, Galen and Dioscurides. It came down to us through the Serbian folk Byzantine codices named "latrosophia of Hilandar", preserved mostly from the author Michail Pselos (XI century). On the other hand, the name [symbol: see text] or morbus magnus, reflects its Roman origin. The name [symbol: see text] meaning fainting, loss of consciousness or syncope, stems from the same source. The name [symbol: see text] designated epileptic disease in Serbian monks, monasteries probably being the only niche where epileptics could find refuge. Children's epilepsy or convulsions are expressed as [symbol: see text] No mention is found of epileptic status except for the notion [symbol: see text] meaning "to be without consciousness for a longer period of time'; it does not, however, refer directly to epilepsy or convulsions. It is worthy noting that already in the XIV century Serbs had their medical literature translated to their own language, and were the only one of all Slavic peoples that did so. Nevertheless, both apocryphal and canonical, as well as consecrated medicine were based on magic, astrology and occultism. The magic formulas used in Middle Age Serbia for the cure of epileptics as well as sick in general, were basically irrational; still, as a trace of its descension they contained unintelligible words of the eastern origin (Greek, Persian or Jewish). (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Lumbar nerve root: the enigmatic eponyms.

Man's quest for recognition has not escaped the physician, whose contributions to medicine perpetuate his name in print. It is a final grasp for professional immortality, which for men like Imhotep and Hippocrates, has prevailed for millennia. This fervor was particularly evident in the latter 19th century, which created a flurry of eponyms, often two or more physicians publishing the same clinical observation. This article reviews the eponym epidemic as it relates to lumbar radiculopathy.