Perspectives of Medieval Persian Medicine on Multiple Sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION: Traditional Persian Medicine (TPM) was the prevailing practice of medicine in the Eurasia region up through the 18th century, a practice of medicine stemming back to Hippocrates and to the 5000 year old civilization of the region. It is a school of medicine which touches on many a delicate points which may seem unimaginable within the realm of modern allopathic medicine. This practice of ancient medicine besides shedding light on various possible theoretical modern day disorders serves as a vast resource for therapeutics. In this paper, we present study of the manuscripts of this ancient medical practice in search of symptom presentations coinciding with presentation of multiple sclerosis (MS). MATERIAL & METHOD: This paper represents a comprehensive search through TPM texts and manuscripts with the intention to seek possible clues on MS from potentially valuable age-old resources. We predominantly focused our search on the works of five eminent physicians of Medieval Persia: Avicenna (980-1037 AD), Haly Abbas (949-982 AD), Rhazes (865-925 AD), Averroes (1126-1198 AD) and Jorjani (1042-1137 AD). RESULTS: In this paper, the authors attempt a theory and conclude with high probability that a conjunction of a series of signs, symptoms found in TPM texts under the terms khadar, isterkha and falej form the symptoms and the disease pattern of modern day MS. This theory draws upon existent similarities in terms of disease pathology, disease patterns and predisposing factors seen between MS and the related morbidities within Persian Medicine. CONCLUSION: We recommend further examinations of such potentially valuable long-standing resources, examining the diagnoses and treatments as set forth by Persian Medicine through international collaboration within the global scientific community.

Paresis, historical therapy in the perspective of Caelius Aurelianus, with special reference to the use of hydrotherapy in antiquity.

Caelius Aurelianus provides in his work Tardarum sive chronicarum passionum, based on Soranos' famous, but lost, work about acute and chronical illnesses, a remarkably detailed description of the physio-therapy of paresis, which covers the complete therapeutic spectrum of the groundwork of a combined therapy. His view that rehabilitative treatment should be started from the second day of illness sounds almost revolutionary. Also, modern early rehabilitation makes a specific use of combined therapy in a way that is analogous to that described by Caelius Aurelianus. Even today, the view is taken that fast mobilisation of the patient is the top priority of therapy. The three-stage mobilisation therapy involving exercises in rolling-in-bed as well as practice in trying-to-sit-up is quite similar to what is common practice today.

[Wagner von Jauregg and development of malaria therapy]. / Wagner von Jauregg und die Entwicklung der Malariatherapie.

In this history of psychiatric therapy the progressive paralysis deserves special interest: for the first time an organic psychosis was treatable successfully by a procedure found by scientific methods. This article describes life and work of Julius Wagner, Ritter von Jauregg (1857-1940) and remembers the introduction of the malaria-therapy, which was developed by Wagner 75 years ago.

Julius Wagner von Jauregg: a reappraisal.

A little more than half a century has passed since the death of Julius Wagner von Jauregg, a significant figure in the history of modern psychiatry. We believe that after this passage of time the life and work of Wagner von Jauregg deserve reappraisal.