[On the ancient and magical lesions in the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries]. / Über die alten und zauberischen Geschwäre im 16. bis 18. Jahrhundert.

At the beginning of the Renaissance magical, witchcraft and demonological medicine still played a large role in the poor healing ability of chronic leg ulcers. This included the general administration of magical potions and topical application. An example of the manipulation of the whole body by the devil was the Abracadabra text from Johann Christoph Bitterkraut in the year 1677. The use of bewitched ointments was particularly propagated by Paracelsus in 1622; however, even as early as the beginning of the seventeenth century, the invocation of supernatural powers was slowly diminishing until at the beginning of the nineteenth century the medical schools on chronic leg ulcers could be cultivated at the universities and by specialized wound healers.

Anecdotario histórico de las heridas crónicas. Personajes ilustres que las han padecido / Compilation of historical anecdotes about chronic wounds well-known people who has suffered them

A lo largo de la historia de la humanidad muchas personas se han visto afectadas por la presencia de heridas crónicas. Millones de personas anónimas han padecido úlceras por presión, venosas, arteriales o neuropáticas. Pero también han existido personajes famosos que, de vez en cuando, sacan estas lesiones de su invisibilidad. En nuestros días, cada vez que alguna persona famosa las padece, vemos cómo los medios de comunicación se hacen eco del problema. Pero, en el pasado, también personajes ilustres las sufrieron. En el presente artículo histórico efectuaremos un repaso a personajes históricos que también han muerto por las temidas «llagas». Así, reyes o santos, se han visto afectados por este problema. Concretamente nos centraremos en seis personajes históricos: tres reyes, un compositor y dos santos y analizaremos la influencia de las heridas crónicas en la causa de su muerte. Artículo expuesto en el VII Simposio Nacional de Úlceras por Presión y Heridas Crónicas y I Congreso Latinoamericano sobre Úlceras y Heridas(AU)

Throughout the course of human history, many people have been affected by the presence of chronic wounds. Millions of anonymous people have suffered bed sores, varicose ulcers, arterial ulcers or neuropathic ulcers. But there have been some famous people who, from time to time, remove these lesions from their cloak of invisibility. In our day and age, every time a famous person suffers from these wounds, we observe how the means of communication publicize this health problem. However, famous people also suffered from these wounds in the past. In this article, the authors will review historical figures who died due to these feared sores. Kings or saints have been affected by this problem. Specifically, the authors will focus on six historical figures: three kings, one composer and two saints; the authors shall analyze the influence of chronic wounds as a cause of their deaths. This article was submitted at the VII National Symposium on Bed Sores and Chronic Wounds and at the First Latin American Congress on Ulcers and Wounds(AU)

A history of coeliac disease.

Coeliac disease may have an ancient history dating back to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. The first clear description was given by Samuel Gee in 1888. He suggested that dietary treatment might be of benefit. In the early 20th century various diets were tried, with some success, but without clear recognition of the toxic components. The doctoral thesis of Wim Dicke of 1950 established that exclusion of wheat, rye and oats from the diet led to dramatic improvement. The toxicity was shown to be a protein component, referred to as gluten. Dicke's colleagues, Weijers and Van de Kamer, showed that measurement of stool fat reflected the clinical condition. Early studies were in children but stool fat measurements documented that the condition could be recognised in adults. Histological abnormalities of the lining of the small intestine were demonstrated beyond doubt by Paulley in 1954 and techniques of per-oral biopsy described by Royer in 1955 and Shiner in 1956 afforded reliable diagnosis. Concurrence in monozygotic twins suggested a genetic component, confirmed by studies of HLA antigens. Additional, non-genetic factors seem likely. Circulating antibodies suggest an immunological mechanism of damage and provide non-invasive screening tests. Lymphoma, adenocarcinoma and ulceration of the small intestine and a range of immunological disorders are associated. A relationship with dermatitis herpetiformis was suggested by Samman in 1955 and established by Shuster and Marks in 1965 and 1968. The Coeliac Society (now Coeliac UK) was founded in 1968 and similar societies now exist across the world. They provide an extremely valuable service. Present problems include definition of the tolerated levels of gluten, whether oats are toxic for some or all coeliacs and the likelihood that the condition is relatively common and frequently without classical symptoms. Hope for the future is that more convenient methods of treatment will follow better understanding.

Los tres grandes. Segunda parte: Jean Louis Marc Alibert (1768-1837) / The three big masters. Second part: Jean Louis Marc Alibert (1768-1837)

Alibert fundó la Escuela Francesa de Dermatología. Trabajó en el Hospital de Saint Louis de París. Brillante orador, describió la micosis fungoide, el queloide y el botón de Oriente, entre otras dermatosis. Su clasificación de las enfermedades cutáneas no ha sobrevivido. Puede ser considerado como el autor del libro sobre dermatosis mejor ilustrado. (AU)

Advances in wound healing research in China: from antiquity to the present.

China is the largest developing country in the world with wounds occuring everyday and everywhere, representing one of the main killers of people. Prevention and treatment of wounds are the main tasks for Chinese surgeons. Although wound care and management have a long history in China, wound healing research and management have made significant progress only in recent years. In this article we give a brief account of the history of wound care and management in China. In addition, we introduce the main research fields and achievements in tissue repair and regeneration during recent times in this country. We hope that these works will benefit our foreign colleagues to know our work and enhance the communication among us.

An autopsy: A historical vignette.

This paper recounts a case report from 1853 that describes the circumstances surrounding the death of a young woman, the request for and granting of permission for an autopsy, and exposition of how the autopsy findings were used from the point of view of education, quality control of practice, and vital statistics. There is, in addition, a description of the evolution of the use of the word autopsy.