Beyond the Neurologist: Charles Foix as a Poet and a Playwright.

BACKGROUND: Charles Foix (1882-1927) may be mostly remembered today due to his contributions to vascular neurology and the syndromes that bear his name, such as the Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. However, he also developed a literary career and composed poetry and a vast collection of plays, often dealing with biblical themes or figures from Greek mythology. SUMMARY: His poetry was often inspired by his own experiences during the First World War, in which he was assigned to serve as a medical officer in Greece, becoming enamored with his surroundings and the classical lore. KEY MESSAGES: The authors explore Foix's poetry and drama and their relationship to his overall work as a neurologist, including his wartime experiences.

"Los libros y la noche", perspectiva neurológica de la ceguera de Jorge Luis Borges.

The works of Argentinian scholar Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) have captivated physicians. An assiduous reader, he was given, with magnificent irony, "books and the night". Borges suffered from chronic and irreversible blindness, which influenced much of his work and has been the subject of different literary and diagnostic analyses from the ophthalmological point of view. However, the characteristics of his visual impairment have escaped the neurological approach, which is why we reviewed his work looking for data suggesting a concomitant brain injury. On his autobiography, he recounts how, during an episode of septicemia, he suffered hallucinations and loss of speech; in addition, in some poems and essays he describes data that suggest "phantom chromatopsia", a lesion of cortical origin. After that accident, Borges survived with a radical change in literary style. Although a precise diagnosis is impossible, his literary work allows recognizing some elements in favor of concomitant brain involvement.

La obra del erudito argentino Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) ha cautivado a los médicos. Asiduo lector con magnífica ironía, le fueron dados "los libros y la noche". Borges padeció una ceguera crónica e irreversible que impulsó gran parte de su obra y ha sido objeto de distintos análisis literarios y diagnósticos desde el punto de vista oftalmológico. Sin embargo, las características de su ceguera han escapado al abordaje neurológico, por lo cual revisamos su obra en busca de datos que sugieran una lesión cerebral concomitante. En su autobiografía relata cómo durante un episodio de septicemia padeció alucinaciones y pérdida del habla; además, en algunos poemas y ensayos describe datos que sugieren "cromatopsia fantasma", lesión de origen cortical. Tras dicho accidente, Borges sobrevivió con un cambio radical en su estilo literario. Aunque un diagnóstico preciso es imposible, su obra literaria nos permite reconocer algunos elementos que sugieren involucramiento cerebral concomitante.

"The books and the night", neurological perspective on Jorge Luis Borges' blindness

The works of Argentinian scholar Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) have captivated physicians. An assiduous reader, he was given, with magnificent irony, "books and the night". Borges suffered from chronic and irreversible blindness, which influenced much of his work and has been the subject of different literary and diagnostic analyses from the ophthalmological point of view. However, the characteristics of his visual impairment have escaped the neurological approach, which is why we reviewed his work looking for data suggesting a concomitant brain injury. On his autobiography, he recounts how, during an episode of septicemia, he suffered hallucinations and loss of speech; in addition, in some poems and essays he describes data that suggest "phantom chromatopsia", a lesion of cortical origin. After that accident, Borges survived with a radical change in literary style. Although a precise diagnosis is impossible, his literary work allows recognizing some elements in favor of concomitant brain involvement.

"The books and the night", neurological perspective on Jorge Luis Borges' blindness.

The works of Argentinian scholar Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986) have captivated physicians. An assiduous reader, he was given, with magnificent irony, "books and the night". Borges suffered from chronic and irreversible blindness, which influenced much of his work and has been the subject of different literary and diagnostic analyses from the ophthalmological point of view. However, the characteristics of his visual impairment have escaped the neurological approach, which is why we reviewed his work looking for data suggesting a concomitant brain injury. On his autobiography, he recounts how, during an episode of septicemia, he suffered hallucinations and loss of speech; in addition, in some poems and essays he describes data that suggest "phantom chromatopsia", a lesion of cortical origin. After that accident, Borges survived with a radical change in literary style. Although a precise diagnosis is impossible, his literary work allows recognizing some elements in favor of concomitant brain involvement.

Oscar Castro Zúñiga: el poeta vencido por la tuberculosis / Oscar Castro Zúñiga, the poet who succumbed to tuberculosis

The life of the renowned Chilean writer, Oscar Castro Zúñiga, was interrupted early, when he was 37 years old. He acquired tuberculosis during the epidemic in our country between the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. He developed the disease during a crucial stage in terms of diagnosis and treatment, coinciding with the end of the sanatorium stage and the first chemotherapeutic attempts. The symptoms and treatments of the disease in that age are described analyzing the letters, both written by himself and by people close to him and the biographies published during the historical and personal context of the artist.

[Oscar Castro Zúñiga, the poet who succumbed to tuberculosis]. / Oscar Castro Zúñiga: el poeta vencido por la tuberculosis.

The life of the renowned Chilean writer, Oscar Castro Zúñiga, was interrupted early, when he was 37 years old. He acquired tuberculosis during the epidemic in our country between the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. He developed the disease during a crucial stage in terms of diagnosis and treatment, coinciding with the end of the sanatorium stage and the first chemotherapeutic attempts. The symptoms and treatments of the disease in that age are described analyzing the letters, both written by himself and by people close to him and the biographies published during the historical and personal context of the artist.

Hieronymi Fracastorii: the Italian scientist who described the "French disease".

Girolamo Fracastoro was a true Italian Renaissance man: he excelled in literature, poetry, music, geography, geology, philosophy, astronomy and, of course, medicine to the point that made Charles-Edward Armory Winslow define him as "a peak unequaled by anyone between Hippocrates and Pasteur". In 1521 Fracastoro wrote the poem "Syphilis Sive de Morbo Gallico" in which was established the use of the term "syphilis" for this terrible and inexplicably transmitted disease, often referred to as "French disease" by the people of the time and by Fracastoro himself.

[Literature, history and pharmacy: a possible dialogue]. / Literatura, história e farmácia: um diálogo possível.

In the Memory Center of the Pharmacy School of UFMG there are documents relating to the passage of Carlos Drummond de Andrade through the institution, a fact that has led to reflection on the presence of the pharmacy and the pharmaceutical expert in literature. By means of interdisciplinary dialogue and research into elements that prove this presence, active participation and presence in the literature, an attempt was made to historicize these ties, not only of the poet from Itabira, but other men of letters, be they pharmaceutical professionals or people inspired by them. The objective was also to highlight some evidence that supports and demonstrates the importance of this professional in Brazilian society of the late-nineteenth century and early-twentieth century.

Literatura, história e farmácia: um diálogo possível / Literature, history and pharmacy: a possible dialogue

No Centro de Memória da Faculdade de Farmácia da UFMG encontram-se documentos relativos à passagem de Carlos Drummond de Andrade pela instituição, fato que levou à reflexão sobre a presença da farmácia e do farmacêutico na literatura. Por meio de diálogo interdisciplinar e de pesquisa sobre elementos que comprovassem essa presença, sua efetiva participação e presença na literatura, buscou-se historicizar essa vinculação não só do poeta de Itabira, mas de outros homens de letras, sendo profissionais farmacêuticos ou inspirados por eles. Objetivou-se, igualmente, apontar alguns elementos que fundamentem e demonstrem a importância desse profissional na sociedade brasileira do final do século XIX e primeira metade do XX.

In the Memory Center of the Pharmacy School of UFMG there are documents relating to the passage of Carlos Drummond de Andrade through the institution, a fact that has led to reflection on the presence of the pharmacy and the pharmaceutical expert in literature. By means of interdisciplinary dialogue and research into elements that prove this presence, active participation and presence in the literature, an attempt was made to historicize these ties, not only of the poet from Itabira, but other men of letters, be they pharmaceutical professionals or people inspired by them. The objective was also to highlight some evidence that supports and demonstrates the importance of this professional in Brazilian society of the late-nineteenth century and early-twentieth century.

Goethe's anxieties, depressive episodes and (self-)therapeutic strategies: a contribution to method integration in psychotherapy.

BACKGROUND: In psychiatry and psychotherapy, abstract scientific principles need to be exemplified by narrative case reports to gain practical precision. Goethe was one of the most creative writers, productive scientists, and effective statesmen that ever lived. His descriptions of feelings, emotions, and mental states related to anxieties, depressive episodes, dysthymia, and creativity are unique in their phenomenological precision and richness. His life and work can thus serve as an excellent example enhancing our understanding of the relationship between anxiety, depression and creativity. Furthermore, he described (self-)therapeutic strategies that reinforce and refine modern views. METHODS: Goethe's self-assessments in his works and letters, and the descriptions by others are analyzed under the perspective of current psychiatric classification. His therapeutic techniques and recommendations are compared with cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and existential psychotherapy to amplify modern concepts of psychotherapy. RESULTS: From a scientific perspective, several distinctive depressive episodes can be diagnosed in Goethe's life. They were characterized by extended depressive moods, lack of drive, and loss of interest and self-esteem combined with social retreat. Goethe displayed diffuse and phobic anxieties as well as dysthymia. His (self-)therapeutic strategies were: (a) the systematic use of helping alliances, (b) behavioral techniques, (c) cognitive reflection on meanings and beliefs, (d) psychodynamic and psychoanalytic remembering, repeating, and working through, and (e) existential striving for self-actualization, social commitment, meaning, and creativity. CONCLUSIONS: In Goethe's life, creative incubation, illumination, and elaboration appear to have been associated with psychic instability and dysthymia, sometimes with depressive episodes in a clinical sense. On the one hand, his creative work was triggered by anxieties, dysthymia, and depressive moods. On the other hand, his creativity helped him to cope with psychic disorders and suicidal tendencies. Furthermore, Goethe described psychotherapeutic strategies that resemble modern techniques. He integrated relational, behavioral, cognitive, psychodynamic, and existential techniques and attitudes. These modern psychotherapeutic approaches can be exemplified and enhanced by reflecting upon the (self-)therapeutic efforts of one of the most creative persons that have ever lived. Hermeneutics as the art of communication and understanding derived from Goethe's (self-)therapy and creative works can serve as a meta-theoretical framework for the integration of different psychotherapeutic approaches.

[Neruda and antimicrobial resistance]. / Neruda y la resistencia a los antibióticos.

Antimicrobial resistance has been a problem in medicine, since their incorporation to clinical practice. Numerous papers have been written on the subject. The analysis of two poems by Pablo Neruda "How much does a man live" and "Larynx", included in the volume "Estravagario" and published for the first time in 1957 and 1958, give us an incredible revelation about the concept of resistance. In these poems aureomycin, the first antimicrobial of the family of tetracyclines, was included as a poetic figure and the therapeutic action of antimicrobials was described. "Never so much bugs died I tons of them fell I but the few that remained olive I manifested their perversity". These writings incorporated novel concepts, even for physicians of that time and described the closeness of death that a patient may perceive during the course of a given disease. The capacity of Pablo Neruda to extract the essence of situations and to anticipate to conditions that only years later became clinically relevant problems, is noteworthy.

Neruda y la resistencia a los antibióticos / Neruda and antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance has been a problem in medicine, since their incorporation to clinical practice. Numerous papers have been written on the subject. The analysis of two poems by Pablo Neruda "How much does a man live" and "Larynx", included in the volume "Estravagario" and published for the first time in 1957 and 1958, give us an incredible revelation about the concept of resistance. In these poems aureomycin, the first antimicrobial of the family of tetracycline’s, was included as a poetic figure and the therapeutic action of antimicrobials was described. "Never so much bugs died I tons of them fell I but the few that remained olive I manifested their perversity". These writings incorporated novel concepts, even for physicians of that time and described the closeness of death that a patient may perceive during the course of a given disease. The capacity of Pablo Neruda to extract the essence of situations and to anticipate to conditions that only years later became clinically relevant problems, is noteworthy.

La parádola de los seis ciegos y el elefante indostano o comprendiendo la esencia de la medicina interna / The fable of the six blind men and the elephant from indostan or understanding the internal medicine essence

Existe una antigua fábula popularizada en un poema escrito por el poema norteamericano John G Saxe en 1860. En él se demuestra como podemos estar equivocados si sustentamos nuestras opiniones con base a una insuficiente evidencia obtenida a través de un inadecuado estudio. Cada uno de los seis ciegos del poema se acercó al elefante para investigar cómo era pero tomando solo una parte aislada del animal. Cada uno se hizo de una solida pero errónea opinión de lo que realmente era un elefante. Discutieron entre sí defendiendo sus impresiones y como Saxe escribiera, "Los ciegos disputan y se querellan: cada uno está seguro de haber hecho bien su prueba...¡Cada uno tiene un poco de razón...y todos están equivocados!". El autor asimila al elefante a un paciente cuya queja es interpretada de manera diferente al ser analizada a través del juicio prejuiciado de diversos especialistas al interpretar fragmentos inconexos del todo indivisible que es el ser humano

There is old Indian fable made popular in a poem written by John G. Saxe in 1860. It demonstrates how we can be so very wrong by basing our opinions on insufficient evidence gained through inadequate studies. Each of the six blind men in the poem walked up to an imposing elephant to investigate what it investigate what it was-but each touched only one part of the animal. Each man had a faulty yet strong opinion of what an elephant was really like and disputed the others with great vigor. As Saxe wrote, "through each was partly in the right, and all were in the wrong! "The author compares the elephant to a patient whose complaint is interpreted differently when analyzed through the prejudiced judgment of various specialist who interpret unconnected fragments of the fully indivisible human being

[The medical history of Edgar Allan Poe]. / La historia médica de Edgar Alian Poe.

Edgar Allan Poe, one of the best American storytellers and poets, suffered an episodic behaviour disorder partially triggered by alcohol and opiate use. Much confusion still exists about the last days of his turbulent life and the cause of his death at an early age. Different etiologies have been proposed to explain his main medical problem, however, complex partial seizures triggered by alcohol, poorly recognized at the time when Poe lived, seems to be one of the most acceptable hypothesis, among others discussed.

[Harvard: historical representation of anesthesia in art]. / Harvard, histórica representación de la anestesia en el arte.

This article is about the use of ether as a general anesthetic that was used for the first time by T. Morton at Harvard University. It was a landmark in future surgical procedures and this discovery was documented by the painting of the Robert Hinckey and it has been used for teaching history of medicine.

[Ethics and the severina condition in the mangrove swamps of Capibaribe]. / Etica e condição severina nos mangues do Capibaribe.

João Cabral de Melo Neto's poem "Morte e vida severina" focuses primarily on the satisfaction of human needs and on the condição severina--i.e., the poverty, hunger, joblessness, injustice, and early death that characterizes much of life in Northeast Brazil. In two episodes of the poem, human life is presented as a value ideal: during the dialog between the master carpenter and the protagonist Severino (a retirante, or migrant fleeing drought-stricken areas of the Northeast) and likewise during the birth of another Severino, on the banks of the Capibaribe River in Recife.

[Milonguitas in Buenos Aires (1910-40): tango, social ascent, and tuberculosis]. / Milonguitas en Buenos Aires (1910-1940): tango, ascenso social y tuberculosis.

During the first three decades of the 20th century, in the fervor of urban change that transformed Buenos Aires into a metropolis, poetry, cinema, theater, and the lyrics of the tango repeatedly portrayed the path of muchachas de barrio who, by taking to nightlife and the downtown cabarets, placed their stakes on a society where social ascent--limited yet real--was part of the urban experience. For the most part written by men, the lyrics speak of these journeys in a tone of censure and tuberculosis is cast as a form of punishment for these young women who dared to question ther place in the domestic world and the world of the barrio. The tango thus offers its audience not only a highly moralizing account but also paints an image of an illness that seems unique to women although it in fact affected male and female alike.