The Epidemic Diseases Act (1897): A study of international and domestic pressures on British epidemic policy formation in India.

The Epidemic Diseases Act (EDA) was enacted in February 1897 by the Government of India to prevent and control the spread of the plague. Since then, the Act has become a key legal tool for the control of epidemics/pandemics in India. We attempted to understand the international and domestic pressures that led to the adoption of the EDA in three ways. First, we analyse the legislative structure (Bombay Municipal Act of 1888, Indian Railways Act of 1890, and Act I of 1870) that dealt with infectious or contagious diseases in colonial India before the EDA came into force. Second, we focus on the linkages between international and domestic pressures that necessitated the adoption of the EDA. Third, we analyse the discussions of the Council of the Governor General of India on the bill titled 'A Bill to Provide for the better prevention of the spread of Dangerous Epidemic Diseases', which later became the Epidemic Diseases Act No. III of 1897. We situate the EDA in an international context of International Sanitary Conferences, quarantine, trade concerns, and pilgrimage to Mecca in order to understand the pressures that impacted British epidemic policy formation in colonial India.

Liver Graft Machine Perfusion: From History Perspective to Modern Approaches in Transplant Surgery.

The shortage of donor organs remains an unresolved issue in livertransplantation worldwide. Consequently, strategies for expanding the donor pool are currently being developed. Donors meeting extended criteria undergo thorough evaluation, as livers obtained from marginal donors yield poorer outcomes in recipients, including exacerbated reperfusion injury, acute kidney injury, early graft dysfunction, and primary nonfunctioning graft. However, the implementation of machine perfusion has shown excellent potential in preserving donor livers and improving their characteristics to achieve better outcomes for recipients. In this review, we analyzed the global experience of using machine perfusion in livertransplantation through the history ofthe development ofthis method to the latest trends and possibilities for increasing the number of liver transplants.

Editorial - A View of Our Upcoming Meeting 2024.

Welcome to the Cream City - Milwaukee, for our next annual meeting of the American Academy of the History of Dentistry. Why the Cream City and not The Beer Capital? The answer lies deep within the geological history of the state. Southeastern Wisconsin contains the glacial lake deposits of silts and clays, being the southern border of the last ice age over 10,000 years ago. These raw materials were used for the bricks, which when fired turned yellow and which were used to construct many buildings throughout the 19th century. Noted for their cream color edifices still exist having been built with these bricks.

The life sciences and the history of analytic philosophy.

Comparative to the commonplace focus onto developments in mathematics and physics, the life sciences appear to have received relatively sparse attention within the early history of analytic philosophy. This paper addresses two related aspects of this phenomenon. On the one hand, it asks: to the extent that the significance of the life sciences was indeed downplayed by early analytic philosophers, why was this the case? An answer to this question may be found in Bertrand Russell's 1914 discussions of the relation between biology and philosophy. Contrary to received views of the history of analytic philosophy, Russell presented his own 'logical atomism' in opposition not only to British Idealism, but also to 'evolutionism'. On the other hand, I will question whether this purported neglect of the life sciences does indeed accurately characterise the history of analytic philosophy. In answering this, I turn first to Susan Stebbing's criticisms of Russell's overlooking of biology, her influence on J.H. Woodger, and her critical discussion of T.H. Huxley's and C.H. Waddington's application of evolutionary views to philosophical questions. I then discuss the case of Moritz Schlick, whose evolutionist philosophy has been overlooked within recent debates concerning Logical Empiricism's relation to the philosophy of biology.

[History of the study of amyloidosis: from the Rokitansky's theory to the present day].

In the history of amyloidosis studying the concept of liquids dyscrasia has been predominated and finally it is resulted in accepting a serum protein-precursor as a leading amyloidogenic factor in the disease pathogenesis. Consequently basic diagnostic and treatment strategy was aimed to find and eliminate this protein from the blood and this approach evidenced high effectiveness in most frequent AA and AL-amyloidosis characterized with anomaly high levels of precursors in the blood. At the same time there are less frequent and slower progressing inheritant forms of systemic amyloidosis including transthyretin induced, which are less depending on amyloidogenecity of amyloid precursor and because of that, in example, the effectiveness of transthyretin stabilizers or blockers of its synthesis is limited comparing with the precursor elimination in AA or AL. Developed in the middle of XX century a theory of local synthesis by macrophages is more preferable to describe the pathogenesis of these forms. And modern proteome analysis using give rise to confirm the key meaning of macrophage in the amyloidogenesis and proves necessity to know deeply mechanisms of macrophagial autophagia - basic tool of maintaining intracellular protein homeostasis. That is why it is difficult to hope on high effectiveness of chemical amyloid solvents in vivo, which being under macrophages regulation never could realize its chemical activities.

[The last illness of I.S. Turgenev].

The article discusses the causes and course of the last illness of I.S. Turgenev. The writer was consulted by many famous French and Russian doctors who made various diagnoses and used various methods of treatment. The primary disease that caused Turgenev's death is myxosarcoma (one of the sarcoma variants), involving soft tissues and thoracic vertebrae. The article presents data and discusses alternative diagnostic versions about the nature of the disease and the causes of death of the great Russian writer.

Strain variation and anomalous climate synergistically influence cholera pandemics.

BACKGROUND: Explanations for the genesis and propagation of cholera pandemics since 1817 have remained elusive. Evolutionary pathogen change is presumed to have been a dominant factor behind the 7th "El Tor" pandemic, but little is known to support this hypothesis for preceding pandemics. The role of anomalous climate in facilitating strain replacements has never been assessed. The question is of relevance to guide the understanding of infectious disease emergence today and in the context of climate change. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigate the roles of climate and putative strain variation for the 6th cholera pandemic (1899-1923) using newly assembled historical records for climate variables and cholera deaths in provinces of former British India. We compare this historical pandemic with the 7th (El Tor) one and with the temporary emergence of the O139 strain in Bangladesh and globally. With statistical methods for nonlinear time series analysis, we examine the regional synchrony of outbreaks and associations of the disease with regional temperature and rainfall, and with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). To establish future expectations and evaluate climate anomalies accompanying historical strain replacements, climate projections are generated with multi-model climate simulations for different 50-year periods. The 6th cholera pandemic featured the striking synchronisation of cholera outbreaks over Bengal during the El Niño event of 1904-07, following the invasion of the Bombay Presidency with a delay of a few years. Accompanying anomalous weather conditions are similar to those related to ENSO during strain replacements and pandemic expansions into Africa and South America in the late 20th century. Rainfall anomalies of 1904-05 at the beginning of the large cholera anomaly fall in the 99th percentile of simulated changes for the regional climate. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Evolutionary pathogen change can act synergistically with climatic conditions in the emergence and propagation of cholera strains. Increased climate variability and extremes under global warming provide windows of opportunity for emerging pathogens.

Evolution of Phytophthora infestans on its potato host since the Irish potato famine.

Phytophthora infestans is a major oomycete plant pathogen, responsible for potato late blight, which led to the Irish Potato Famine from 1845-1852. Since then, potatoes resistant to this disease have been bred and deployed worldwide. Their resistance (R) genes recognize pathogen effectors responsible for virulence and then induce a plant response stopping disease progression. However, most deployed R genes are quickly overcome by the pathogen. We use targeted sequencing of effector and R genes on herbarium specimens to examine the joint evolution in both P. infestans and potato from 1845-1954. Currently relevant effectors are historically present in P. infestans, but with alternative alleles compared to modern reference genomes. The historic FAM-1 lineage has the virulent Avr1 allele and the ability to break the R1 resistance gene before breeders deployed it in potato. The FAM-1 lineage is diploid, but later, triploid US-1 lineages appear. We show that pathogen virulence genes and host resistance genes have undergone significant changes since the Famine, from both natural and artificial selection.

Historical Perspectives on the Use Plastic-Based Cements in Endodontics and Prosthodontics: Part 1 - Oxychlorides.

Oxychloride of zinc was used for years to treat teeth by different approaches and procedures. The success of material usage depended on how well the procedures were conducted and largely on the mix of the material. This article aims to review the evolutionary history of this material with a view to its clinical uses, properties, procedures, applications, and successes when used in the management of decayed tooth structure. Perspectives proffered within focus cover 110 years from 1850 to 1960."Who has not mentally asked the question, as he has taxed himself and his patient to almost complete exhaustion in some dental operation of unusual magnitude or length, Is there not some way either to prevent this destruction of tissue or to restore these organs when attacked, unattended by the severe mental and physical strain upon the operator, and the shrinking, dread, and suffering to the patient which the present general practice and teaching involve?…If the profession would avert this evil, observation must be extended and accurate; new remedies must be sought and applied; investigation by experiment made popular, and the employment of other than mere mechanical remedies encouraged."

Editorial - Venturing into the Depths of Historical Perspectives in Dentistry & Medicine.

With this volume of the Journal of the History of Dentistry we are proud to introduce to our readers and our healing professions, in-depth Essays that focuses on our historical evolution. One might ask, "What is an Essay and Why is This Unique?" The simplest definition of an essay is a non-fictional written work that focuses on a particular subject, sometimes in general terms and sometimes in depth. The word "essay" is derived from the French word "essai," (or as a collection "Essais) meaning trial or attempt. The first use of this approach to address a particular issue has often been attributed to the Frenchman Michel de Montaigne, born in 1533 (Fig. 1).

A Timeline of the History of Dentistry.

History of Dentistry starts from the moment the Late Paleolithic Man used a toothpick fashioned from a bone or wood splinter, or the moment our human ancestors began to manipulate the surface of a tooth to remove its retentiveness, so food does not get stuck. That was at least 14,000 years ago, based on available evidence. The current timeline, compiled in this article, is one of many published over the years. However, this timeline incorporates three new strategies. First, it extends to select medical and fundamental dental discoveries, as the History of Dentistry can only be told with the main events within the History of Medicine. Second, it is more detailed (350 entries) than any previous timeline the author has encountered. Third, several critical primary references to support events listed in this timeline characterize this effort. Finally, 130 illustrations are included to improve the visualization of dates. The manuscript also includes a new display of the five main stages of dentistry throughout its history.

Opposed to Pain: Antikamnia Chemical Company.

The Antikamnia (AK) Chemical Company founded in 1890, which eventually was renamed The Antikamnia Remedy Company in 1819, was an important medicine company that thrived prior to passage of the 1906 Food and Drug act using smart worldwide marketing. As dangerous as the AK products were, success continued after 1906 by pursuing methods to flout regulations and stick to the marketing methods and legal maneuvering that kept AK sales strong. This article describes the tumultuous history of one of the most successful drug companies between 1890 and well into the 1920s.