[200 years of the animal hospital Zurich: A cross-section through the lectures of the exam year 1864]. / 200 Jahre Tierspital Zürich: Ein Querschnitt durch die Vorlesungen des Examenjahrgangs 1864.

INTRODUCTION: The current study analyzed eleven lecture transcripts from the Zurich Veterinary School of the years -1861-1864. The work presents the staff and organizational situation of the school at that time. Lectures concerned mostly clinical subjects, especially special pathology and therapy. The texts were transcribed, summarized and analyzed according to the criteria species, diagnosis and therapy. The drugs were listed. Therapy concepts follow the principles of humoral pathology, but transition to cellular pathology was imminent. The pathogens of infectious diseases are not identified yet, but are suspected to be called «contagions¼.

INTRODUCTION: On dispose de 11 manuscrits de cours des années ­1861­1864 à l'école vétérinaire de Zürich. On présente la situation de l'époque de l'école au point de vue du personnel et de l'organisation. Les cours concernent principalement les branches cliniques, en particulier la pathologie spéciale et la thérapie. Les manuscrits ont été transcrits, résumés et analysés en tenant compte des critères de l'espèce animale, du diagnostic et du traitement. On a établi une liste des médicaments. Les concepts thérapeutiques étaient basés sur les principes de la pathologie humorale mais la transition vers la pathologie cellulaire se dessine. Les agents infectieux n'étaient pas encore identifiés mais on les pressent avec le terme de «contagions¼.

[Nizeivels Miez da Madaschinnas per la Bieschco d'Armontif et porcs: A manuscript from 1748 on veterinary medicine]. / Nizeivels Miez da Madaschinnas per la Bieschco d'Armontif et porcs: Eine tierheilkundliche Schrift aus dem Jahr 1748.

INTRODUCTION: A manuscript from 1748 in Rhaeto-Romanic language is discussed. It's an unfinished translation of a publication in German language from 1715 which contains elements from the standard work on household and agriculture by Johannes Coler, 1645. By comparing the manuscript with 15 contemporary publications and manuscripts from Switzerland, textual similarities were found in three publications. The manuscript contains 62 therapy instructions for cattle diseases and 7 for pig diseases. Remedies of plant origin, food of animal origin and faeces are applied. Various interventions lead to painful injuries of the animals. Most therapies have to be considered as irrational.

INTRODUCTION: On présente un manuscrit en langue romanche datant de l'année 1748. Il s'agit d'une traduction inachevée d'une publication en allemand de 1715. Il contient des éléments de l'ouvrage standard de Johannes Coler, 1645, consacré à la gestion du ménage et à l'agriculture. Une comparaison avec 15 publications et manuscrits contemporains de Suisse montre dans trois publications des similitudes textuelles. Le texte contient 62 instructions thérapeutiques pour les maladies des bovins et sept pour les maladies des porcs. Des remèdes d'origine végétale, des aliments d'origine animale et des matières fécales sont utilisés. Diverses procédures entraînent des blessures douloureuses chez les animaux et de nombreux traitements doivent être décrits comme irrationnels.

[The 1935 veterinary agreements of the League of the Nations: A vision of a united veterinary Europe]. / Die Veterinärabkommen des Völkerbundes von 1935: Eine Vision des Veterinärraumes Europa.

INTRODUCTION: A group of leading veterinary experts engaged by the league of the Nations created three new Veterinary Conventions focusing at consequently controlling the import, export and transit of animals and animal products. The aim was on one hand to facilitate trade and on the other hand to make sure that livestock epidemic laws were respected. The outbreak of war prevented the laws from coming into effect. Nevertheless they became the basis for veterinary regulations of the World Trade Organisation and of the European Union.

[The history of detained Polish veterinarians in Switzerland 1940-1947]. / Zur Geschichte internierter polnischer Tierärzte in der Schweiz 1940-1947.

As part of the recent history of veterinary medicine in Switzerland, in Poland and in other countries biographies ofveterinarians among Polish soldiers detained to Switzerland during WWII are described. The information is derived from a number of Swiss and Ukrainian archives and personal contacts with descendants and colleagues of these veterinarians living in Switzerland and abroad.

[Eligius, the patron of veterinarians]. / Eligius, Schutzpatron der Tierärztinnen und Tierärzte.

Saint Eligius became the saint patron of farriers and veterinarians in the 13th century. This was first mentioned by Jordanus Ruffus, emperor Frederic the 2nd's equerry, who refers to a gregorian hymnal dedicated to Eligius. The legend says that Eliguis amputated a horse's foot, shoed it and placed it back on the horse's leg. This legend might have replaced the Germanic cult described in the incantations of Merseburg. In Switzerland the veneration of Eligius is particularly spread in the canton of Lucerne.

Medieval cattle from Bern (Switzerland): an archaeozoological, genetic and historical approach.

This study deals with genetic analyses of an assemblage of mediaeval (13th century) cattle metapodials from Bern that had previously been osteometrically examined regarding sex, shape and wither height. The results from the genetic sexing of these small (height 100 to 120 cm) cattle correlate well with the osteometric interpretations. Some few exceptions we interpreted as cows used as draft animals with stouter bones and thus osteometrically determined as males. Two morphologically different groups of cow metatarsals however, we took as proof of the historical fact that Bern relied on livestock from different geographical origins: the town's vicinity and the alpine pastures with their favourable grazing conditions. It was not possible to distinguish them genetically. An analysis of one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) showed that predominant coat colour most likely was red-brown. Furthermore, an analysis of the SNP in the Y-chromosomal intron UTY19 that divide modern taurine cattle in two major haplogroups (Y1 and Y2) showed that the mediaeval cattle belonged to the haplogroup Y2 with one single exception of a Y1.

[The influence of the Ecole Veterinaire in Lyon in Switzerland]. / Die Ausstrahlung der École Vétérinaire Royale von Lyon auf die Schweiz.

Between 1763 and 1798 at least 30 young men from the territory of today's Switzerland attended the École Vétérinaire in Lyon. Various archives provide information about their achievements at the school and their later lives. Several biographies exist. The Bernese Albrecht von Haller was particularly devoted to the idea of sending Swiss students to Lyon. He therefore contacted and corresponded with Claude Bourgelat, the founder of the École Vétérinaire in Lyon. Both Albrecht von Haller and Claude Bourgelat engaged in fighting dangerous epizootic diseases such as Contagious Pleuropneumonia or Rinderpest. They both demanded that all sick animals and animals which had contact with the sick ones should be killed.

[Unusual course of a planned lumbar microdiscectomy]. / Ungewöhnlicher Verlauf einer elektiv geplanten lumbalen Bandscheibenoperation.

We report the case of a 30-year-old female patient who underwent unilateral transverse sinus stenosis stenting due to a newly diagnosed idiopathic intracranial hypertension (Pseudotumor cerebri) with symptoms of papilledema, decreased visual acuity and headache. Resolution of the symptoms and improvement of magnetic resonance and ophthalmiologic findings could be documented.

[First experience with the Heidelberg Edge Perimeter® on patients with ocular hypertension and preperimetric glaucoma]. / Erste Erfahrungen mit dem Heidelberg-Edge-Perimeter® bei Patienten mit okulärer Hypertension und präperimetrischem Glaukom.

BACKGROUND: The white-on-white computerised static perimetry is not very sensitive to detect a beginning visual field loss. A newer technique to test the central visual field with a flicker defined form technology (FDF) is the Heidelberg Edge Perimeter® (HEP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A study with 90 eyes from 50 patients (mean age 59 ± 14 years) with ocular hypertension and/or optic nerve suspicious for glaucoma without detectable visual field loss in the Octopus® perimetry (Program dG-2) with the Heidelberg Edge Perimeter® was performed. The "mean defect" (MD), the "pattern standard deviation" and the glaucoma hemifield test (GHT) were calculated and compared with the indices of the Octopus®. RESULTS: Despite normal visual field findings in the Octopus® perimetry (MD < 2.0 dB) we detected in 48 out of 90 eyes (53 %) pathological visual fields in the HEP examination. CONCLUSIONS: As a new research method the Heidelberg Edge perimetry® seems to be more sensitive than conventional static perimetry in early detection of visual field alterations in patients between ocular hypertension and incipient glaucoma.

[Switzerland as a "Veterinary Area": The development of federal veterinary policy, A.D. 941 - 1886.]. / Der Weg zum "Veterinärraum" Schweiz A.D. 941 - 1886.

The earliest recorded animal disease notification on the territory of contemporary Switzerland is found in the chronicles of the monastery of St. Gall and dates back to A.D. 941. Disease control in Switzerland began in medieval towns, with the regulation of livestock and the meat trade. Later, there were attempts to keep entire small areas such as valleys free of animal epidemics. Because livestock tended to be transported in one direction only - away from rural areas for sale in towns and for export - disease in animal-raising areas usually did not spread very far. Albrecht von Haller's epidemiological research from 1773 established the fundamentals of effective disease control. The cantons introduced extensive measures for protecting their territories on the basis of animal transport controls. With the development of the railways and the international livestock trade around 1850, the risk of animal epidemics increased considerably, leading to the need for measures on national and international levels. The first federal law on animal disease control was introduced in Switzerland in 1872, thus creating a nation-wide "veterinary area". In 1886 the law was amended to include mandatory controls of imported livestock and meat by a newly-created border veterinary service.

[Meat inspection in the medieval Zähringer towns.]. / Fleischschau in der mittelalterlichen Zähringerstadt.

An explanation of medieval practices of meat supply and regulation, using examples drawn from the so-called "Zähringer towns" founded by the Dukes of Zähringen: Bern, Burgdorf, Thun, Murten, Freiburg and Rheinfelden. For the town councils it was important to be able to provide the population with sufficient quantities of good-quality meat at fair prices. After the 14th century the slaughtering of animals had to be carried out in public slaughterhouses. Meat could only be sold publicly, at designated butchers' stalls. Meat and organs were checked on a daily basis by the town's meat inspectors, who verified the names under which products were sold, their price, and hygienic conditions, including the absence of tapeworm larvae. In addition to the publicly-regulated meat trade, town dwellers could also buy meat products at the markets, and could raise their own pigs, sheep and goats to be slaughtered in the back alleys. Permission to raise small livestock at home was a privilege granted by the town council. The sale of meat by non-resident peddlers was officially forbidden, but could not be prevented entirely.

In vivo confocal microscopy of keratic precipitates in fuchs heterochromic uveitis syndrome.

BACKGROUND: In vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) enables large-field in vivo examination of the corneal endothelium and corneal precipitates. Keratic precipitates (KP) are prominent features of Fuchs Heterochromic uveitis syndrome (FHUS). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of KP on the corneal endothelium. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Eight patients with clinically diagnosed FHUS and KP between July 2007 and May 2008 underwent slit lamp examination and IVCM. KP (shape, area), endothelial cell count and percentage of hexagonal cells were measured and compared with an age-matched control group and with not affected healthy contralateral eyes. RESULTS: The age of participants ranged between 26 and 67 years. KP had a diameter ranging between 37 to 217 microm (mean 137 microm) with an average area of KP of 5630 microm (2). The mean endothelial cell count in the study group was 2541 +/- 299 cells/mm (2), 2722 +/- 312 cells/mm (2) in the control group (p = 0,18) and 2397 +/- 192 cells/mm (2) in not affected contralateral eyes (p = 0.17). The percentage of hexagonal cells was 59.1 % in FHUS study group and 69.1 % in the control group (p = 0.0002) and 68.6 % in not affected contralateral eyes (p = 0.0495). CONCLUSIONS: KP in FHUS cause a focal damage of endothelial cells reflected in a decreased percentage of healthy hexagonal cells. The degree of endothelial cell damage seems to be low as it does not lead to a significant reduction in the endothelial cell count.

[Acute anterior non-granulomatous uveitis after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab]. / Akute anteriore nichtgranulomatöse Uveitis nach intravitrealer Bevacizumab-Injektion.

BACKGROUND: Recently, bevacizumab (Avastin(R)) has been used widely as a potential off-label treatment of CNV. The ocular side effects appear to be quite rare, but one concern is the risk of an inflammatory response. We report on an acute nong-ranulomatous anterior uveitis after intravitreal injection of bevacizumab. HISTORY AND SIGNS: A 74-year-old female with subfoveal CNV due to ARMD presented after the second injection of bevacizumab with a symptomatic acute non-granulomatous anterior uveitis. Work-up ruled out any other aetiology. THERAPY AND OUTCOME: Treatment with topical prednisolone and scopolamine resolved inflammation and symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal injection of bevacizumab is related with the possible development of acute non-granulomatous anterior uveitis, after having excluded infectious or other causes of uveitis unrelated to the bevacizumab injection. In recent clinical trials bevacizumab-induced uveitis has been demonstrated to be a rare event. The pathogenesis remains unclear. One possible explanation is the Fc portion of the antibody, which may offer the possibility of an increased cellular immune response. This case underlines the importance to inform patients about the possibility of such an episode.

[Adult respiratory distress syndrome in extensive intra-alveolar metastasis of an amelanotic malignant melanoma]. / "Adult respiratory distress syndrome" bei ausgedehnter intraalveolärer Metastasierung eines amelanotischen malignen Melanoms.

The case is reported of a 26-year-old patient hospitalized after 6 days of coughing and dyspnea with the clinical picture of "adult respiratory distress syndrome" (ARDS). In spite of intensive therapeutic efforts, death ensued within a few weeks. Autopsy revealed widespread intraalveolar metastases of a hitherto unrecognized amelanotic malignant melanoma of the back. Further metastases were only detected in intrathoracic lymph nodes and in the myocardium. A possible relationship between this unusual pattern of metastasis and previous abuse of nicotine, alcohol and hashish, as well as coexisting hypogammaglobulinemia, is discussed. It appears that widespread intrapulmonary metastasis must be considered one of the possible causes of ARDS.

[Acute kidney failure following Cortinarius splendens (Fries) or "yellow clubbed foot" mushroom poisoning (so-called orellanus syndrome)]. / Akute Niereninsuffizienz nach Pilzvergiftung mit Cortinarius splendens (Fries) oder "schöngelbem Klumpfuss" (sog. Orellanus-Syndrom).

Intoxications by cortinarii have only been recognized in recent years. Compared to other mushroom poisoning they are characterized by the long incubation time of up to ten days or more, and predominantly hepatorenal symptoms. In this paper the first two Swiss cases of intoxication with Cortinarius phlegmacium splendens are reported. The two patients ate two meals of this mushroom one week apart. Three days after the second meal the patients became acutely ill with severe lumbar pain, polyuria, polydipsia and constipation. Laboratory examinations revealed signs of hepato-renal toxicity with increase in serum creatinine, hyposthenuria and hyperbilirubinemia. Both patients recovered fully in the course of a further two weeks.