Raphael at the Temple.

Raphael, in his painting "Healing of the Lame Man" shows one lame man encountering St. Peter and St. John while another lame man waits his turn. Children with unusually muscular bodies are also depicted in the painting. The possible causes of lameness in the men and muscle hypertrophy in the children are discussed.

Feet and fertility in the healing temples: a symbolic communication system between gods and men?

Anatomical ex-votos of feet have always been interpreted as representing the unhealthy part of the body for which patients were asking healing. However, according to the archaeological data and literary sources, another interpretation is also possible: the purpose of this article is to focus on the strong relationship between feet and fertility in the ancient world by cross-referencing the available archaeological evidence with the scientific data relating to this topic. That shed light on an important aspect of the Healing Temples in Greek and Roman medicine.

El cuidado espiritual: una propuesta con base en las prácticas tradicionales de una comunidad indígena Nahua / Cuidado espirituais: proposta com base nas práticas tradicionais de uma comunidade Nahua / Spiritual Care: a traditional practices based proposal from nahua Indian Community

El presente artículo se genera a partir de los resultados de la investigación "Prácticas de cuidado tradicional y espiritual en una comunidad indígena nahua" (García, 2015; García Piña, Cardoso Gómez, Serrano Sánchez & Ostiguín Meléndez, 2015), donde se identificaron elementos de carácter espiritual como recurso para el afrontamiento del proceso salud-enfermedad y muerte. Dichos resultados se complementaron con un análisis documental. Objetivo: Reivindicar las estrategias de cuidado en el contexto social, cultural e histórico, de la comunidad estudiada, con la finalidad contribuir a mejorar la práctica del cuidado de enfermería en el contexto mexicano. Método: Análisis documental teórico-inductivo. Resultados: Las comunidades se van construyendo a partir de objetivos y fines comunes, y son éstas mismas quienes generan respuestas a los procesos de salud-enfermedad y muerte desde su perspectiva particular. Conclusiones: La enfermería tiene como función primordial rescatar las respuestas que las personas generan individual y colectivamente, para afrontar situaciones de la vida; y permitir que el cuidado sea un ejercicio de retroalimentación mutua (AU)

This paper outlines the findings from research named "Traditional and spiritual care practices in a Nahua, indigenous community" (García, 2015; García Piña, Cardoso Gómez, Serrano Sánchez & Ostiguín Meléndez, 2015), in which spirituality elements were identified as coping strategies for the health-diseasedeath processes. Those results were complemented with a documental review. Objective: to claim on the caring strategies, on a specific social, cultural and historical context, that promotes the improvement of the nursing practice in the Mexican context. Method: theoretical-inductive documentary analysis. Results: communities are built from common goals and objectives, which arise as health-disease-death processes in its own particular perspective. Conclusion: nursing has as one of its main functions, to rescue people's individual and collective response, for coping with every life situation; allowing that care itself, becomes a mutual feedback exercise (AU)

Este artigo tem sua origem no projeto de pesquisa intitulado "Práticas de cuidado espiritual e tradicional em uma comunidade indígena Nahua" (García, 2015; García Piña, Cardoso Gómez, Serrano Sánchez & Ostiguín Meléndez, 2015), no qual elementos de espiritualidade foram identificados como cópias de estratégias para o processo saúde-enfermidade-morte. Os resultados foram complementados com uma revisão documental. Objetivo: reivindicar as estratégias assistenciais, em um contexto social, cultural e histórico específico, que promova a melhoria da prática de enfermagem no contexto mexicano. Método: análise documental teórico-indutiva. Resultados: as comunidades são construí- das a partir de metas e objetivos comuns, que surgem como processos saúde-enfermidade- -morte em sua própria perspectiva particular. Conclusão: a enfermagem tem como uma de suas principais funções, resgatar a resposta individuais e coletivas das pessoas, com o objetivo de lidar com cada situação de vida; Permitindo, desse modo, que o cuidado torne-se uma mútua atividade de feedback (AU)

Sacred space and the healing journey.

Sacred space and spirituality have long been used to heal the mind, body, and spirit. This article illuminates the origins of sacred space and its role as a healing environment from the first human construct, the burial mound, to the 5th Century BCE Greek healing city of Epidaurus. It then examines the role of spirituality as one of the necessary human institutions for a healthy society, according to the Italian philosopher Giambattista Vico. The conclusion then surveys three contemporary healing environments' architecture, the Department of Veteran Affairs Healing Environment Design Guideline (VAHEDG), and how these sacred spaces mend individual and community ailments.

[Sant'Ippazio (St. Hypatius of Gangra): A southern Italian cult of virility and red carrots]. / Sant'Ippazio (St. Hypatius von Gangra) : Ein süditalienischer Kult um Potenz und Pastinaken.

Sant'Ippazio (St. Hypatius of Gangra) is a saint, martyr, and advocate in cases of impotency, inguinal hernia, and other abdominal disorders. In Tiggiano, a small town at the southernmost point of Italy, Sant'Ippazio, bishop of Gangra, is venerated as a patron saint. According to legend, during an excited dispute on the question of the Arian heresy at the synod of Nicaea (325 AD), Bishop Ippazio was kicked in the lower abdominal region by an Arian presbyter, which caused an inguinal hernia. Therefore, his help is sought for relief and cure of hernia or impotency. Every January 19th, the day of the parish fair, particular carrots (the "pastinache") which have a reddish to violet color are sold. They are said to be similar to the saint's penis after the kick. Also described in this article are other pagan fertility rituals which have been christianized by the veneration of a saint and which are still kept alive among local populations.

From Disease to Holiness: Religious-based health remedies of Italian folk medicine (XIX-XX century).

BACKGROUND: The relationship between spirituality, religion and medicine has been recognized since antiquity. Despite large differences in their history, society, economy and cultures human communities shared a common belief that spirituality and religion played an important role in the healing of diseases. METHODS: The study of religious remedies used by Italian folk medicine in order to treat diseases was based on a review of literature sources compiled between the late nineteenth century and the early to mid twentieth century. RESULTS: This approach lead to the unearthing of heterogeneous healing methods that have been divided into different categories: Saints, Pilgrimages, Holy Water/Blessed Oil, Blessings, Religious Objects, Contact, Signs, Formulas and The Religious Calendar. Some of these practices, partly still performed in Italy, are a part of the landscape of the official Catholic Church, others come out of a process of syncretism between the Catholic Religion, the magic world and pre-Christian rituals. CONCLUSIONS: The vastus corpus of religious remedies, highlighted in the present work, shows the need for spirituality of the sick and represent a symbolic framework, that works as a filter, mediates, containing the pain that constantly fills everyone's lives in remote ages even in the third millennium. All of this confirms how important the health-workers know and interpret these existential needs from anthropological and psychological points of view.

Los prodigios del hombre encarnado. Víctor Melcior y la redefinición de la mediumnidad (1901) / The marvels of the incarnated man. Víctor Melcior and the redefinition of mediumship (1901)

A finales del siglo XIX, mediante el estudio científico de los fenómenos espiritistas, nuevos enfoques médicos y psicológicos se aplicaron a la mediumnidad. La idea del médium espiritista fue sustituida por la noción del médium como un ser desequilibrado, capaz de emanar fuerzas psíquicas inconscientemente. Este trabajo analiza la redefinición de la mediumnidad a través de unos polémicos artículos del médico catalán Víctor Melcior. Esta microhistoria sirve, por un lado, para situar el debate local dentro del contexto científico internacional y, así, mostrar las relaciones entre el espiritismo, la medicina y la psicopatología del momento. Por otro lado, permite analizar las reacciones de algunos espiritistas a las teorías de Melcior, así como las consecuencias que este debate tuvo para el espiritismo en general (AU)

Towards the end of the 19th century, new medico-psychological approaches were applied to mediumship through the scientific study of spiritualist phenomena. The spiritualist idea of the medium was replaced with the notion of the medium as an unstable human being capable of emanating psychic forces unconsciously. This paper analyses the redefinition of mediumship through the polemical articles of the Catalan physician Víctor Melcior. On one hand, this microhistory allows the local debate to be placed within the scientific international context, describing the relationships among spiritualism, medicine and psychopathology at that time. On the other hand, it permits analysis of the reactions of some spiritualists to Melciors (AU)

La Sanidad en los presidios del Reino. Real Ordenanza General de presidios de 1834 / Health care in the prisons of the Kingdom. General Royal Ordinance of Prisons of 1834

En el S. XIX, aparece en España el concepto «Sanidad penitenciaria» en el ordenamiento legal como elemento propio de las prisiones. En este siglo, gracias a una serie de principios ideológicos de carácter humanitario y progresista, se regulan y decretan normas que organizan la necesidad de una adecuada atención médica en los presidios de África, en los peninsulares, insulares y de ultramar. La más importante de ellas en aquella época, la constituyó la Ordenanza General de los Presidios del Reino de 1834, y el posterior Reglamento de 1844 (AU)

In the 19th century, the concept of «prison health» began to make an appearance in Spanish legislation as an integral part of prison management. Thanks to a series of ideological and progressive principles in the same century, laws were decreed and regulated to address the need for adequate medical care for prisoners in Africa, Spain and the overseas territories. The most important of these was the Royal Ordinance of Prisoners of the Kingdom of 1834, and subsequent Regulation of 1844 (AU)

John of God: An enigma for the medical sciences / Juan de Dios: Un enigma para las ciencias médicas

Some cures carried out by Medium João Teixeira de Faría (John of God) are presented. He claims to channel spiritual entities (Drs. Augusto de Almeida, Oswaldo Cruz, and José Valdivino) that have instantaneous access to the physical, emotional and spiritual history of each patient who is then treated by physical or “spiritual” surgeries, herbs, meditation, prayers and the ingestion of “energized” water. People operated on have no pain during the interventions and infections have not been observed. The mechanisms responsible for the healings are unknown.

Se presentan algunas curaciones realizadas por el Médium João Teixeira de Faría (Juan de Dios). Al parecer, el Médium João canaliza entidades espirituales (Dres. Augusto de Almeida, Oswaldo Cruz y José Valdivino) que tienen acceso instantáneo a la historia física, emocional y espiritual de cada paciente, que luego es tratado mediante cirugías “espirituales” o físicas, hierbas, meditación, oración e ingestión de agua “energizada”. Los enfermos operados no sintieron dolor durante las intervenciones y las heridas no se infectaron. Aún se desconocen los mecanismos responsables de las curaciones.

John of God: an enigma for the medical sciences.

Some cures carried out by Medium João Teixeira de Faría (John of God) are presented. He claims to channel spiritual entities (Drs. Augusto de Almeida, Oswaldo Cruz, and José Valdivino) that have instantaneous access to the physical, emotional and spiritual history of each patient who is then treated by physical or "spiritual" surgeries, herbs, meditation, prayers and the ingestion of "energized" water. People operated on have no pain during the interventions and infections have not been observed. The mechanisms responsible for the healings are unknown.

La espiritualidad en medicina / No disponible

No disponible

Questioning the medical fringe: the "cultural doxy" of Catholic hydropathy in Belgium, 1890-1914.

The relationship between orthodox (mainstream) medicine and heterodox (fringe) medicine during the nineteenth century continues to puzzle historians of medicine. Though many have qualified the sharp antagonism between the two as a (biased) historical construct, it remains difficult to lay bare the common problems that structured mainstream and fringe. In this contribution on the reception of hydrotherapy in the Belgian fin de siècle, I attempt to rethink the oppositional character of nineteenth-century fringe medicine at an empirical level. In many ways, I argue, Belgian hydropaths were prototypical proponents of medical heterodoxy, as they defended neohumoralist medical conceptions and shared an integrated Catholic "cosmology". Their moderate critique of bacteriological science, however, also echoed the unease felt by many established physicians. In their pretheoretical beliefs about the healer's intuition, they voiced traditional conceptions that stemmed not from the fringe but from everyday bedside medicine. The popularity of hydrotherapy, I argue, reflected one of many attempts to save a common "cultural doxy" shared by established physicians and heterodox healers alike, in the wake of bacteriology's analysis and standardization.