The Hellenic surgical School for treatment of neuralgias and dystonias as presented in 19th-20th centuries in Greece

Abstract

Background This article examines the surgical techniques used for the treatment of neuralgia and dystonia in Greece during the late 19th to the middle of the twentieth century. It emphasizes on the Greek contribution to neurosurgery. Methods The aim of this study is achieved by examining unpublished archives as well as historical documents collected from both the National Library of Greece and the Library of the Hellenic Parliament. Results Greek medicine of the nineteenth century emerged through the practice of Greek physicians who have studied abroad. Many important figures on surgery, like Theodoros Aretaios, Nikolaos Taptas and Konstantinos Mermigas attempted myotomies, neurectomies, trasoraphies, and injections according the European protocols, though introducing some variants on well established procedures. This article also refers to the early stereotactic neurosurgery in Greece, especially in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and extrapyramidal syndromes by Aggelos Karakalos, ultimately contributing toward a better understanding of the evolution of Greek surgery, highlighting its pivotal role in the international development of neurosurgical techniques. Greek school of surgery avoided brutal operations like trephination and proved worthy among most advanced school of the 19th and 20th centuries. Conclusion Neuralgias and dystonias constituted for the physicians of the past a riddle connected with the mystery of the central and peripheral neural system. Surgical procedures were proposed, finding ways of implication mainly in the cases of neuralgias. Gradually drug administration of simple substances like alcohol demonstrated some results. The study of Greek medical archives dated back to 19th and early twentieth century allow us to have a comprehensive idea about the therapeutical approaches and especially the operative ones used by the Greek physicians of the time to fight dystonias and neuralgias unveiling their capabilities and theoretical medical knowledge.