Topical menthol mitigates pruritus and inhibits spinal microglial activation in mice.

Abstract This essay examines the institutionalisation and professionalisation of the academic discipline of the history of medicine within German medical faculties over the last 120 years, with a view to facilitating comparisons with East Asian developments. It traces the evolution of the field through periods of specialisation, de-institutionalisation and interdisciplinary integration, exploring the productive tensions between its medical and historical dimensions. The unique German context is analysed, including the integration of medical history into university curricula and its pivotal role in the education of medical ethics, especially since the introduction of the subject “History, Theory and Ethics of Medicine” in 2002. Key phases of the development include responses to scientific medicine, post-war humanisation efforts and reckoning with medical crimes commited during the Nazi era (1933–1945). These have all contributed to the transformation of the discipline into a vital site for reflection and cultural memory. It is demonstrated how German medical historians have legitimised their academic niche, contributed to interdisciplinary discourse, and fostered coherence amidst growing thematic diversity. Ultimately, the German experience exemplifies the field’s role as a bridge between science and the humanities, offering essential orientation and critique for contemporary medical practice and education.

HANS LAUBER (1876-1952) – NAZI COLLABORATOR, OPHTHALMOLOGIST, AND DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW FACULTY OF MEDICINE IN 1939-1940 Hans Lauber (1876-1952) – a distinguished ophthalmologist and scholar associated with Vienna and Warsaw – entered the history of medicine as one of the pioneers in the study of the physiology and pathology of the visual field and as a co-creator of perimetry standards. The author of 90 scientific papers and two textbooks, he designed his own diagnostic instruments, including a perimeter, a light-spot projector, and a lamp for examining the fundus of the eye in red-free light. From 1931 to 1940 he headed the Department and Clinic of Eye Diseases at the Infant Jesus Hospital in Warsaw, and from 1939 to 1940 served as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Warsaw. With financial support from the John Warden Foundation, managed by Irena Warden, he modernized the Warsaw Eye Clinic and developed the first postgraduate medical training program in Poland. Lauber’s figure, however, remains ambiguous. During the occupation he took over the management of the Ophthalmology Clinic at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, which after the war became the subject of accusations of Germanizing the staff, brutal treatment of patients, and medical experimentation. Although war crimes were never proven, his activities during World War II remain controversial to this day. This article presents a detailed biography of Hans Lauber, clarifies inconsistencies found in the existing literature, and discusses his scientific output and his significance the development of ophthalmology in Poland and Europe.

Qazwini was one of the most influential scholars of the thirteenth century, distinguished by his encyclopedic knowledge of the natural sciences. Among his two major works, ʿAjaʾib al-Makhluqat wa Gharaʾib al-Mawjudat stands out for its scope and enduring impact. Widely circulated in both the Islamic world and the West, the work has been translated and annotated into numerous languages over the centuries. Although fundamentally cosmographic in conception, it offers a comprehensive portrayal of nature, addressing the order of the universe, celestial bodies, climates, and terrestrial elements. In addition to these topics, the work incorporates observations and explanations from diverse scientific fields, including geography, biology, geology, mineralogy, astrology, and zoology, while also engaging with cultural and religious elements such as historical events, mythological narratives, and theological perspectives. A particularly noteworthy aspect of ʿAjaʾib al-Makhluqat is its detailed treatment of human anatomy. Qazwini approaches the human body not merely as a physical structure but as an integral component of a divinely ordained order, created with wisdom and purpose. While describing the structure and functions of bodily organs, he simultaneously interprets each part within a metaphysical framework that emphasizes divine wisdom alongside physiological utility. This article examines Qazwini’s understanding of human anatomy in relation to the medical and scientific knowledge of his time and explores how his anatomical explanations reflect broader concepts of divine order and wisdom. In doing so, the study aims to highlight the significance of ʿAjaʾib al-Makhluqat for the history of medicine and for discussions concerning the relationship between religion and science.

Prisons must go. “Is that what you suggest? We should open all prisons and let all the prisoners out? The gangsters? The murderers? The kidnappers? Let them return and flood the community? Is that what you believe, that we should abolish the prisons? And make the community an open battle field?” Yes, this is exactly what I believe – because this is exactly what happens. Unpublished manuscript or speech from 1931 Jacob L. Moreno Collection Center for the History of Medicine, Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard University Retrieved and submitted by Sergio Guimaraes

The Fritillaria genus has been widely employed in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for thousands of years as an expectorant and cough suppressant. The primary active components in Fritillaria are alkaloids, yet their low content, complex composition, and high extraction costs significantly limit their commercial application. Fritillaria spp. exhibits notable therapeutic effects on lung diseases, especially lung cancer. This review addresses the limitations of previous studies by clearly defining the research gaps and employing a comprehensive methodology. It summarizes the medicinal history of the Fritillaria genus, the extraction and isolation methods of active components, and toxicological findings, and elucidates the role of Fritillaria in lung cancer treatment. Literature was systematically retrieved from databases including CNKI, PubMed, Web of Science, and SciFinder, using the keywords “ Fritillaria ” and “lung cancer”. Findings indicate that the Fritillaria genus has a long medicinal history and is primarily distributed in western China. Existing extraction and isolation methods fail to efficiently and cost-effectively produce Fritillaria alkaloids. Toxicity studies have demonstrated that Fritillaria spp. are generally safe at recommended dosages, although dose-dependent genotoxicity at higher concentrations has been observed. Various bioactive compounds of Fritillaria spp. can modulate the occurrence and progression of lung cancer through apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, and inflammatory-signaling pathways. Fritillaria spp. have considerable potential for lung cancer treatment and drug development, but further improvements in extraction methodologies are necessary to facilitate clinical translation.

Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex volatile oil alleviated asthma via dual cAMP-mediated pathways: Anti-Inflammation and Bronchodilation.

ABSTRACT This study investigates the biological properties of methanolic and petroleum ether (PE) extracts from the roots and flowers of Thapsia garganica L., providing new insights into its potential medicinal uses. Although T. garganica has a long history in traditional medicine, the anticholinesterase and tyrosinase‐inhibiting activities of this species have been poorly documented and remain insufficiently explored in the scientific literature. The antioxidant activity was assessed using three complementary assays: DPPH radical scavenging, ABTS cation radical scavenging, and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity. Anticholinesterase activity was tested against acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), key enzymes involved in Alzheimer's disease, while tyrosinase inhibitory activity was measured using the L‐DOPA method. The HPLC‐DAD analysis revealed that the methanolic extract from the roots contained curcumin, epicatechin, and propyl gallate as principal components. The methanolic extract of the flowers was primarily dominated by rutin, chlorogenic acid, and luteolin. Meanwhile, the methanolic extract from the leaves contained rutin, chlorogenic acid, and hesperetin. The methanolic flower extract demonstrated high antioxidant activity in all tests. In contrast, the PE extract from the roots showed significant BChE inhibitory activity. This study suggests that T. garganica L. may offer potent natural compounds useful for the treatment of conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

This study reexamines the position and significance of the Jain medical tradition, long marginalized in the history of Indian medicine, by analyzing the embryological discourse in the Jain text Taṇḍulaveyāliya. Existing narratives of Indian medical history have predominantly centered on Ayurveda, with Kenneth G. Zysk asserting that Jainism "failed to systematize medicine within its monastic tradition." However, Mari J. Stuart demonstrated the institutionalization of Jain monastic medicine through her study of 6th-7th century Śvetāmbara commentaries. Building upon this foundation, the present study advances this scholarship by analyzing the specific content and characteristics of Jain medical knowledge, thereby contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the landscape of ancient Indian medical history. The Taṇḍulaveyāliya, a 7th-century text belonging to the prakīrṇaka (miscellaneous) section of the Jain canon, contains substantial material on embryology and anatomy. Drawing on Walther Schubring's critical edition (1969) and Colette Caillat's pioneering research (1974), this study examines the embryology section (Section A: verses 3-16, prose pp. 4,2-7,16), focusing on the anatomical structure of the female uterus, the three constitutive elements of conception (soul, oyā, and semen), monthly stages of fetal development, the dual vascular system and umbilical nutrition, and theories of sex determination. The analysis reveals that the Taṇḍulaveyāliya inherited the tradition of the early Jain canonical text Bhagavātisūtra(=Viyāhapannatti) while selectively incorporating and reworking theories from classical Ayurvedic texts (Carakasaṃhitā and Suśrutasaṃhitā). Particularly noteworthy is the systematization of fetal development by month and the addition of the umbilical cord (nābhi-rasa-haraṇī) as a nutritional mechanism, which demonstrates a strategic synthesis of the dual vascular theory from Jain scripture with the umbilical theory from Ayurveda. This reflects an intention to integrate more precise medical knowledge while respecting the authority of indigenous tradition. Furthermore, this text reinterprets the same medical knowledge within Jainism's distinctive philosophical and ethical framework. While Ayurveda aims at health and healing, the Taṇḍulaveyāliya reconstructs the processes of fetal development and birth from the perspectives of suffering (duḥkha) and impurity (aśuci), utilizing them as instruments of religious awakening that encourage abandoning attachment to the body and pursuing liberation. Together with Jain medical ethics that excludes animal-derived medicines in accordance with the principle of non-violence (ahiṃsā) and employs only plant and mineral substances, this constitutes the unique religio-medical character of Jain medicine. This study directly refutes Zysk's thesis of Jain medical "non-systematization," demonstrating that Jainism not only possessed medical knowledge but systematically compiled and reinterpreted it in ways consonant with its religious worldview. Through this analysis, the study proposes that the history of ancient Indian medicine should be reconstructed not as a "linear narrative centered on Ayurveda," but as a "complex of plural medical traditions" in which Brahmanism, Buddhism, and Jainism shared a common foundation of medical knowledge while differentially recontextualizing it within their respective worldviews.

Drawing on the epistolary theories of Elżbieta Rybicka, Stefania Skwarczyńska, and Anita Całek, this article analyzes the correspondence of Stefania née Lemańska Rzewuska, written to her husband Wacław between 1886 and 1891, during her stays in foreign health resorts such as San Remo, Meran, and Neumarkt in der Steiermark, where she spent long months undergoing treatment for tuberculosis. The study focuses on the anthropological and communicative aspects of these letters and their place within the sociology of literature, which centers on the emotional and communicative human subject. The letters serve as a document of a specific historical, social, and literary reality and provide valuable insight into the spa culture of the late 19th century. They allow for the reconstruction of the course of tuberculosis, its accompanying ailments, and contemporary methods of treatment. It appears that the main therapeutic method against tuberculosis at the time was climatic therapy, based on breathing fresh air, physical activity, and walks, supported by a specific diet that included various types of alcohol, kefir, milk, cod-liver oil, and even cigarettes. Due to her health and financial limitations, Stefania did not actively participate in the cultural life of the spa. She constantly longed for her home and husband. Her letters served as a means of continuous communication between the spouses, separated by a thousand kilometers, and became a way of building a relationship based on love and partnership. They also functioned as a form of psychological therapy for both. Stefania ultimately lost her battle with tuberculosis, dying at the age of 36. Her letters fit well into the history of 19th-century customs and the history of medicine, particularly the struggle against tuberculosis – the so-called “white plague”.

Nikolay Pirogov (1810–1881), an outstanding surgeon and skilled manager, made a significant contribution to the development of the medical support system. Pirogov’s work included both the development of innovative treatment methods and structuring of the medical service, which earned him a key place in the history of battlefield medicine. The work used historical and medical analysis based on archive materials and the scientist’s publications. It is focused on the analysis of the effectiveness of the methods proposed by Pirogov during the siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855). It has been proven that his work was the foundation for contemporary battlefield surgery and the organization of the army’s medical service. An analysis of Pirogov’s professional activities in the 19th century shows his significant contribution to the development of battlefield surgery and anesthesiology. These achievements allowed to improve medical support in combat conditions and increase the medical support performance in the armed forces of the Russian Empire. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the contribution by Pirogov (1810–1881) to the development of the medical support system of the Russian Army during the Crimean War (1853–1856). This event was one of the first major armed conflicts that required significant transformations of the medical support system.

ABSTRACT Phineas P. Gage’s 1848 brain injury is a seminal case in the history of neuroscience, yet its nineteenth-century media coverage has remained largely unexplored. We adopted a novel methodological approach, systematically screening newly digitized newspaper archives (Newspapers.com™, Google News Archives, and Chronicling America) for articles published in the United States between 1848 and 1899, retrieving a total of 831 reports. Analysis revealed that most coverage (72.44%) occurred posthumously, questioning the relevance of later accounts and the prominence of Gage’s case during his own lifetime. Despite numerous reprints, misspellings, and inaccuracies, previously unknown primary sources were identified, providing new evidence of Gage’s functional recovery, occasional exhibitions in New England, early references in European journals, and unpublished photographs and drawings of his skull and tamping iron. Accounts from 1848–1849, in particular, offer detailed insights into the immediate aftermath and public reception of the accident. These findings highlight the intersections between the history of medicine and media, challenging assumptions about the uniqueness of Gage’s case and illustrating how nineteenth-century newspapers shaped public perceptions of brain injury. Digitized archives now provide an unprecedented opportunity to reassess historical cases and improve the accuracy of information regarding Phineas P. Gage’s life.

This article examines how American physical culture entrepreneurs between 1880 and 1918 transformed ideas of health and success by merging commercial ambition with claims to scientific authority. Figures such as Eugen Sandow, Bernarr Macfadden, and Alan Calvert redefined bodily achievement through measurement, photography, and visible transformation, translating market-based ideals of progress and self-mastery into corporeal form. These frameworks privileged the disciplined White male body as both moral exemplar and racial ideal. Drawing on magazines including Physical Culture and Strength, as well as reader testimonials and transformation photographs, the article traces how entrepreneurs constructed what I term a "physical culture treadmill," a cycle of perpetual self-improvement that demanded ongoing investment in new products, routines, and expert advice. By promising quantifiable results rather than medical treatment, physical culturists positioned themselves within the contested medical marketplace, asserting a commercial-scientific authority that rivalled professional medicine. In doing so, they embedded capitalist logic into everyday health practices and reimagined success as a visible, measurable state of being. The article contributes to histories of medicine and fitness by showing how these early entrepreneurs established enduring templates for today's fitness culture, where transformation, quantification, and personal responsibility remain the dominant markers of bodily success.

Conversion disorders have accompanied the history of medicine since the time of Hippocrates, and only with Charcot, Freud, and Breuer were they “codified”: hysterical symptoms do not have direct organic causes but represent the somatisation of a profound psychic disorder, originating from a traumatic event inaccessible to the patient’s awareness. More than a hundred years have passed since these definitions. Conversion disorder seems to have “converted” into new symptoms, making it necessary both to redefine it hermeneutically and to reconsider it from a broader perspective – one informed not only by recent neuroscientific discoveries but, above all, by the new implications and comprehensive theoretical frameworks these developments entail. By reconstructing the historical and social context of the various definitions and manifestations of conversion disorder, and by drawing a parallel with psychosomatic disorders and pathologies, a unified “borderline” interpretation is proposed here for both. What clearly emerges is a single body-brain system from which an embodied mind arises. Conversion disorder can thus be reinterpreted as a “message” concerning the individual’s condition, “without their awareness”, and psychoanalysis, understood as a “talking cure”, may be the means to uncover and comprehend an interrupted body-brain-mind dialogue.

This paper adopts a macro perspective spanning the philosophy of technology and the history of medicine to systematically argue that the technological innovation cluster—comprising big data, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology—has disrupted the traditional medical paradigm. We first deconstruct the old paradigm characterized by “reactive diagnosis and treatment, standardized protocols, and physician-centered care” along with its inherent limitations. We then delve into the synergistic disruptive mechanisms generated by the technology cluster through three dimensions: “data-driven cognition,” “intelligent algorithms reshaping decisionmaking,” and “biotechnology redefining interventions.” This reveals three defining features of the new paradigm: At the practice level, it enables precision prediction and dynamic intervention based on individualized data; At the agency level, it establishes a collaborative relationship among physicians, AI, and patients. The study also highlights the new paradigm’s ethical challenges, including data privacy and algorithmic fairness, providing crucial insights for understanding contemporary medical transformation and planning future healthcare systems.

Ronit Yoeli-Tlalim, <i>ReOrienting Histories of Medicine. Encounterns along the Silk Roads</i>

The article is devoted to the prominent Russian historian of medicine and bibliographer, Doctor of Medicine Lev F. Zmeev (1832—1901), the author of bibliographic dictionaries and monographs on the history of medicine of the 16th — 19th centuries, in which he emphasised the originality of the development of the Russian medical profession. Lev F.Zmev worked in the Caucasian Mineral Waters Administration, in the Samara and Voronezh zemstvos, in the Medical Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He served in hospitals during the Russian-Turkish war (1877—1878). He lectured on the history of medicine in Russia at the Military Medical Academy. He was also one of the organizers of societies of Russian doctors in Pyatigorsk, Moscow, St. Petersburg.

This article highlights the life, teaching activities, and research work of Professor Anatoly M. Shelepov, Doctor of Sciences in Medicine, retired Major General of Medical Service. It examines the milestones in his career as a researcher and the head of one of the leading theoretical departments of the S.M. Kirov Military Medical Academy. Anatoly M. Shelepov, a Suvorov Military School alumnus, has always followed Suvorov’s credo, “Never give up!” In his 18 years as department head, he has reached his full potential as a researcher, educator, and academic team leader. Professor Shelepov has consistently expanded the department’s scientific capacity. Approximately 80 doctoral and candidate theses were defended under his supervision. Many of Shelepov’s former students now hold managerial positions in various military and civilian organizations, lead medical services of military districts and branches of the Russian Armed Forces, or work at the Military Medical Academy. In 1998, Professor Shelepov founded the scientific school for military medicine management. In 2003, the federal government recognized the school’s leading scientific status. Shelepov’s fellow researchers proposed theories and concepts for the development of the Russian Armed Forces Medical Service, addressed practical issues of military medicine during armed conflicts and peacetime emergencies, worked on standardization in medical care, and explored the history of military medicine. Since 1993, Professor Shelepov has been a member of the medical geography department of the Russian Geographical Society. Under his supervision, a territorial medical support system was developed; the scope of military medical care during local wars, armed conflicts, and peacekeeping efforts was proposed; and a plan for the Russian Armed Forces Medical Service development until 2030 was established.

A study and analysis of two vocabularies in aljamia included in the 15th century manuscript 8º 85 of the National Library of Israel. This manuscript is a miscellaneous compilation of various medical works by several authors and written by different scribes. Special emphasis is placed on the study of the words of this manuscript which we call Trilingual Glossary, containing tables of concordances of pharmacological and medical products with terms in aljamia from three languages: Arabic, Romance (Catalan) and Latin. The analysis of these words constitutes an important source in several fronts: the study of the medieval Hebrew language and the semantic evolution of the scientific and technical lexicon; the diachrony of the vernacular languages of the Jews of the Crown of Aragon; the scientific lexicon in Romance (Catalan) used in this text, and the Judeo-Arabic scientific and technical lexicon; the history of health sciences in medieval times in Catalan-Aragonese territory; and the transmission of these sciences through translations between the various Semitic languages (Arabic and Hebrew), Classical languages (Latin and Greek) and Romance languages of this cultural sphere.

This article explores three fictional rewritings of medical case studies of female hysteria, a scientific genre widespread in the medical discourse of the 19th century, to reveal their potential for a gendered history of medicine. Through a comparative reading of Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary (1857), Alice Winocour’s film Augustine (2012), and Victoria Mas’s novel Le bal des folles (2019), the article examines how these works, (re-)situated within the theoretical framework of the Medical Humanities, deconstruct the clinical case study and highlight the silenced voices of women labeled as hysterics. Drawing on the notion of “herstory”, the study investigates how these narratives resist the patriarchal medical gaze epitomized by Jean-Martin Charcot’s theatrical “Tuesday lectures” at the Salpêtrière hospital and by paintings such as A Clinical Lesson at the Salpêtrière (1887) by André Brouillet, a repeated intermedial reference in the two contemporary works. The paper shows how fiction and film, important tools of narrative repair, offer alternative spaces of memory and resistance revealing both the vulnerability and agency of female patients.