Medical Works Research Articles

The artistic nature in the 14th and 15th books of Galen’s <em>On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body</em>

In the 14th and 15th books of the galenic work On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body, dedicated to male and female reproductive organs and foetal development, the author presents nature (φύσις), the agent of the human body’s formation, as artistic and admirable, because it used an art (τέχνη) to make immortality possible, which consists in replacing one living being by another in an admirable way. Such an art is also related to a divine purpose, once nature’s action, possessing an intrinsic ability, is that of a demiurge. So, if, on the one hand, we have an artistic and practical nature, whose activity is proved by dissection and visible in the position and function of male and female reproductive organs, on the other, we have an abstract concept of the same nature, working to perpetuate humankind, but whose deepest and more abstract problems are not to be discovered nor solved in medical works such as On the Usefulness of the Parts of the Body. In this paper I will analyse how the concepts of φύσις and τέχνη relate to each other, by developing and deepening the role of nature as an artisan regarding the formation and function of the reproductive system and foetal development and its limits as such, pointing also the different subtleties of the concept.

Herbs as pharmaka: between Medicine, Astrology and Magic

In the ancient and Byzantine world, natural elements were used to cure a certain disease, as attested by traditional medical sources such as Hippocrates, Dioscorides and Galen. However, the therapeutic properties of these substances are also described in some compilations that transmit another type of knowledge: the Cyranides, a hermetic work that illustrates the usages of vegetable, animal and mineral species for different purposes; Cassianus Bassus’ Geoponica, an important source of the ancient agronomic-botanical tradition; the Hygromanteia Salomonis, a hermetic and esoteric treatise dedicated to planetary divination, which also illustrates the correspondences between plants, planets and zodiac signs. The herbs described in these compilations are suggested as φάρμακα for the treatment of diseases, but also for other purposes such as warding off demons or having luck (e.g. in Monacensis gr. 70, which transmits Hygromanteia Salomonis, Jupiter’s plant is χρυσάγκαθον, capable of causing extraordinary healings). This denotes the development of a parallel medicine, connected with magic and astrology, and in some cases the practices discussed still have folkloric implications today. Therefore, this contribution intends to analyse these three magico- -medical works, highlighting the similarities and differences from traditional medical sources as well as the link between medicine, magic and astrology.

Cattaneo-Christov heat and mass transmission of dissipated Williamson fluid with double stratification

The vast significance and applications in various industrial works such as heat and cooling process, chemical reactors, food storage systems and several medical works motivated the author to conduct this type of study. The aim of this paper is to inspect the two-dimensional incompressible magnetohydrodynamic flow of Williamson fluid through a stretching sheet. The Cattaneo-Christov temperature and concentration flow is considered with the effects of double stratification and viscous dissipation. The leading nonlinear partial differential equations of flow are transformed into ordinary differential equations by means of renowned similarity transformations and the solutions of flow problem are obtained by means of bvp4c method on MATLAB software. The Williamson fluid parameter depending on time relaxation and declines the fluid motion. The motion of fluid slowed down due to Hartman number. The mass and heat flow is noted to be decline due to thermal and solutal relaxation parameters. The rises in stratification coefficient reduce the mass and heat transferal rate.

The Croatian Translation of Flos Medicinae: From Health Instructions with Medicinal Plants to Contemporary Phytotherapy.

Medieval European medicine relied on monasteries where ancient medical works were transcribed. Trade routes to the East and the influence of Arab medicine, which supplemented the knowledge of Greco-Roman physicians, enabled the foundation and development of the Salerno Medical School, whose most famous work is Flos medicinae: Regimen sanitatis Salernitanum. This medical textbook, written in verse and drawn up on the basis of ancient sources and empirical experiences of Salerno physicians, contains rules on how to preserve health, on diseases and the use of medicinal plants for medicinal purposes. The work was originally written in Latin, and was translated into Croatian by Franciscan Father Emerik Pavic' (1768). It was the first medical book in the Croatian language. This paper provides an insight into the importance of Regimen sanitatis Salernitanum in medieval medicine and its influence on European medical literature through many translations, commentaries and analyses. In this context, ten recipes from the Croatian translation of Flos medicinae were researched and analysed which contain medicinal plants most of which grow in Croatia, and which were in use at that time: fig, fennel, anise, mallow, peppermint, sage, rue, nettle, celandine and willow. Most of the listed herbal drugs are used in contemporary phytotherapy and some of them have the potential for further research. The paper also deals with the particularities of the Croatian translation of this medical textbook, which can be used for further multidisciplinary research involving medicinal and pharmaceutical historians, botanists and philologists.

Medical figures in Wang Ao Ji

Wang Ao was a famous politician and litterateur in the middle of Ming Dynasty. Wang Ao Ji comprehensively sorts out Wang's works for the first time, and collects all the poems and notes written by himself. A total of 38 physicians were recorded in Wang Ao Ji, among them, Wang Ao had close contacts with many physicians such as Zhou Geng, Zhou Xu'an, Sheng Rubi, Zhang Yangzheng and Chen Chong. Wang Ao and Zhou Geng are both core members of the literary society of Wuzhong, in the capital of Beijing. Wang Ao once wrote an epitaph for Zhou Xu'an, a tablet inscription for Sheng Rubi and a biography for Zhang Yangzheng. And Chen Chong once cured Wang's nephew's diarrhea caused by acne rash.The biographical records of physicians in Wang Ao Ji are highly reliable, and some medical information is the main source of official history and medical history works, which contains important historical value. Relevant contents about medical figures recorded in class of works, local chronicles, genealogy, anthology, notes and other ancient books, to a great extent, enrich biographical data of physicians, which is worth further research.

Task shifting of medical office works: A preliminary questionnaire survey for generalists.

To reduce physician burden, task shifting of clerical work from physicians to medical assistants is being promoted; however, it depends on hospitals. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 40 general physicians at Okayama University Hospital in December 2022 to investigate physicians' preferences toward task shifting. Compared to other tasks, most physicians thought that ordering examinations (14, 47%), replying to referral letters (19, 63%), and prescriptions (21, 70%) and medical record entries (22, 73%) should not be task shifted. Physicians' controversial opinions on task shifting maybe the reason behind the slow progress in task shifting.

From the “Hundred Books on the Skills of Medicine” to “The Canon of Medicine”

The article is devoted to the Arab medical written monument of the Middle Ages Hundred Books on the Skills of Medicine by the physician and polymath Abu Sahl Isa b. Yahya al-Masihi (approx. 9701010). Of special interest is the first chapter titled The Book of Introduction to the Art of Healing. In this book, al-Masihi aims to add and correct already known theoretical medical knowledge, and points out the need for a shorter and simpler presentation of the practical part. The article provides historiographic information to show that al-Masihis work was the program and the model for The Canon of Medicine, the fundamental and basic work of the great Arab-Islamic physician and polymath Abu Ali Ibn Sina. Having compared the structure and content of these two medical encyclopedic works and considering the historical fact that al-Masihi was a teacher of Avicenna in the art of healing, the author of the article arrives at the conclusion that the treatise Hundred Books on the Skills of Medicine could become a forerunner of Ibn Sinas Canon of Medicine. It could be the basis on which the great scientist relied in compiling his fundamental work.

Clinical assessment and risk stratification for prehospital use of methoxyflurane versus standard analgesia in adult patients with trauma pain.

Oligoanalgesia, the undertreatment of trauma-related pain using standard analgesics in prehospital and emergency departments, has been extensively documented as one of the major challenges affecting the effective treatment of trauma-related pain. When administered in low doses, methoxyflurane has been highlighted by numerous medical works of literature to provide an effective, nonopioid, nonnarcotic treatment alternative to standard analgesics for prehospital and emergency department use. Low-dose methoxyflurane has been associated with fast-pain relief in adult patients manifesting moderate-to-severe pain symptoms. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess the clinical implication of low-dose methoxyflurane use in prehospital and emergency departments in adult patients with moderate-to-severe trauma-related pain. Moreover, the review aimed at assessing the risk stratification associated with using low-dose methoxyflurane in prehospital and emergency departments. The systematic review and meta-analysis performed a comprehensive search for pertinent literature assessing the implications and risks of using low-dose methoxyflurane in adult patients exhibiting moderate-to-severe trauma-related pain in prehospital settings. A comparison between the use of low-dose methoxyflurane and standard-of-care analgesics, placebo, in prehospital settings was reported in four clinically conducted randomized controlled trials (RCTs). These RCTs included the STOP! trial, InMEDIATE, MEDIATA, and the PenASAP trials. A meta-analysis comparing the time taken to achieve first pain relief on initial treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe trauma-related pain favored the use of low-dose methoxyflurane to the standard-of-care analgesics (mean difference = -6.63, 95% confidence interval = -7.37, -5.09) on time taken to establish effective pain relief. Low-dose methoxyflurane has been associated with superior and faster pain relief in prehospital and emergency departments in adult patients exhibiting moderate-to-severe trauma-related pain compared to other standard analgesics.

Shen Shiwan : A translator for medicine in the Period of the Republic of China

Shen Shiwan was a translator and physician for both Chinese medicine and western medicine in the period of the Republic of China. This paper examined the life and the main academic contributions of Shen Shiwan. It was found that Shen's main contribution were translating medical works, founding journals and opening the door of Chinese medicine to the world. Additionally, he introduced western medicine, such as pathology, fertility and nutrition to Chinese medical professionals. He also introduced the medical schools of Japanese traditional medicine (Chinese medicine in Japan, Han Yi) into China. Shen's contribution in medicine played an important role for the medical professionals in China in understanding the development of western medicine and Chinese medicine in Japan.

A mad yearning for solitude: Timon the Misanthrope and his relevance to the study of ancient psychopathology.

Ancient Greek and Latin medical authors considered a flight into solitude a compelling sign of mental disturbance, frequently described as misanthropia, a word fraught with meaning beyond the medical discourse. The fictionalised character Timon of Athens, the quintessential misanthrope, can shed light on ancient cultural concepts of self-imposed isolation from human contact. To cope with the sense of unease this deviant behaviour induced, misanthropia was explained as 'madness', ridiculed in various genres of humour, morally condemned in philosophy, and ultimately demonized in Christian cosmology. These various attempts at containment echo in the medical works of the age, making it impossible to comprehend the concept of misanthropia in ancient medicine without taking full account of the cultural context.

Introduction to the Special Issue for Cultures of Knowledge in the History of Chinese Medicine

Introduction to the Special Issue for Cultures of Knowledge in the History of Chinese Medicine

Medical Astrology in Hippocrates and Galen's Medical Works

In the pre-modern period, astrology has been the practice of relating celestial bodies to lives and events on earth and the resulting tradition. One aspect of astrology was based on the knowledge of astronomy and mathematical calculations, and the other aspect dealt with soothsaying. We can talk about two types of astrology: natural astrology and judicial astrology. Natural astrology has admitted the idea of celestial influences of a general nature, such as would affect the weather or the environment of a patient, and thus his chances of healing. Judicial astrology aims to determine the particular effects of the stellar influences on a specific person, with a view toward forecasting the future.
 But it is noteworthy that many sciences in the pre-modern period used astronomical results. Thus, understanding the knowledge related to climate, agriculture and medicine in the pre-modern era is not complete without understanding astrology. In this article, in the first part, we try to briefly describe astrology and its types and enumerate some features of medical astrology as part of natural astrology. In the second part, we will examine how astrology influenced the medical theories of Hippocrates and Galen in ancient Greece. And we show that medical astrology for them has been part of the natural process of explaining diseases and methods of prognosis and treatment and prevention.
 Our method in this article is the hermeneutic-based author understanding method. In other words, in this article, we do not use modern ideas about astrology, but try to examine medical astrology based on the natural and judicial astrology, which were expressed in the same pre-modern era. Thus, we show that astrology was not only an important science in its time, but was also related to the various sciences of its time, so that the understanding of knowledge related to medicine in the pre-modern would be incomplete without understanding astronomy.

Recognition and Treatment of Eye Diseases in Andalusia

Muslim ophthalmologists have made significant achievements in the field of ophthalmology in all Islamic lands and territories, especially in Andalusia. Andalusian scientists have written several works related to medicine and ophthalmology that introduce us to their activities in this field. The main purpose of this study is to review the activities performed in Andalusia regarding ophthalmology. Using the review method of libraries and referring to the sources and written works of Andalusian physicians and ophthalmologists, their most important activities in this field have been studied. A study of medical and ophthalmological works in Andalusia showed that Andalusian ophthalmologists created special innovations, the most important of which are the invention and manufacture of various drugs, various surgeries, understanding the anatomy of the eye, and use of various tools for treatment and surgery.

A Review on Humoral Pathology Theory in Chagatai Turkish Medical Works

Amaç: Bu çalışmada, Çağatay Türkçesi tıp eserlerindeki humoral patoloji ile ilgili bilgileri araştırmayı amaçladık.Gereç: Çalışmada Orta Asya sahasında Çağatay Türkçesiyle yazılmış olan altı adet eser incelenmiştir. Çalışma Ocak 2020-Mayıs 2020 tarihleri arasında gerçekleştirilmiştir. İnceleme amacıyla İbn-i Kutluk Molla Toh Niyaz Ahond-Nıng Tıbb Kitabı, Ṭabīblik kitābï, Ṭabı̇̄bçılıḳ, Tıb-Nâme-i Türkî, Risāle-i Ṭıb ve Müfredat-ı tıb adlı eserler hakkında hazırlanmış olan kongre bildirileri, makaleler, yüksek lisans ve doktora tezleri ile kitaplar kullanılmıştır.Bulgular: Çalışma sonunda, farklı dönemlerde Çağatay Türkçesi ile yazılmış tıp eserlerinde humoral patoloji teorisi ile bilgilerin mevcut olduğu görülmüştür. Bu eserlerdeki anlayış Antik Yunan’dan köken alıp, sonrasında İslam Tıbbının ve Osmanlı Tıbbının da temel tıp yaklaşımı olan dört elementli humoral patoloji anlayışıdır. İncelenen kaynaklarda Risāle-i Ṭıb ve Müfredat-ı tıb için yalnızca özet bilgiler aktarıldığından, bu eserlerin tam içeriğine ulaşılamamıştır. Ancak tam metin olarak yayımlanmış olan diğer dört eserin hem teorik içerik bölümlerinde, hem de tanı ve tedavi ile ilgili bölümlerde bu konuda ayrıntılı bilgiler mevcuttur. Sonuç: Sonuç olarak Çağatay Türkçesi tıp eserlerindeki tıbbi anlayış, dört elementli humoral patoloji anlayışı olarak tespit edilmiştir. Metinlerin içeriğinde yer alan İslamiyet ile ilgili bilgilerle birlikte değerlendirildiğinde elde edilen veriler, tıbbi anlayışı etkileyen önemli nedenlerden birisinin din olduğu düşüncesini desteklemektedir.

Alexander Borodin's contributions to arts and sciences

Alexander Borodin, a member of the Mighty Five composers, is presented. As an artist, due to his main compositions, Borodin got world fame. In contrast, his medical and scientific works and educational innovations are practically forgotten. We consider whether there is an objective way to compare the value of scientific and artistic creativity, including musical composing.

MEDICAL ISSUES AND PEOPLE IN VIEW OF THE SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LATIN WORKS PUBLISHED IN KRAKÓW

This paper investigates the Latin works dealing with medicine and physicians, published in seventeenth-century Kraków. The main purpose of the research is to present the leading persons of academic medicine working in those times in this city and to follow through the selected works, which constitute a part of Neo-Latin literature in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The scholastic way of the discourse did not always mean overuse of the authorities, however both ancient and modern were being evoked. By presenting the segment of the medical milieu of seventeenth-century Kraków, namely those academics who published their works there, the author claims that sometimes the neglected Latin editorial production of the Cracovian printing shops is an important part not only for the history of the development of medicine in this region of Europe but also for the cultural heritage of the state's community. Although the Latin language might enable the broader extent of these medical works, most of them were addressed to a particular scientific public. The essay shows that many medical doctors were known for their activities in various fields, such as poetry and city management, and that the panegyrical works may serve as one of the sources of recognition of their biographies and medical output as well.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF MUSLIMS AND ISLAM IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL SCIENCE

Muslims have played very important role in the field of medical science. They began experiments and observations from the first century of Hijra. Islam created great enthusiasm for scientific activities. After extensive translation from Greek, Sanskrit and some other ancient languages into Arabic, Islamic physicians had at their disposal nearly all the valuable medical works, like Hippocratic and Galenic writings. Islamic physicians were immensely influenced by them, and largely depended on their studies as they considered them medical authorities. One of the important physicians in Islam was Avicenna (980-1037) the king of medicine. He had a great influence in the West and the East and was regarded as a medical authority until the era of medical studies. It was used as textbook in the West and East. Another Muslim physician in Islam who had great influence on later Ottoman physicians was Ibn al Nafis. In the 14th century Mansoor bin Muhammad composed a monograph on anatomy called" Illustrated Anatomy " By the eighth century, most of Europe was deep in the dark ages, with only the Byzantine Empire preserving a few fragments of the ancient knowledge. Islamic Caliphate provided a stable environment for Islamic Scholars, who were sponsored by the ruling class. Most Islamic scholars were free to undertake pure research. As with the Ancient Greeks, the Islamic observations on life were closely tied to philosophy and theology. There are so many Muslim scholars who contributed a lot in the field of medical Science and will be discussed in my research paper

Analysis of the mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Decoction against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion by multi-omics

Ethnopharmacological relevanceBuyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHW) is a classic representative formula for treating qi deficiency and the blood stasis syndrome of stroke in the Qing Dynasty physician Wang Qingren's Correction on the Errors of Medical Works. However, the research on the mechanism of BYHW in the treatment of stroke is not systematic and comprehensive. Aim of the studyCombined with multi-omics analysis methods to explore the potential targets of BYHW in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R). Materials and methodsThe rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model was established to study the effect of BYHW on cerebral I/R injury in rats. Then, the potential targets and pathways of BYHW in the treatment of cerebral I/R injury were analyzed by proteomic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic methods. Finally, 4D-PRM was used to validate potential targets. ResultsBYHW effectively improved the neurological function scores of MCAO rats and significantly reduced the rate of cerebral infarction in MCAO rats. Multi-omics analysis had identified 15 potential targets and 4 potential signaling pathways. The results of 4D-PRM targeted proteomics verification showed that Pde1b was reversed up-regulated, and Aprt, Gpd1, Glb1, HEXA, and HEXB were reversed down-regulated. ConclusionBYHW may improve cerebral I/R through Aprt, Pde1b, Gpd1, Glb1, HEXA and HEXB targets, and Glycerophospholipid metabolism, Purine metabolism and Glycosphingolipid biosynthesis - globoseries pathway.

Rhazes’ (865–925 CE) contribution to surgery in Liber Almansoris

Background Surgery has deep historical roots. Rhazes (865–925 CE), a Persian physician, made a significant contribution to the development of medical sciences in the medieval era. Liber Almansoris is one of his significant works on medicine. This book is a medical textbook for medical students. It covers every aspect of the medical sciences. This article discusses Rhazes’ contribution to surgery, based on Liber Almansoris. Method This study examines Rhazes’ contribution to surgery, based on his book, Liber Almansoris. Results Rhazes’s Liber Almansoris contains a chapter (seventh chapter) on orthopedics, which includes surgical approaches. This chapter also describes surgical procedures for traumas and skull fractures. In other chapters, he also recommends surgical options for treating certain complications when discussing different treatment methods. Discussion Although Rhazes mentioned surgical procedures as a medical treatment method, he did not include a separate chapter on surgery. This strategy can be found in his other medical works, such as Liber Continens or Al-Hawi. It appears that Rhazes adheres to the Galenic (Greek) perspective on surgery. In this context, surgery is not an independent major but a method that a physician can employ as needed. It differs from an alternative approach in that era that adheres to ancient Persian perspectives, which identified surgery as a major like other medical sciences disciplines.

Recent estimates and predictions of 5-year survival rate in patients with pancreatic cancer: A model-based period analysis.

The 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer (PC) is incredibly low, resulting in this often being a fatal disease. Timely and accurate assessment of the survival rate and prognosis of patients with PC is of great significance for the development of new programs for prevention, monitoring, and treatment. Period analysis and further stratified analysis were used to determine the 5-year relative survival rate (RSR) of patients with PC from 2002 to 2016 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) project database of the National Cancer Institute. Based on this, a generalized linear model was created to predict the survival rate of patients from 2017 to 2021. During 2002-2016, the 5-year RSR of patients with PC increased from 7.9 to 23.7%. The generalized linear model predicted that the survival rate had increased to 33.9% during 2017-2021, and hence, it was still unacceptably low. The survival rate of patients aged ≥75 years at diagnosis was the lowest among all age groups and was predicted to be only 21.4% during 2017-2021. Notably, the survival rate of patients with differentiation grade III at diagnosis remains particularly low at 7.6%. The survival rates of patients with PC, although slightly improved, remain extremely low. Timely assessment of the trend of survival rate changes in patients with PC further improves the prognosis of tumor patients and provides data support for relevant medical works to formulate effective tumor prevention and control policies.