Hydrocephalus in Context: A History from Graeco-Roman Sources

Abstract

The history of the scientific description and conceptualisation of the condition named “hydrocephalus” goes back to Graeco-Roman antiquity. The present article provides an extensive examination of the ancient Greek and Latin texts on the topic, including the only extant medical papyrus dealing with it. A thorough investigation of these primary sources allows us to expand our knowledge of this disorder throughout history and how its nosological conception has varied over time.