Histoire des sciences medicales最新文献

Western embalming follows two main goals: a practical function of post-mortem body conservation at least the long time necessary for the organization of a funeral ceremony. But also a theological function with the transformation of the dead body into a good smelling corpse that will be received in Paradise during the "apotheosis". Several forensic anthropological and osteo-archaeological recent studies have enlightened the complexity of such practices. We present here the main results of such studies carried out by our research team.

The author presents a copy of the De humani corporis fabrica by Andreas Vesalius; this book is preserved in the department of rare books of the municipal Library in Reims. This copy is a first edition as the author gives positive proofs. This book results of a donation to the Minimes's congregation of Reims by Seigneur Guillaume Le Vergeur, Count of Saint Souplet and Baillif of Vermandois in the 17th century. Guillaume Le Vergeur has also given other precious books to the monastery's library and his name is inscribed on the register of obituaries and on the pediment of the Minimes' Church.

At the end of 1629, Descartes, settled in the Lower Countries, began studying anatomy and performing dissections in order to write L'Homme (The Treatise on Man). He acknowledged his debt towards "Vezalius and the others". In those years, in Europe, the influence of Vesalius was increasing, as shown by Rembrandt's Anatomy of Dr Tulp and by the Theatrum anatomicum by Caspar Bauhin. Descartes rejected the divisions of the soul, then a common place in medical treatises, and he stated a principle of life defined by the heath in the heart linked to the new demonstration of the circulation of the blood by William Harvey.

We report a study on 809 births and 885 deaths collected from the civil registries of the Pyrenean village of Beost, Ossau Valley, Bearn, France, during the entire 19th century. Among the studied parameters, some give us interesting data on the population history. Thus, the rate of mortality under 1 year of age (110,7 per thousand), the global longevity of this population (mean age at death: 45,8 years) and the absence of significant increase in mortality during the winter months and periods of difficulty for food availability argue in favor of a quite satisfactory sanitary level. Nevertheless, the reduced longevity of illegitimate children (nine deaths often before the age of 7) suggests an absence of care for this population category who was socially rejected. Furthermore, the proportion of women dying between 21 and 40 years of age was twice than that of men, which could be explained by maternity-related medical complications. The seasonality of births (and therefore of conceptions) is less typical than in the other mountain populations. Finally, we may note an increased mortality at the end of 1856 due to a cholera epidemic and in 1870 because of small pox.

This paper discusses the depiction of engravings taken from Vesalius's, Valverde de Hamusco's and Casserio 's treatises in portraits during the 16th and the 17th centuries to understand better the reception of the Fabrica in Spain and England.

Chemotherapy stands today for cancer. In 1909, Paul Ehrlich (1854-1915) advocates the use of arsphenamine by infusion. So, he is considered as the father of chemotherapy. In fact, the first to have thought through chemotherapy was Sir Christopher Wren (1632-1723). In 1676, ideas and experiments on animals had sufficiently progressed to allow Michel Ettmuller (1644-1683) to publish the first edition of his book and several others were printed until 1753. In this book, he describes the first intravenous treatment, it sets the first indications, dosages and different products which can be used. However this method has been forgotten until the late 19th century.

Who was Charles Daremberg? Why and how did he become interested in Vesalius? Why was he unable to really understand his work? Why did he tone down the general tune of praise?

Destiny of the wood blocks which have been used for engraving of illustrations of 1543 edition of the Fabrica is really outstanding. Several times lost and found again, they were transported over Europe in a surprising conservation state, for more than four centuries. Made by the famous Venitian wood-cutters, the blocks cross the Alps to join up Basel in Switzerland and Joannes Oporinus, the printer. Felix Platter uses 48 Vesalian wood-blocks for his own treaty in 1583. These blocks reappear in Augsburg in 1706, at the printer Andreas Maschenbauer's; they are found again by Von Wollter from Ingolstadt: they are used to illustrate Leveling's anatomy book in 1781 and 1783. Ingolstadt university and the blocks will be transferred to Landshut because of Napoleon's war, then to Munich in 1826. But in 1892 147 blocks are found again in the library; and are forgotten again. Forty years after, 230 blocks are discovered again! Icones anatomicae represent the last and fabulous edition made in 1934. The Second World War closes this epic with the library fire on July 13th 1944: none of these precious blocks remains today.

The Helvetius dynasty originates from the Principality of Anhalt, in Germany. George Vigelius, one of its ancestors, was born in the Palatinate (Germany) and studied theology in the town of Basel (Switzerland), after which he was given the surname Swietser. In 1649, his eldest son, Johann Friedrich Swietser, moved to the United Provinces and changed his name into Johan Frederik Helvétius. In 1656, he took his doctorate of medicine at the university of Harderwyck Guelderland). He settled in Amsterdam and moved later to The Hague, where he had a lightning career. Three of his four sons studied medicine in Leyden: Jean-Balthasar, Philippe-Maximilien, and Joseph-Jean. Jean-Adrien, the second son of Johann-Friedrich, settled in Paris and took his doctorate of medicine at the university of Reims, using the pseudonym of Christian-Lebrecht Helvétius. He had a prosperous career. He was the father of Jean-Claude-Adrien Helvétius, who became also a successful physician and first physician to the queen of France. His grandson was Claude-Adrien Helvétius, who became a leading philosopher and writer.