Medicina nei secoli最新文献

This article aims at dealing with the historical development and the terminology of the notion of generation in ancient Greece, taking as well into consideration several aspects of the notion of heredity, for, at present, research in this field lacks a consistent encyclopedic entry on such subjects. The Presocratic - mainly Empedoclean - notions of 'mixing' and 'separation' lurk behind the Hippocratic treatise De genitura/De natura pueri, in which the process of generation is explained through the 'mixing' mechanism of a female semen and a male one. Semen comes from each part of both parents, so it is sound from the sound parts, and unhealthy from the unhealthy parts. It is considered as the "foam of blood" (Diogenes, A 24 DK), gathering itself into a web of blood vessels that bring it to the genital organs. The mixed semen keeps on fixing itself in the womb thanks to pneuma ('breath'), until the embryo takes human shape. Generation is influenced by both the environment (Airs, Waters, Places) and dietetics (On Regimen, I). Male and female are on different levels in CH, since the former is characterized as hot and strong, and the latter is considered as cold and weak; as a consequence of this, the articulation takes longer in the case of a female embryo. On the other hand, the pangenesis and the preformism theory claim for a strong mutual relationship. Sex determination depends from the 'prevalence' of the male or female semen. The generation of twins of different sex depends from such 'prevalence', as well as from the conformation of the womb and its places (right/male, left/female). Both nature (physis) and use (nomos) have a role in the mechanism of inheritance, as the case of the Macrocephalians in Airs Waters Places shows. On the other hand, Plato's Timaeus exemplifies the theory according to which semen derives from the spinal marrow. The structures of the body - bones, flesh, nerves - aim at protecting marrow itself for the sake of maintaining the continuity of the process of generation. For Aristotle, the female provides a specific contribution to generation, that is menstrual blood, the 'material' that will be fashioned into shape by the 'principle of movement' provided in the male semen. Menstrual blood and semen share the same nature, for they are both the ultimate secretion of nutriment, that is the residue of concocted blood. Considering the female as colder that the male, Aristotle develops the concept of the female as privation in relation to the male. The notion of 'prevalence' in its turn provides explanation for similarities between parents and children. The theory of a double semen originating itself in blood comes back again in Galen's treatise On semen, which links together the Hippocratic notion of a bi-sexual semen and the Aristotelian one of a specific female contribution, the menstrual blood, that provides nutrition for the embryo. Furthermore, similarities between sons and mothers are considered in Definitiones medi

In the area of Rome object of study, the cremations account for 10% of total burials (522 cremation burials of 4758), unlike the contemporary cemeteries of French and Cispadane areas where they are well over 30%. Detailed analysis of the cemeteries, confirms that the indirect cremations (urns and graves) represent over 85% of the sample, while direct cremations (busta sepulcra) are under-represented. For a selected sample of 69 cremations, demographic analysis was performed and it shows a discrete prevalence of women and an almost equal distribution of males and subadults. Quantitative analysis of burned bones was conducted on cremations found perfectly intact during excavation, it indicates that cremations are generally completed and that they have all the anatomical regions represented.

The recent excavations carried out by the Superintendence for the Colosseum, the Roman National Museum and the Archaeological Area of Rome allowed to uncover a large number of burial grounds of Imperial Age. In this work we present the data for 11 cemeteries scattered throughout the Suburbiumn, dating between 1st and 3rd centuries AD. A whole sample of 6061 tombs has been investigated and 5280 skeletons were anthropologically analyzed. All the field data have been scored in appropriate standardized charts in order to make easy their storage and processing in a dedicated database.

The bone tissue remodeling due to strong physical/working activity is defined as ergonomic markers or MSM (Muscoloskeletal Stress Markers) (Capasso et al. 1999) and MOS (Markers of Occupational Stress). Among them we can find: enthesopaties, arthropaties, non metrical stress and traumas markers. In the present study, the analysis of these traits has been used to clarify habitual activity patterns of four imperial populations from Suburbium: Castel Malnome, Casal Bertone area Q, Via Padre Semeria e Quarto Cappello del Prete. The very high prevalence of activity-induced stress lesions occurred among the individuals of Castel Malnome and Casal Bertone area Q suggests that these groups were involved in strenuous occupations such as, respectively: the processing and storage of salt and the dyeing of textiles and hides discernible from the archaeological context. For the individuals of Via Padre Semeria and Quarto Cappello del Prete the alterations, instead, could be compatibles with agricultural work.

They analyzed the data of excavation of eleven Roman necropolis of the territory of the imperial age. The funeral rite most widespread is inhiumation; cremation is generally around 10% of the total sample. The burials are generally primary and single, more rarely bisome or multiple. The body was placed without a specific orientation, almost always supine, with arms either stretched or flexed and lower limbs generally relaxed. Sometimes the body was wrapped in a shroud or in a tight bandage. The state of preservation of the skeletal remains is very variable as influenced by soil type.

Many diseases induce alterations in the human skeleton, leaving traces of their presence in ancient remains. Paleopathological examination of human remains not only allows the study of the history and evolution of the disease, but also the reconstruction of health conditions in the past populations. This paper describes the most interesting diseases observed in skeletal samples from the Roman Imperial Age necropoles found in urban and suburban areas of Rome during archaeological excavations in the last decades. The diseases observed were grouped into the following categories: articular diseases, traumas, infections, metabolic or nutritional diseases, congenital diseases and tumours, and some examples are reported for each group. Although extensive epidemiological investigation in ancient skeletal records is impossible, the palaeopathological study allowed to highlight the spread of numerous illnesses, many of which can be related to the life and health conditions of the Roman population.

Trauma, diseases, diet, daily work and environmental factors shape bodies. From birth to death, these processes leave on the skeleton markers that can be recognized and studied, thus providing an overview of the health conditions of past populations. The present work analyzes data collected in seven necropolises. During our study, we exploited nonspecific stress and dental pathologies as key indicators of health conditions. In particula; we analyzed the three most common indicators of stress: porotic hyperostosis; enamel hypoplasia; and Harris lines on shins. Additionally, we examined the most important dental alveolar pathologies, including carious lesions, periodontal diseases, antemortem tooth loss, abscesses, and calculi. The data we analyzed suggest that, despite the different urban and suburban origins, all the samples belong to a middle-range or low social class, whose living conditions were modest. The only necropolis which stands out is Casal Bertone Mausoleo, where the samples present the lowest frequencies with respect to both the stress indicators and the oral pathologies, suggesting better living conditions.

Anencephaly is of special interest for the historical study of human behaviour after the birth of a monstrous child. Examples of anencephalic human births from Egyptian Antiquity to the present time allow us to create a history of teratology, revealing hiatuses in the medical and scientific interpretation of monstrosity that contrast to a relative continuity in the imaginary processes that accompany the birth of a monstrous child.