The historical examination of pediatric surgery in the 19th century, particularly through the cases managed by Theodoros Aretaios (1829-1893), underscores the complexities and challenges faced by surgeons of that era. Ar...The historical examination of pediatric surgery in the 19th century, particularly through the cases managed by Theodoros Aretaios (1829-1893), underscores the complexities and challenges faced by surgeons of that era. Aretaios's experiences with conditions such as atresia and osteosarcoma reveal a lack of specialization in pediatric surgery, as procedures were often adapted from adult practices without fully addressing the unique needs of children. His documentation highlights not only the medical difficulties but also the social implications of treating life-threatening conditions in young patients, emphasizing the evolution of surgical practices and the necessity for a more child-centered approach in modern medicine. This paper aims to shed light on the development of pediatric surgical care, illustrating how historical practices inform contemporary understandings and methodologies.
Recognizing the crucial role of medicine in everyday life, it is unsurprising that medical literature in the Croatian language has been produced and studied for several centuries. To date, numerous studies have provided...Recognizing the crucial role of medicine in everyday life, it is unsurprising that medical literature in the Croatian language has been produced and studied for several centuries. To date, numerous studies have provided an overview of the history of Croatian medical literature, primarily focusing on lexicographical works, encyclopedias, and publications. Nevertheless, Croatian medical textbooks and manuals from the 19th century have been less systematically examined as a distinct corpus. This period is particularly significant in the history of Croatian scientific and cultural production: it was marked by intensified efforts to standardize the Croatian language, the development of scientific terminology, and Enlightenment-inspired initiatives aimed at making scientific knowledge accessible to the Croatian public in their native language. Works produced during this period bear witness to the development of medicine in the Croatian context and represent a valuable source for studying the history of Croatian scientific and professional terminology, as well as scientific style. The aim of this study is to provide an overview of selected Croatian medical textbooks and manuals from the 19th century, listing them and briefly describing their structure, content, and intended use. By doing so, the study seeks to supplement existing overviews of older Croatian medical literature and to highlight the significance of these works for interdisciplinary research, encompassing medical history, linguistic studies, and the broader cultural context of 19th-century Croatia.
In the context of the recent coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to highlight the importance of vaccination as one of the greatest medical achievements and the most effective preventive measure for protecting the population...In the context of the recent coronavirus pandemic, we wanted to highlight the importance of vaccination as one of the greatest medical achievements and the most effective preventive measure for protecting the population from infectious diseases. Over 200 years ago, the pioneer of vaccination in Dubrovnik, Luko Stulli, one of the most renowned physicians of the early 19th century, proudly and enthusiastically wrote about it. Immediately after the discovery of vaccination and inspired by this new medical method, he wrote a Latin poem in 1804 titled “Vaccinatio, carmen elegiacum” (Vaccination, an elegiac poem). This is probably one of the few poems in Croatian literature dedicated to a medical theme, and one of the last written in Latin. So far, three original printed copies have been found, and recently a fourth, printed in 1828, was discovered. Recent events related to the COVID-19 pandemic have once again sparked interest in Stulli’s Elegy, brought it into focus in discussions of vaccination and quarantine, and reaffirmed the value and universality of the views and messages expressed in this Latin poem, written in the spirit of classical poetics and the canon. Exactly 220 years have passed since the printing of the Elegy, yet doubts about the value and usefulness of scientific discoveries have not disappeared, nor has the distrust in medical science and vaccination as a civilizational achievement.
The ancient Greek historian Thucydides described in his book "History of the Peloponnesian War" one of the earliest epidemics in known human history, the "Plague of Athens". The plague, which lasted from 430-426 B.C., ha...The ancient Greek historian Thucydides described in his book "History of the Peloponnesian War" one of the earliest epidemics in known human history, the "Plague of Athens". The plague, which lasted from 430-426 B.C., had a death toll estimated at around 75,000 - 100,000. The importance of the plague was immense. Pericles, the historical leader of Athens, was among its victims, and his death was just the beginning of the fall of the Golden Age of Athens. The enormous death toll from the plague weakened Athens, leading to its eventual defeat in the war against Sparta. So far, the cause of this plague is unknown, but its symptoms are well described. Thucydides himself suffered from the plague, but fortunately, he survived. Many assumptions have been made about the disease responsible. In this article, the possible explanations will be discussed, hoping to shed light on that historical mystery. A metric system was created to help estimate the possibility of each of the 17 proposed diseases being the actual reason behind the deadly plague. Out of all the presented diseases, typhoid fever seems to fit most of the criteria, thus being considered the most possible causative agent. Other scenarios are also discussed.
In the early modern period, dietary practice was widely understood through humoral theory, which held that health depended on maintaining balance among the four bodily humours. This article examines dietary advice for in...In the early modern period, dietary practice was widely understood through humoral theory, which held that health depended on maintaining balance among the four bodily humours. This article examines dietary advice for individuals identified as choleric, characterized by an excess of yellow bile associated with heat and dryness, within sixteenth- and seventeenth-century medical thought. Building on previous studies of humoral balance and the melancholic constitution, the article explores how physicians and health writers adapted classical and medieval dietetic principles to manage the heat and dryness characteristic of choler. Drawing on English popular health manuals and herbals, the article outlines explicit dietary prescriptions formulated within a Galenic framework to temper physiological and emotional excess. The study also considers how these medical recommendations intersect with contemporary culinary practice through an analysis of printed English cookbooks. While medical texts articulated overtly therapeutic dietary regimes, culinary sources rarely framed recipes in medical terms. Nevertheless, many recipes produced forms of balance that aligned with humoral expectations. The article argues that this convergence reflects a shared cultural logic of moderation, shaped by the long transmission of Hippocratic and Galenic dietetic ideas, rather than deliberate medical intent in cooking.
The article examines the issue of people suffering from sexually transmitted diseases during the First World War, based on the archival material from Dubrovnik hospital found in the State Archives’ “Hospital – unsettled...The article examines the issue of people suffering from sexually transmitted diseases during the First World War, based on the archival material from Dubrovnik hospital found in the State Archives’ “Hospital – unsettled material” fund. In the 19th century, Dubrovnik society blamed the existence of non-institutionalized prostitution for the high increase in individuals suffering from venereal diseases. The emergence of brothels was intended to lead to disease control. At the beginning of the First World War, with the number of soldiers increasing and the proximity to the Montenegrin battlefield, there was a rise in the incidence of venereal diseases. The significance of sexually transmitted diseases in war conditions is particularly important and affects the results of the war conflict. Therefore, the military authorities try to control the epidemic of sexually transmitted diseases with various preventive measures. Syphilis and gonorrhea stand out among sexually transmitted diseases. Hospital capacities were not sufficient for all syphilis patients, and occasionally the hospital blocked the admission of patients.
Eterović I, Buterin T, Sepčić J
… +2 more, Muzur A, Doričić R
Acta Med Hist Adriat
· 2025 Oct · PMID 41160453
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The first reports about the pharmacy in Cres date back to the 15th century. As early as 1431, the mayor of Cres dealt with the issue of procuring medicines, and from the end of the century until modern times, the minutes...The first reports about the pharmacy in Cres date back to the 15th century. As early as 1431, the mayor of Cres dealt with the issue of procuring medicines, and from the end of the century until modern times, the minutes of the Cres Municipal Council discuss obtaining pharmacy licenses, as well as pharmacists’ salaries and disputes. For a long time, pharmacists were immigrants from Istria and Italy who would stay in Cres for a shorter or longer period. As a result, from the 19th century, pharmacy was settled in the hands of the Colombis and Rossi families. After the Second World War, Ljekarna Cres became part of the Rijeka company Ljekarna Jadran. Analysing sources and literature, this contribution aims to shed light on the rich yet insufficiently known history of a profession that simultaneously reveals no less interesting fragments of everyday life and culture in Cres.
Acta Med Hist Adriat
· 2025 Oct · PMID 41160452
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The first official case of HIV infection in Portugal was confirmed in 1983. Faced with the threat of a global epidemic caused by an unknown virus, Portugal responded to the WHO's call in 1985 by establishing institutions...The first official case of HIV infection in Portugal was confirmed in 1983. Faced with the threat of a global epidemic caused by an unknown virus, Portugal responded to the WHO's call in 1985 by establishing institutions with the aim of supporting state decisions, conducting epidemiological studies, controlling the spread of the virus, diagnosing cases, disseminating information, and educating the population. Portugal has come a long way from initially denying the existence of the disease and refusing to disclose the positive result to patients. The serious case of infecting haemophiliacs with a batch of Factor VIII imported from an Austrian laboratory, resulting in the deaths of dozens of patients, forced the Portuguese public health authorities to create organisations able to face the fight against AIDS. By trying to control the serious drug addiction problem after the Portuguese revolution of April 1974, the conservative society was able to change its attitude and pass groundbreaking legislation worldwide and implement a successful programme to control AIDS infection among injecting drug users. Issues such as the effectiveness of these measures in controlling the AIDS epidemic and their impact on Portuguese society at the end of the 20th century will be addressed in this paper.
Acta Med Hist Adriat
· 2025 Oct · PMID 41160451
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The article outlines the history of Polish pharmacy museums in the broader European context. The first efforts to establish such an institution date back to the second half of the 19th century, when, despite the lack of...The article outlines the history of Polish pharmacy museums in the broader European context. The first efforts to establish such an institution date back to the second half of the 19th century, when, despite the lack of a Polish sovereign state, Polish pharmacists, passionate about their trade, called for the creation of a pharmacy museum. Their continued efforts faced multiple obstacles, with the two World Wars being the worst of them. During the inter-war period, multiple collections were assembled, but the first Polish museum of pharmacy was established only after the Second World War, in 1946, in Kraków, thanks to Dr Stanisław Proń. In the 1970s, a number of smaller museums were established in other Polish cities, including Lublin, Warsaw, Poznań, Bydgoszcz, and Gdańsk. The transformation following the collapse of the Iron Curtain caused a temporary crisis for pharmacy museums in Poland, with some establishments being liquidated due to the withdrawal of funding. However, soon after Polish society became accustomed to the new realities, a number of museums were restored, and even new ones were established, some as part of municipal museums (Warszawa, Bydgoszcz), some within universities, and some even funded by private companies (Lublin, Łódź). The article illustrates the richness and distinctiveness of the field of Polish pharmaceutical museology, while also observing its connection to wider European realities.
Acta Med Hist Adriat
· 2025 Oct · PMID 41160449
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This paper presents the public health work of Dr Avelin Roblek (1845–1889) through his professional path as a city physician in Bjelovar and Ljubljana, within the framework of medicine in our region at the end of the 19t...This paper presents the public health work of Dr Avelin Roblek (1845–1889) through his professional path as a city physician in Bjelovar and Ljubljana, within the framework of medicine in our region at the end of the 19th century. Dr Roblek graduated from the medical faculty in Graz in 1874, after which he worked in Ljubljana and for three years in Litija. From 1882 to 1888, he served as the city physician and primary physician of the county hospital in Bjelovar and then, until his untimely death, the city physician in Ljubljana. The functions of the city physician in the second half of the 19th century in the then Austrian Empire were mostly public health: anti-epidemic measures, vaccinations, examinations and sanitary inspections of living conditions, control of prostitutes, coroners, and forensic autopsies, and control of the work of midwives and coroners. Dr Roblek regularly reported on the functions and the measures he implemented to the city magistrates in Bjelovar and Ljubljana. He died in Ljubljana after contracting a disease while performing his work as a physician.
Acta Med Hist Adriat
· 2025 Oct · PMID 41160448
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This article presents the development of psychiatric thought during the long nineteenth century in Europe and Croatia, where the development of the classification of personality disorders is presented in more detail. Thi...This article presents the development of psychiatric thought during the long nineteenth century in Europe and Croatia, where the development of the classification of personality disorders is presented in more detail. This diagnostic category is on the border between mentally healthy and ill, which most vividly opens essential questions in psychiatric science. These questions were and remain the subject of scientific research in psychiatry, and they gained their foundations and momentum in the long nineteenth century, which is reflected in the fruitful activity of a large number of doctors and scientists of that time, from France, England, through Italy to Austria and Germany. The article also shows the contribution of Croatian doctors, especially Dr. Ivo Žirovčić, as the long-term director of the first psychiatric hospital in Croatia, in laying the foundations of Croatian psychiatry, the development of which was belatedly, but greatly accelerated by the opening of the Institute for the Mentally Ill in Stenjevac, today’s University Psychiatric Hospital Vrapče.
Acta Med Hist Adriat
· 2025 Oct · PMID 41160447
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Ancient Egypt refers to the area along the Nile River where the Ancient Egyptian civilisation developed. As a state creation, Egypt was the place of many firsts, including architecture, art, economy, and science. Over ti...Ancient Egypt refers to the area along the Nile River where the Ancient Egyptian civilisation developed. As a state creation, Egypt was the place of many firsts, including architecture, art, economy, and science. Over time, within the priestly class in Egypt, priests began to appear who devoted their lives to different sciences, primarily astronomy, astrology, but also medicine. Ancient Egyptian medicine will be the focus of this paper, together with the diagnostic procedures, methods, and different ways of treating bone fractures, which will all be presented in more detail throughout the paper. Despite the fact that the paper will discuss extremely old historical periods, sources for this topic can be found in ancient Egyptian papyri that have survived to the present day. This is why the Edwin-Smith Papyrus, which is a treasure trove of ancient Egyptian medical science, should be highlighted. Also, since the Egyptian religion was deeply ingrained in Egyptian society, it should not be surprising that numerous medical procedures and remedies can be found in the magical texts/incantations that the ancient priests would recite during the process of treating a patient. This paper will first briefly present ancient Egyptian medicine in general, then its close connection with religion and magic, and finally, the diagnostics, methods, and interventions used by ancient doctors to treat bone fractures of their patients as described in the Edwin-Smith Papyrus.
Acta Med Hist Adriat
· 2025 Oct · PMID 41160446
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Publisher ↗
In the second half of the 18th century, a new awareness in education started to rise, placing greater importance on veterinary science. We are talking about a hundred years of history. Antonio Campana and Tommaso Bonacci...In the second half of the 18th century, a new awareness in education started to rise, placing greater importance on veterinary science. We are talking about a hundred years of history. Antonio Campana and Tommaso Bonaccioli, grandsons of Barbara Campana, were the creators of the Veterinary School of Ferrara in their own right. Among the teachers, we especially remember the first, Luigi Le Roy of the Lyon school. This Veterinary School, founded in 1762, was the place to train teachers for the upcoming schools around Europe. Antonio Campana was an eclectic scientist who also stood out in this discipline. Tommaso Bonaccioli, who studied at the School of Milan during the Napoleonic era, was highly regarded among foreign researchers for being a pioneer in this field. This can be proven by numerous publications and lectures at the Academy of Sciences in Ferrara, where he also served as president. His collaborators were able to keep the highest standards by continuing the founder's work. Unfortunately, despite the appreciation of the students, the Veterinary School of Ferrara was closed in 1880 due to a lack of funding. The search for unpublished original documentation was conducted in the Historical Archives (Municipal, Ariostea Municipal Library, Academy of Sciences and University of Ferrara).