Journal of medical biography
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Biography Historical Article
Ruminations on Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) and autism.
The article brings together contemporary research on autism spectrum disorder and historical sources concerning the medical condition of a 12th century nun, Hildegard of Bingen, to test two hypotheses: first, that Hildegard manifested disabilities that meet the criteria for autism spectrum disorder and, second, that medieval monasticism was unwittingly well-suited to treat Hildegard's condition. Abundant Hildegardian sources document traces of autism spectrum disorder behaviour in Hildegard's unusual childhood and the composite picture that emerges, when these individual traits are gathered together, is consistent with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. The role monasticism played in helping Hildegard overcome these behaviours is documented and aspects that monasticism shares with modern autism spectrum disorder treatment programs are identified. By recognizing the presence of autism spectrum disorder traits in a major cultural leader of another era and by identifying the type of life she lived while those traits were minimized, we gain insight into the history of autism, medieval monastic life and effective elements of autism spectrum disorder treatment.
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Biography Historical Article
Hecamede: Homeric nurse of the battle-wounded in the Trojan War.
The Homeric epics present the 10-year lasting Trojan War, offering the description of battle wounds and medical care of injuries. Hecamede is referred by the Homer as a battlefield nurse who had knowledge of the treatment of bleeding battle wounds.
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Biography Historical Article
Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930): Physician during the typhoid epidemic in the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902).
When the Anglo-Boer War broke out in October 1899, Arthur Conan Doyle, a retired ophthalmologist, was already famous as the creator of Sherlock Holmes. Motivated by patriotism and adventure, Doyle joined the medical staff of a private field hospital endowed by philanthropist John Langman (1846-1928). Langman Hospital opened in Bloemfontein, South Africa, at the height of that city's typhoid fever epidemic which raged from April to June 1900. ⋯ Despite his strong opinions, Doyle failed to press the issue of compulsory inoculation when he testified before two Royal Commissions investigating the medical and military management of the war in South Africa. One can only imagine how the army might have benefited from the new idea of prophylactic vaccination in preventive medicine if Doyle had not let these opportunities slip away. As a consequence, antityphoid inoculation was still voluntary when Great Britain entered World War I in August 1914.
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Biography Historical Article
Arnault Tzanck (1886-1954), founder of the first blood centre worldwide.
Arnault Tzanck was at the origins of French transfusion and the founder of the first blood centre worldwide. This article retraces his career and personal itinerary and that path which led him to give his build the country's first organized and modern blood transfusion structure.
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Biography Historical Article
A retrospective diagnosis of epilepsy in three historical figures: St Paul, Joan of Arc and Socrates.
It has been suggested that undiagnosed epilepsy profoundly influenced the lives of several key figures in history. Historical sources recounting strange voices and visions may in fact have been describing manifestations of epileptic seizures rather than more supernatural phenomena. Well-documented accounts of such experiences exist for three individuals in particular: Socrates, St Paul and Joan of Arc. ⋯ Finally, Joan of Arc gave a detailed narrative on the voices she heard from childhood during her Trial of Condemnation. Her auditory hallucinations appear to follow sudden acoustic stimuli in a way reminiscent of idiopathic partial epilepsy with auditory features. By analysing passages from historical texts, it is possible to argue that Socrates, St Paul and Joan of Arc each had epilepsy.