ANALIZA KNJIŽNICE JEDNE TOSKANSKE LJEKARNE IZ 18. STOLJEĆA

The archival documents of San Luca Hospital, which has long been the most important welfarist institution of the Republic of Lucca (Tuscany), are stored in the Record Offices of Lucca. The hospital was served by a pharmacy, where the medicaments were prepared for patients and for the needs of other institutions in the city. Three different inventories, dating back to 1719, 1749 and 1784, report on a list of books hosted in the pharmacy. The identification and analysis of the works available in the library have allowed to reconstruct the tendencies of pharmacy thoughts and practices in Lucca during the 18th century. The library of the pharmacy of San Luca Hospital revealed the persistence of ancient medicine and of the pharmacy tradition, based mainly on the use of the simples. However, the influence of iatrochemistry, which following the paracelsian theories contributed to convert pharmacy from a botanical science to a chemical discipline, increased in the second half of the century, when the library was enriched with more recent works. The analysis of the inventories demonstrates the presence of both the galenic-arabic and chemical tradition, therefore reflecting an 18th century pharmacy supplied with a composite literature.Arhivski dokumenti bolnice San Luca, bolnice koja je dugo bila jedna od najvažnijih socijalnih institucija Republike Lucca (Toskana), pohranjeni su u arhivskim uredima grada Lucca. Bolnicu je opsluživala ljekarna gdje su se pripremali lijekovi za pacijente bolnice i za potrebe drugih ustanova grada. Tri različita inventara datirana iz 1719, 1749 i 1784, izvještavaju o popisu knjiga pohranjenih u ljekarničkoj knjižnici. Identifikacija i analiza radova knjižnice dopustili su rekonstrukciju trendova ljekarničke misli i prakse u gradu Lucca tijekom 18. stoljeća. Knjižnica ljekarne bolnice San Luca otkrila je kako su se antička medicinska praksa i ljekarnička tradicija održale još u 18. stoljeću. Tek je utjecajem iatrokemije, temeljene na Paracelzusovim teorijama, ljekarništvo preraslo iz botaničke znanosti u kemijsku disciplinu. Taj je prijelaz postao očitiji u drugoj polovici 18.stoljeća, kada je knjižnica obogaćena novijim radovima. Analiza inventara knjižnice dokazala je prisutnost kako galensko-arapske tako i kemijske tradicije u ljekarništvu, odražavajući sliku jedne ljekarne iz 18.stoljeća i njezine kompozitne literature

"The Plague Cemetery of Alghero, Sardinia (1582-1583) "

"The Plague Cemetery of Alghero (Sardinia, Italy, 1582-1583) presents a bioarchaeological analysis of the individuals exhumed from the cemetery of Alghero, which is associated with the plague outbreak that ravaged the city in 1582-1583. This cemetery revealed a particular burial typology, consisting of long and narrow trenches, each containing multiple inhumations, which attests to a catastrophic event, such as an epidemic with high mortality in a short period of time. Given the rarity of human remains from epidemic contexts buried in trenches, the skeletal sample from Alghero represents valuable material. In fact, no other Italian plague cemeteries have been examined through a detailed bioarchaeological analysis, and the study thus serves as a model for future research. The author examines a series of parameters, starting from the demographic profile of the sample –181 individuals from 15 trenches – and taphonomic analysis, and then analysing stature, dental pathologies, stress indicators, degenerative joint disease, entheseal changes and other pathologies. The study is intended to illuminate a cross section of 16th century Sardinian society in a coastal city through a holistic view, which interweaves the documentary evidence for plague, funerary responses and the health status of the population. The main objective is therefore to shed light on a population which lived during a period of plague, revealing lifestyles, activity patterns and illnesses and providing a significant contribution to the bioarchaeology, palaeopathology, and archaeology of the Italian territory.

An 18th century Tuscan pharmacy: analysis of the library

The archival documents of San Luca Hospital, which has long been the most important welfarist institution of the Republic of Lucca (Tuscany), are stored in the Record Offices of Lucca. The hospital was served by a pharmacy, where the medicaments were prepared for patients and for the needs of other institutions in the city. Three different inventories, dating back to 1719, 1749 and 1784, report on a list of books hosted in the pharmacy. The identification and analysis of the works available in the library have allowed to reconstruct the tendencies of pharmacy thoughts and practices in Lucca during the 18th century. The library of the pharmacy of San Luca Hospital revealed the persistence of ancient medicine and of the pharmacy tradition, based mainly on the use of the simples. However, the influence of iatrochemistry, which following the paracelsian theories contributed to convert pharmacy from a botanical science to a chemical discipline, increased in the second half of the century, when the library was enriched with more recent works. The analysis of the inventories demonstrates the presence of both the galenic-arabic and chemical tradition, therefore reflecting an 18th century pharmacy supplied with a composite literature

"The Plague Cemetery of Alghero, Sardinia (1582-1583) "

"The Plague Cemetery of Alghero (Sardinia, Italy, 1582-1583) presents a bioarchaeological analysis of the individuals exhumed from the cemetery of Alghero, which is associated with the plague outbreak that ravaged the city in 1582-1583. This cemetery revealed a particular burial typology, consisting of long and narrow trenches, each containing multiple inhumations, which attests to a catastrophic event, such as an epidemic with high mortality in a short period of time. Given the rarity of human remains from epidemic contexts buried in trenches, the skeletal sample from Alghero represents valuable material. In fact, no other Italian plague cemeteries have been examined through a detailed bioarchaeological analysis, and the study thus serves as a model for future research. The author examines a series of parameters, starting from the demographic profile of the sample –181 individuals from 15 trenches – and taphonomic analysis, and then analysing stature, dental pathologies, stress indicators, degenerative joint disease, entheseal changes and other pathologies. The study is intended to illuminate a cross section of 16th century Sardinian society in a coastal city through a holistic view, which interweaves the documentary evidence for plague, funerary responses and the health status of the population. The main objective is therefore to shed light on a population which lived during a period of plague, revealing lifestyles, activity patterns and illnesses and providing a significant contribution to the bioarchaeology, palaeopathology, and archaeology of the Italian territory.

The paleopathological evidence on the origins of human tuberculosis: a review

Tuberculosis (TB) has been one of the most important infectious diseases affecting mankind and still represents a plague on a global scale. In this narrative review, the origins of tuberculosis are outlined, according to the evidence of paleopathology. In particular, the first cases of human TB in ancient skeletal remains are presented, together with the most recent discoveries resulting from the paleomicrobiology of the tubercle bacillus, which provide innovative information on the history of TB. The paleopathological evidence of TB attests the presence of the disease starting from Neolithic times. Traditionally, it was thought that TB has a zoonotic origin, being acquired by humans from cattle during the Neolithic revolution. However, the biomolecular studies proposed a new evolutionary scenario demonstrating that human TB has a human origin. The researches show that the disease was present in the early human populations of Africa at least 70000 years ago and that it expanded following the migrations of Homo sapiens out of Africa, adapting to the different human groups. The demographic success of TB during the Neolithic period was due to the growth of density and size of the human host population, and not the zoonotic transfer from cattle, as previously hypothesized. These data demonstrate long coevolution of the disease and its human host. Understanding the changes of TB through time thanks to the advances in the field of paleopathology can help to solve the problems of the present and understand the future evolution of TB

The paleopathological evidence on the origins of human tuberculosis: a review

Tuberculosis (TB) has been one of the most important infectious diseases affecting mankind and still represents a plague on a global scale. In this narrative review the origins of tuberculosis are outlined, according to the evidence of paleopathology. In particular the first cases of human TB in ancient skeletal remains are presented, together with the most recent discoveries resulting from the paleomicrobiology of the tubercle bacillus, which provide innovative information on the history of TB. The paleopathological evidence of TB attests the presence of the disease starting from Neolithic times. Traditionally, it was thought that TB has a zoonotic origin, being acquired by humans from cattle during the Neolithic revolution. However, the biomolecular studies proposed a new evolutionary scenario demonstrating that human TB has a human origin. The researches show that the disease was present in the early human populations of Africa at least 70000 years ago and that it expanded following the migrations of Homo sapiens out of Africa, adapting to the different human groups. The demographic success of TB during the Neolithic period was due to the growth of density and size of the human host population, and not the zoonotic transfer from cattle, as previously hypothesized. These data demonstrate a long coevolution of the disease and its human host. Understanding the changes of TB through time thanks to the advances in the field of paleopathology can help to solve the present problems and understand the future evolution of TB

ANALIZA KNJIŽNICE JEDNE TOSKANSKE LJEKARNE IZ 18. STOLJEĆA

The archival documents of San Luca Hospital, which has long been the most important welfarist institution of the Republic of Lucca (Tuscany), are stored in the Record Offices of Lucca. The hospital was served by a pharmacy, where the medicaments were prepared for patients and for the needs of other institutions in the city. Three different inventories, dating back to 1719, 1749 and 1784, report on a list of books hosted in the pharmacy. The identification and analysis of the works available in the library have allowed to reconstruct the tendencies of pharmacy thoughts and practices in Lucca during the 18th century. The library of the pharmacy of San Luca Hospital revealed the persistence of ancient medicine and of the pharmacy tradition, based mainly on the use of the simples. However, the influence of iatrochemistry, which following the paracelsian theories contributed to convert pharmacy from a botanical science to a chemical discipline, increased in the second half of the century, when the library was enriched with more recent works. The analysis of the inventories demonstrates the presence of both the galenic-arabic and chemical tradition, therefore reflecting an 18th century pharmacy supplied with a composite literature.Arhivski dokumenti bolnice San Luca, bolnice koja je dugo bila jedna od najvažnijih socijalnih institucija Republike Lucca (Toskana), pohranjeni su u arhivskim uredima grada Lucca. Bolnicu je opsluživala ljekarna gdje su se pripremali lijekovi za pacijente bolnice i za potrebe drugih ustanova grada. Tri različita inventara datirana iz 1719, 1749 i 1784, izvještavaju o popisu knjiga pohranjenih u ljekarničkoj knjižnici. Identifikacija i analiza radova knjižnice dopustili su rekonstrukciju trendova ljekarničke misli i prakse u gradu Lucca tijekom 18. stoljeća. Knjižnica ljekarne bolnice San Luca otkrila je kako su se antička medicinska praksa i ljekarnička tradicija održale još u 18. stoljeću. Tek je utjecajem iatrokemije, temeljene na Paracelzusovim teorijama, ljekarništvo preraslo iz botaničke znanosti u kemijsku disciplinu. Taj je prijelaz postao očitiji u drugoj polovici 18.stoljeća, kada je knjižnica obogaćena novijim radovima. Analiza inventara knjižnice dokazala je prisutnost kako galensko-arapske tako i kemijske tradicije u ljekarništvu, odražavajući sliku jedne ljekarne iz 18.stoljeća i njezine kompozitne literature

Dental health in adults and subadults from the 16th-century plague cemetery of Alghero (Sardinia, Italy)

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine a set of dental health indicators, including caries, periodontal disease, abscesses, ante-mortem tooth loss, calculus, and tooth wear of a 16th-century population from the city of Alghero, Sardinia (Italy), in order to evaluate the state of dental health and the diet. Design: The cemetery is referable to the plague outbreak that ravaged the city in 1582-1583. A total of 160 individuals (81 adults and 79 subadults) were suitable for dental examination. Results: The oral conditions of the urban population of Alghero are characterised by high frequency of carious lesions, periodontal disease, ante mortem tooth loss, and calculus, but a low prevalence of abscesses and moderate tooth wear are recorded. In general, no statistically significant sexual differences are observed, suggesting a uniform scenario for diet access and oral health. The subadult subsample shows moderate rates of caries and is affected by calculus. The results suggest that the diet was rich in soft and refined food, with a prevalence of carbohydrates and cariogenic aliments; the effects of the diet are associated with a lack of oral hygiene. Conclusions: The patterns of dental health observed in the Alghero population fit with the data observed in other Modern Age samples, reflecting increased prevalence of dentoalveolar diseases resulting from a less abrasive diet and an increase in carbohydrate consumption, as documented during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern period

Restoration and preservation of the anatomical specimens of the Museum of Pathological Anatomy at the University of Pisa

The recent establishment of the University Museum System, whose aim is to promote and enhance the University collections, encouraged the rearrangement of the Museum of Pathological Anatomy, currently not operating, because its precious pieces are stored in a warehouse. The economic support of the “Fondazione Pisa” permitted, in the last year, to begin the recovery and restoration of a part of the specimens. The collection consists in 1500 human and animal pathological specimens of great scientific relevance, some of which dated back to the Granducal period. The remains consist in pathological changes and congenital anomalies detected on human and animal bodies and organs, preserved in formaldehyde or dry. In particular, the Museum includes: a collection of 50 human bladder stones dating back to the first half of the 19th century; a collection of malformed human newborns documenting 25 rare congenital malformations, dating back to the end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century; a collection of animal teratology; a collection of helminthic parasitology. In the last 30 years, the Museum was then enriched with a collection of pieces from pathological autopsies, such as lung, cardio-vascular, renal, and brain diseases. The recovery was initially addressed to restore the wet preparations preserved in formaldehyde that required an urgent emergency. In fact, in many cases the evaporation of the liquid has determined the deterioration of the specimens; moreover, formalin was replaced with alcohol because it has been declared toxic and the new Museum dispositions require impose the substitution with not dangerous preserving liquids. In the GiPaleo Meeting a selection from over 100 artifacts restored will be exhibited

Rheumatic diseases at the court of the Medici of Florence: the so-called "gout" of the Medici

According to the archive documents several members of the Medici family of Florence suffered from gout. The word "gout", with which the Renaissance physicians indicated pain episodes localised to hands, feet, spine and shoulders, was in general improperly used, and hint other nosological entities. A paleopathological investigation carried out on the skeletal remains of the Grand Dukes of Florence and their relatives, revealed the true nature of the diseases they suffered from, allowing to diagnose two cases of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), a case of rheumatoid arthritis in an advanced stage, and a case of gout