Kidney disease in Byzantine medical texts

The most significant contribution of the great Byzantine physicians to the evolution of medicine is their effort to summarize all the medical knowledge of the Greco-Roman world, which included earlier sources in antiquity, lost forever in our days. The transition from ancient to medieval medicine included the adoption of Christian spiritual values, which took place in the early Byzantine period (4th to 7th century). In the field of nephrology, under the influence of Hippocratic and Galenic doctrines, the most prominent medical personalities, Oribasius of Pergamum, Aetius of Amida, Alexander of Tralles and Paul of Aegina, performed the role of the researcher and healer, as well as that of the encyclopedist. Their works on kidney disease are presented in this paper

The Three Last Years of Manuel II Palaeologus' Reign Between Two Stroke Attacks: Aphasia or Not?

The authors attempt to solve the enigma about the possible aphasia of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus (1391-1425) in the 3-year period between his first and his second and fatal stroke. The texts of historians and chroniclers reveal that Manuel remained semi-paralyzed at bed and his motor disability alienated him from the state affairs and condemned him to isolation from all embassies and contact with others, except his family. Only the funeral oration of the Bishop Bessarion raises the suspicion of a speechless emperor. All testimonies referring to this infirmity are examined

History of leucotomies in Greece

In order to present the social, scientific and institutional context which permitted the use of leucotomies in Greece, we have reviewed the Archives of the Medical Associations, the medical literature of the years 1946-56, a reader’s dissertation and the memoirs of two psychiatrists. More than 250 leucotomies were done in the two public psychiatric hospitals in Athens from 1947 to 1954, as well as 40 leucotomies in the public psychiatric hospital in Thessaloniki. Although aware of the side effects, psychiatrists justified the use of the procedure. The performance of leucotomies in Greece declined because of reports of the dangers of the operation and its unpredictable outcome for the patients, but mainly because of the encouraging results with psychotropic drugs in the early 1950s

Abandonment of terminally ill patients in the Byzantine era. An ancient tradition?

Our research on the texts of the Byzantine historians and chroniclers revealed an apparently curious phenomenon, namely, the abandonment of terminally ill emperors by their physicians when the latter realised that they could not offer any further treatment. This attitude tallies with the mentality of the ancient Greek physicians, who even in Hippocratic times thought the treatment and care of the terminally ill to be a challenge to nature and hubris to the gods. Nevertheless, it is a very curious attitude in the light of the concepts of the Christian Byzantine physicians who, according to the doctrines of the Christian religion, should have been imbued with the spirit of philanthropy and love for their fellowmen. The meticulous analysis of three examples of abandonment of Byzantine emperors, and especially that of Alexius I comnenus, by their physicians reveals that this custom, following ancient pagan ethics, in those time stook on a ritualised form without any significant or real content

Nursing homes for the old ('gerocomeia') in Byzantium (324-1453 AD)

Background: Research into the welfare institutions for the elderly, which were established in the Byzantine Empire. Objective: The purpose of the study is the research into the texts of the Byzantine chroniclers and the contemporary historical sources so as to determine the social policy of the Byzantine State regarding the homes for the aged. Methods: The histories and chronicles of the Byzantine writers, written in the original Greek language, were studied and analysed, so as to locate the extracts in the texts concerning the interest shown by the Byzantine State to establish institutions for old and ailing people. Results: The care for the elderly in Byzantium was undertaken in special infirmaries, called ‘gerocomeia’, which operated all over the empire mostly in or near the monasteries. All these nursing homes were highly esteemed and the governor of the institution seems to have been a person of high importance. The most important nursing home was located in Constantinople and was established by Emperor John II Comnenus in the 12th century in the famous monastery and hospital of the Pantocrator. Conclusion: The study and analysis of the historical texts of the Byzantine period (324-1453 AD) that human-oriented behaviour, which derived from the intervention of religion, contributed to the foundation of many welfare institutions for the elderly by the Byzantine emperors, the church and some individuals who showed great interest in them. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel