The Hellenic surgical School for treatment of neuralgias and dystonias as presented in 19th-20th centuries in Greece.

Background: This article examines the surgical techniques used for the treatment of neuralgia and dystonia in Greece during the late 19th to the middle of the twentieth century. It emphasizes on the Greek contribution to neurosurgery.

Methods: The aim of this study is achieved by examining unpublished archives as well as historical documents collected from both the National Library of Greece and the Library of the Hellenic Parliament.

Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), Ignaz Semmelweis (1818-1865), Joseph Lister (1827-1912) and the Link Between Their Works Toward the Development of Antisepsis: A Narrative Review.

Infection control remains a significant burden for healthcare systems. The irrational use of antibiotics in the fight against microbial diseases has led to the fast development of antimicrobial resistance. Considering how the latter can adversely influence the effectiveness of modern treatments and the way medicine is practiced, we should revise the events that led to the establishment of the general principles of antisepsis and pay special tribute to the people who contributed to their formation, bearing in mind that they remain unmodified to a great extent until today.

Highlighting the contribution of the Greek physician Theodoros Aretaios to the history of thyroidectomy.

Theodoros Aretaios (1829-1893), having pursued advanced studies at home and abroad and possessing a wide range of competences and interests, was among the first Greek physicians to produce educational treatises for both students and doctors of medicine. Among these is his medical treatise Surgery which deals with thyroid operations and goiter symptoms as well as post-operative lesions which included a record of his extensive experience, learned recommendations, deep insights, and advanced techniques. In this medical archive, which is preserved in the National Library of Greece, there is, for example, the physician's vivid description of a thyroidectomy that he performed which illustrates his expertise as a surgeon as well as the surgical knowledge of his times.

Alexander the Great (356-323 BC) and His Injury in Kyropolis Reconsidered.

To reconsider Alexander the Great's injury in Kyropolis. Historical sources were compared with modern neurosurgery. Earlier interpretations were focused on the transient blindness Alexander the Great presented after the injury, but according to our point of view we should rather focus on his dysarthria which lasted almost two months.

Constantinos Michael (1751-1816): 19th Century Doctor and Medical Philosopher.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many books about science were published. Constantinos Michael (1751-1816), the first medical historian to write in Greek, contributed to this literature. Born in Kastoria, Greece, Constantinos Michael lived and studied medicine and philosophy in Vienna.

The Manchurian pandemic of pneumonic plague (1910-1911).

China's winter of 1910-1911 was one of its most difficult. A deadly airborne pneumonic plague, believed to have originated from tarbagan marmots, broke out in October 1910 in a northeastern Chinese province commonly known by the exonym Manchuria. The disease had a near 100 percent mortality rate, affecting mainly the lower socio-economic classes and eventually killing more than 60,000 people over six months.

Mathieu Joseph Bonaventure Orfila (1787-1853): The Founder of Modern Toxicology.

Mateu Joseph Bonaventura Orfila i Rotger was a prominent Spanish chemist and scholar of the 19th century whose experimental work has enormously contributed to the progress of toxicology. Being a pioneer with his research on the effects of toxins and antidotes on live animals, he established basic principles of modern medicine and pharmacology. Orfila improved the accuracy of several chemical techniques such as the Marsh test.

Hospital Agios Dimitrios: The General Public Hospital of Thessaloniki.

The purpose of this article is to highlight the history of Hospital Agios Dimitrios, the General Hospital of Thessaloniki. During the early 20th century, many refugees settled in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. To address the growing public health needs of the city's inhabitants, the Greek government established a health agency to offer medical care and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics.

The ancient Greek roots of the term .

In ancient Greek literature the adjective toxic (Greek: ) derives from the noun , that is the arc. This noun according to the lexicon had several meanings. Apart from the meaning that someone is able to use a bow or the military department of the archers, the medical context of the term is that a substance has the characteristic of a poison.

John Watson (1807-1863) and his Pioneer Work On the Surgery of Esophagus.

John Watson (1807-1863) was the first surgeon in USA who performed and published his results on esophagotomy. His pioneer surgical work was a gold standard reference for the later surgeons. Watson was a devoted surgeon and his innovative operating techniques secured him a place in the hall of fame of the history of medicine.

Louis-Joseph-Marie Robert (1771-1850) and his method for the prevention of breast cancer.

In 19th century breast cancer was still an incurable disease. The treatment was consisting of surgical excision of the tumour, cautery iron and topical application of caustic substances such as arsenic and caustic potash without promising results. The French physician Louis Robert (1771-1850) adopted the leech method of François-Joseph-Victor Broussais (1772-1838) and proposed, for the first time, a method to prevent breast cancer.

Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim (Paracelsus) (1493-1541): The eminent physician and pioneer of toxicology.

Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim known as Paracelsus was a German-Swiss , or Renaissance man, whose interests included medicine, chemistry and toxicology. Characterized as a rebellious and great reformer of established medicine of his era, Paracelsus preferred observing nature, over studying ancient texts to find appropriate treatments for various diseases. He also used unconventional curative methods, such as minerals and other inorganic substances, which caused much controversy among his contemporaries.

Paul of Aegina (ca 625-690 ad): Byzantine Surgeon and Pioneer of Surgical Management of Congenital Atresia of the External Auditory Canal.

Diseases of the ear have been recorded and treated since ancient times. Ex-votos have been offered to heal deafness. Noninvasive treatments have evolved into minor, and later more advanced, surgical techniques to treat head and neck issues.

Professor William Macewen (1848-1924): The Scottish Pioneer of Surgery.

Professor William Macewen (1848-1924) is one of the most important figures in world's surgery during 18th and early 19th century. He managed to provide numerous innovative techniques and instruments in various fields of surgery such as general surgery, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, and thoracic surgery. His innovations had a great impact after his time and constituted the fundaments for further surgical developments.

Mathieu Jaboulay (1860-1913) and His Innovations in Vascular and General Surgery.

Mathieu Jaboulay (1860-1913) was an inventor in vascular and general surgery. He fabricated many new surgical techniques and instruments such as Jaboulay method for vascular sutures, Jaboulay anastomotic button, and Jaboulay amputation, known also as hemipelvectomy. In addition, he was a pioneer in heterologous transplantation and sympathectomy.

Are Drugs Always the Proper Solution to Therapeutic Dilemmas? Non-drug Approaches to the Post-traumatic Stress "Waking Corpse" Syndrome.

Jules Cotard (1840-1889), a Parisian neurologist, described a syndrome of delirium negations which was later named after him. Some physicians in antiquity and medieval times, especially in Asia, have noticed this syndrome and categorized it as a symptom of melancholy. They have presented it as a "walking corpse syndrome", inflicting most probably veteran soldiers after suffering during ferocious battles, presenting the first cases of a post war traumatic stress disorder.

Rhazes' (864-925) views on cancer and the introduction of chemotherapy.

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi, known also by his Latinized name Rhazes, stands among the Arabo-islamic physicians as the most important medical figure of his time. His contribution to medicine is considered vital as through his work and translations, the ancient Greek medicine along with the Arabian innovations, were spread in the Western medical literature. In his masterpiece entitled: "The comprehensive book on medicine", known also as "The large comprehensive or Continens Liber", he had thoroughly studied cancer, discussing its diagnosis and treatment.

Drugs for mental illnesses in ancient greek medicine.

Drugs with psychedelic, hypnotic, narcotic, analgesic, suppressive, euphoric and stimulating effects were used in various ways during the ancient times. We can classify drug use in ancient times into two main categories. On the one hand, ancient physicians prescribed drugs based on their pharmaceutical-therapeutic actions.

Fedor Krause (1857-1937) and His Innovations in Neurosurgery.

Although Ernst von Bergmann (1837-1907) is considered the father of neurosurgery in Germany, Fedor Krause (1857-1937) should be considered as its main founder. He was principally a general surgeon but he had a special interest in neurosurgery, a field in which he introduced many new techniques. He also fabricated innovative surgical methods for the treatment of patients with epilepsy.

Oncologic conceptions in the work of the surgeon Guy de Chauliac (c. 1300-1368).

Guy de Chauliac, the most famous surgeon of the middle age, influenced the practice of surgery for centuries. His landmark work, in seven treatises, "Chirurgia Magna" was translated from Latin to French and became popular across Europe, educating hundreds of surgeons. In his book, a series of text fragments were dedicated in cancer such as breast tumor removal, amputation for soft tissue carcinomas of the extremities and cancer treatment using arsenic.