Saint Roch and Social Distancing During Pandemics: Lessons to be Remembered.

Surprisingly, Catholic hagiography can teach us a lot about medicine. As an example, we present here the history of Saint Roch who is considered, along with Saint Sebastian, one of the two main Saints who act as protectors against plagues and have often been invoked by Catholic people during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Whereas Saint Sebastian is associated with plagues only symbolically, Catholic tradition considers Saint Roch to have had real contact with the bubonic plague.

The first description of cholesteatoma by Hippocrate.

Introduction: Although otolaryngology became a subspecialty only since the middle of the nineteenth century, many diseases of ENT system, their clinical symptoms, universality and potential seriousness have been described since over 3000 years ago. Texts of the medical school of Cos and its founder Hippocrates (460-370 BC) collected in the Corpus Hippocraticum also contain multiple case reports and treatments for ear diseases. The aim of this study is to analyse an extract of one of Hippocrates' treatise, which apparently describes the first case of cholesteotoma.

Paul Broca's clitoridectomy as a cure for "nymphomania": A pseudo-medical mutilation.

Paul Broca (1824-1880) is considered one of the founding fathers of modern neurology, mainly because of his major contribution to the anatomo-clinical method (Figure 1) (Sagan, 1979). He has also distinguished himself by his fascination with cranial measurements at the origin of modern physical anthropology and, unfortunately, racial theories based on cranial indices (facial angle and brain volume, mainly) (Gould, 1981).But what is less known is that Broca has been illustrated by particularly archaic and mutilating therapeutic practices, such as what is now considered to be female genital mutilation.

Poland syndrome before Alfred Poland: the oldest medical description (Paris, France, 1803).

Here, we present a description of Poland syndrome from the second session of the Anatomical Society (Paris, France) on 11 December 1803 of congenital mammary absence and muscular atrophy on the right side. This case report predates the first official description of the disease published by Alfred Poland in Guy's Hospital Reports (London, 1841). Consequently, perhaps would it be necessary to do justice to its French discoverer, and to name from now on this nosological entity the "syndrome of Marandel"?

Computer-Aided Facial Reconstruction of "Mary-Magdalene" Relics Following Hair and Skull Analyses.

The supposed relics of "Mary-Magdalene" are preserved in Provence (France) in an ancient tradition. They consist of a dry skull and a lock of hair. For the first time, they were officially subjected to an extensive medico-surgical examination by photogrammetry, high-magnification binocular lenses, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray elemental analysis, to propose a full computer-aided facial reconstruction.

Mudslide and/or animal attack are more plausible causes and circumstances of death for AL 288 ('Lucy'): A forensic anthropology analysis.

Following a global morphological and micro-CT scan examination of the original and cast of the skeleton of Australopithecus afarensis AL 288 ('Lucy'), Kappelman et al. have recently proposed a diagnosis of a fall from a significant height (a tree) as a cause of her death. According to topographical data from the discovery site, complete re-examination of a high-quality resin cast of the whole skeleton and forensic experience, we propose that the physical process of a vertical deceleration cannot be the only cause for her observed injuries.

Re-emerging infectious diseases from the past: Hysteria or real risk?

Background: Work on human remains and old biological samples is a potential source of contamination by conventional or atypical infectious agents. Similarly, current and future environmental changes are a source of resurgence of ancient epidemic diseases. To what extent are anthropologists sorcerer apprentices (especially those working on ancient samples, i.

The brain of René Descartes (1650): A neuro-anatomical analysis.

The skull of René Descartes is held in the National Museum of Natural History since the 19th c. Up to date, only anthropological examinations were carried out, focusing on the cranial capacity and phrenological interpretation of the skull morphology. Using CT-scan based 3D technology, a reconstruction of the endocast was performed, allowing for its first complete description and inter-disciplinary analysis: assessment of metrical and non-metrical features, retrospective diagnosis of anatomical anomalies, and confrontation with neuro-psychological abilities of this well-identified individual.