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Biomedical subjects

A Karenberg

Publications and source records attributed to A Karenberg.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Headache in magical and medical papyri of ancient Egypt.

Despite the intensity with which many scholars have studied the evolution of Egyptian medicine, interdisciplinary studies on the history of headache are scarcely extant. Following a short discussion of historiographical issues, the main objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive and detailed overview on this subject. Scattered references to headache are extracted from so-called magical papyri and from medical texts of the New Kingdom. Although little is known about the quality of headache and about accompanying symptoms, four predominant localizations are distinguished. Due to the lack of precise descriptions it is impossible to establish the retrospective diagnosis of migraine. Explanations of the origin of cephalalgia and of the corresponding therapeutic actions differ according to the nature of the source. In magical papyri, headaches are attributed to the action of demons and supernatural forces, whereas medical papyri emphasize the role of head trauma and of 'pain matter' occurring in the body. Treatment could be magical, pharmacological or surgical. Examples of incantations and prescriptions are analysed in detail.

Egypt, Ancient↗
PubMed2001

[Early history of Pick's disease].

The development of the concept of Pick's disease can be divided into three periods. From 1892 on Arnold Pick reported a series of patients presenting cognitive disturbances, personality changes and focal symptoms such as aphasia and apraxia. Pick, however, like his contemporaries, did not conceive of a new nosological entity. The major event during the second period was the outline of histological characteristics like argentophilic inclusion bodies by Alois Alzheimer. During the 1910s however, Alzheimer's extremely important observation remained unnoticed. Further historical research is necessary to clarify why Alzheimer's subtype of dementia was hurriedly regarded as a disease, whereas Pick's was not. Political factors such as Kraepelin's strategic considerations seem to have played an essential role. In accordance with major research criteria of German neuropsychiatry, Pick's atrophy was constructed as a full-blown disease entity in the 1920s. This concept gained acceptance in the German and Anglo-American scientific community and was the starting point for further investigations in the 1950s and 1960s.

Dementia↗
PubMed1999

[Not Available].

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Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1998

[Johann Jakob Wepfer's book on apoplexy (1658). Critical comments on a classic in neurology].

The Swiss physician Johann Jakob Wepfer has been hailed as the author of the "classic" modern treatise on apoplexy (1658). His name is known because he demonstrated that apoplexy resulted from brain hemorrhage or occlusive diseases of the vessels. A re-examination of the original text, however, reveals surprising evidence that essential parts of Wepfer's book have been neglected so far. These chapters demonstrate that Wepfer's medical thinking is deeply rooted in pre-modern concepts, e.g. Galenic theories of brain function and iatrochemical concepts of disease. A re-evaluation of the non-modern elements of Wepfer's treatise leads to a better understanding of the whole text.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1998

Medieval descriptions and doctrines of stroke: preliminary analysis of select sources. Part I: The struggle for terms and theories - late antiquity and early Middle Ages.

This first of a series of papers on the history of stroke presents an examination of a number of exemplary Greek and Latin sources, ranging from late antiquity to the dawn of the Middle Ages. We first establish a chronological order of various groups of texts and, whenever possible, ascertain the relationship of one group of writings to another. In the second century A.D., Galen had used the Hippocratic concept of humoral imbalance as a fundamental explanatory mechanism for the interpretation of clinical manifestations of apoplexy. Galen definitely rejected the Aristotelian precept of the primacy of the heart. According to his teaching, stroke resulted from the accumulation of a thick and dense humor in the ventricles of the brain blocking the passage of the animal spirit. Galen's Greek texts became axiomatic for compilers of the Byzantine period (Aetius of Amida, Alexander of Tralles, Paulus of Aegina). But his ideas contrasted starkly with the theories of the Methodical School which exerted - through the Latin writings of Caelius Aurelianus - a certain influence on authors of the Latin West (Cassius Felix, Theodorus Priscianus). References to stroke can also be found in many theological writings of the early Middle Ages.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1998

Medieval descriptions and doctrines of stroke: preliminary analysis of select sources. Part II: between Galenism and Aristotelism - Islamic theories of apoplexy (800-1200).

This second paper on medieval descriptions and doctrines of stroke reviews concepts outlined by famous Muslim physicians of the Middle Ages such as Rhazes, Haly Abbas, Avicenna, and Averroes. Contrary to a popular belief, Islamic neurological texts represent not only a bridge between ancient and western medieval medical knowledge, but also document remarkable advancements. Whereas statements on diagnosis and prognosis lack originality, the endeavors of physician-philosophers and medical authors led to substantial additions and important changes in theory. Such modifications include the integration of ventricular doctrine and particularly the attempt to unify Aristotelian and Galenic tenets which resulted in a complex discussion about the seats and causes of apoplexy. The fairly simple model handed down by Galenists of the Byzantine period was replaced by more detailed classifications, which proposed "cerebral" as well as "vascular" origins of the disease without suggesting a "cerebrovascular" etiology. Islamic therapeutic strategies included dietetic, pharmacological and surgical elements. The use of the cautery in "chronic apoplexy" was a special feature of Arabic surgery.

Arab World↗
PubMed1998

Medieval descriptions and doctrines of stroke: preliminary analysis of select sources. Part III: multiplying speculation - the high and late Middle Ages (1000-1450).

By analyzing a body of texts compiled by various medical authors from the 11th to the 15th century, four basic developments can be noted: (1) From the beginning of the eleventh century the reception, translation and assimilation of Arabian and arabicized ancient texts became the ultimate goal of Western medicine (Constantine the African, Arnad of Villanova, et al.). Concepts of stroke were consequently guided by textual tradition, not by observation. (2) Scholastic speculations about different aspects of apoplexy, especially those concerning its origins, were numerous (Johannes Platearius, Batholomaeus Salernitanus, Pietro d'Abano, Giacomo da Forli). Although most medieval physicians used the ancient doctrine of the four humors as model and explanation, opinions differed in many ways. (3) Attempts developed to present a simple outline of the etiology, the prognosis, and the treatment of the disease (Gilbertus Anglicus, Bernard of Gordon, John of Gaddesden). (4) Although lacking in originality, many of these writers nevertheless achieved a certain uniformity in presenting main topics, thus setting the standard for later practitioners.

Arab World↗
PubMed1997

[Apoplexy in ancient medical writing].

To a certain degree, the history of neurology can be conceptualised as a history of important diseases related to the nervous system. Although most of these disorders were either first discovered or classified on an anatomical and physiological basis after 1800, early descriptions of neurological symptoms and theories about their origin date back to the medical literature of antiquity. Using the case study approach, this paper reviews ancient concepts of apoplexy from the 5th century BC to the 5th century AD. Based on medical texts of more than 20 authors (e.g. Hippocratic writings, Aristotle, Diocles, Praxagoras, Celsus, Aretaeus, Soranus, Galen, Caelius Aurelianus), definitions of the disease, clinical symptoms, prognosis and differential diagnosis are described first, succeeded by a discussion of the hypotheses on aetiology and pathogenesis. Special emphasis is placed on the key principles of ancient medicine such as the doctrine of the four humours, the concept of the pneuma and the theory of the "communicates" and their explanatory power for neurological disorders. The following chapter is dedicated to classic therapeutic strategies. The paper concludes with a brief survey on the influence of ancient concepts on authors of later centuries.

Cerebrovascular Disorders↗
PubMed1995

[Not Available].

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Czech Republic↗
PubMed1995

[Hospitals in Prague from the high Middle Ages to the Enlightenment (1135-1800)].

Based on hitherto unknown layouts and documents from the Prague archives, this paper reviews the evolution of the health care system in the capital of Bohemia. From the high Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, the town's history as well as changing political and religious tendencies provide a unique background for the development of different types of institutions for the care of the poor and sick. The first charitable foundations of the sovereigns and the archbishops were soon followed by the semi-monasterial infirmaries of the Hospitallers. Leprosoria and other shelters for the contagious deserve special attention. After the counter-reformation, the newly built hospitals of orders like the Brothers of Saint John of God and the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth played an important role. From the architectural point of view, the baroque hospitals built by Kilian Ignaz Dientzenhofer belong to the most impressive examples of hospital architecture in Europe. Finally, the medical reforms of Emperor Joseph II. led to a series of completely new institutions, which can be regarded as the beginning of modern medicine im Bohemia. It was especially intended to describe exactly the site and the architectonic appearance of the preserved buildings. Thus, the medical historian can contribute to the care and preservation of these medical monuments.

Czechoslovakia↗
PubMed1994

[Not Available].

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History, 18th Century↗
PubMed1992

[Not Available].

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Austria↗
PubMed1991

[Learning at the bedside of pregnant patients. On the typology of the birthing center in Germany (1728-1840)].

The process of institutionalization of obstetrics in the German universities is investigated on the basis of contemporary accounts and archival documents. The inauguration of the "school for midwives" by Johann Jakob Fried at Strasbourg (1728) was followed after 1750 by the foundation of numerous other obstetric departments and lying-in hospitals, in which midwives and medical students could attend a regular and systematic bedside-teaching for the first time. As to the architectural types, four basic structures have to be distinguished: Whereas in big cities the teaching centres were integrated in pre-existing hospitals (type A), the setting up of lying-in hospitals in regional universities took place in decaying old buildings (type B). The organizing of an obstetric ward in the former "clinicum" together with the medical and surgical department (type C) was rather seldom. Before 1850 the construction of expensive new buildings for lying-in hospitals (type D) was only realized at few places. In conclusion the emphasis is put on the political intentions and tendencies of the enlightenment philosophy which influenced considerably the creation and the development of the first teaching centres for obstetrics.

Birthing Centers↗
PubMed1991

[Acute paraparesis in chronic hepatic disease].

An acuta caude equina syndrome following portacaval shunt in a 64-year-old patient suffering from liver cirrhosis is reported. Diagnosis of a hepatic radiculopathy was confirmed by clinical and electrophysiological findings. A nearly complete remission of the neurological symptoms was achieved by treatment of the primary liver disease. Since there are only a few descriptions of severe hepatic polyneuro- and radiculopathies, the differential diagnosis of hepatic myelopathy is discussed.

Cauda Equina↗