PubMed · 11636793
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F Conti Bizzarro. 1978. [Not Available].. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11636793/
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The aim of this review was to explore the procedures used for the treatment of childhood exanthematic diseases during the Byzantine period. The most often reported ones were psoriasis, undefined rashes in parts of the body, ulcerous rashes, blisters, lichens and soaked ulcers. The physicians of the period managed the above problems with appropriate diet and remedies of herbal, veterinary and chemical origin in the form of baths, poultices and concoctions. They largely based their principles on the ancient Greek medical tradition. Their accurate remarks were reflected in their terminology. Many of the terms of this period are still in use, although current treatment modalities are quite different from the Byzantine remedies.
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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the original definition and use of the term nyctalopia in ancient medical literature in view of the controversy between the English and some continental European literatures. DESIGN: Historical manuscript. METHODS: We review the use of the term in ancient Greek, Roman, and early Byzantine medical literature (5th century BC-7th century AD) and include a quick reference to the theories on its etymology. RESULTS: Physicians of antiquity defined as nyctalopia the symptom of defective dark adaptation, most commonly in the clinical setting of vitamin A deficiency. An alternative definition, the improvement of vision at night, is not recorded before the 2nd century AD and seems to result from a broader interpretation of the word, lacking medical acceptance at that time. CONCLUSIONS: We propose to the ophthalmic community the use of the term nyctalopia exclusively for the description of defective dark adaptation.