BACKGROUND: The case histories in the writings of the Greco-Roman physician Galen of Pergamum have so far been interpreted primarily in literary and socio-historic terms. Analysis focused on the medical aspects is still incomplete.
OBJECTIVE: Which competence for the treatment of inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system do the Galenic case reports communicate?
UNASSIGNED: The 358 Galenic case histories were studied for anamnestic, clinical, therapeutic, and epidemiological statements on inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
RESULTS: Eight case reports could be identified in which inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system are discussed. The descriptions are found in the writings On the Powers and Mixtures of Simple Drugs (n = 3), On the Composition of Drugs according to Kind (n = 2), Therapeutics to Glaucon (n = 1), How to detect Malingerers (n = 1) and On Hippocrates\' \'Aphorisms\' (n = 1). Seven male individuals and one group of patients are described; in one case a proper name is given. The descriptions do not follow a fixed structure. The texts are dominated by information on the anamnesis and catamnesis, the results of the physical examination and the choice of therapy. The author has repeatedly combined the case description with theoretical explanations. The most common inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system that Galen was confronted with were soft tissue swelling without/with associated skin symptoms, gout, arthritis and sciatica. Knees and feet were affected more frequently than the hands. Galen himself was always the observing and treating physician. Therapy was dominated by ointments, fats and oils that should lead to the distraction or drying out of pathogenic juices. The statements on the prognosis were mostly favourable.
CONCLUSIONS: The case reports illustrate the range of inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system without being able to reliably identify individual nosological entities retrospectively. Equating \'arthritis\' with chronic polyarthritis and \'podagra\' with gout is also not undisputed. The doctor-patient-conversations are the most original element in terms of content and style. The explanations for the choice of therapy show that the numerous mixed agents disposable for the treatment of patients with inflammatory diseases of the musculoskeletal system were prescribed after critically weighing the advantages against the disadvantages.
UNASSIGNED: HINTERGRUND: Die Fallbeschreibungen im Opus des griechisch-römischen Arztes Galen von Pergamon sind bisher überwiegend literarisch und sozialhistorisch untersucht worden. Die auf die medizinischen Aspekte fokussierte Analyse ist noch unvollständig.
UNASSIGNED: Welche Kompetenz vermitteln die galenischen Fallberichte über entzündliche Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparats?
UNASSIGNED: Die 358 galenischen Kasuistiken wurden auf anamnestische, klinische, therapeutische und epidemiologische Aussagen zu entzündlichen Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparats untersucht.
UNASSIGNED: Es konnten acht Fallberichte identifiziert werden, in denen entzündliche Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparats thematisiert sind; die Kasuistiken finden sich in den Schriften Über die Mischungen und Eigenschaften der einfachen Heilmittel (n = 3), Über die Herstellung der verschiedenen Arten von Heilmitteln (n = 2), Medizinische Methodenlehre für Glaukon (n = 1), Simulantenschrift (n = 1) und im Kommentar zu den Aphorismen des Hippokrates (n = 1). Es werden sieben männliche Einzelpersonen und eine Gruppe von Patienten beschrieben; in einem Fall wird ein Eigenname mitgeteilt. Die Schilderungen folgen keinem festen Gliederungsschema. Die Texte werden von Angaben zu Ana- und Katamnese, den Ergebnissen der körperlichen Untersuchung und der Wahl der Behandlung dominiert. Mehrfach hat der Autor die Fallbeschreibung mit theoretischen Ausführungen kombiniert. Die häufigsten entzündlichen Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparats, mit denen sich Galen konfrontiert sah, waren Weichteilschwellungen ohne/mit begleitende(n) Hauterscheinungen, Gicht, Arthritis und Ischias. Knie und Füße waren häufiger befallen als die Hände. Stets ist Galen selbst der beobachtende und behandelnde Arzt. Die Therapie war von Salben, Fetten und Ölen dominiert, die zur Ablenkung bzw. Austrocknung krankmachender Säfte führen sollten. Die Aussagen zur Prognose waren überwiegend günstig.
CONCLUSIONS: Die Fallberichte illustrieren mehrere entzündliche Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparats, ohne dass bestimmte nosologische Entitäten retrospektiv zuverlässig identifiziert werden können. Auch die Gleichsetzung von „arthritis“ mit chronischer Polyarthritis und „podagra“ mit Gicht ist nicht in allen Fällen gesichert. Die Arzt-Patienten-Gespräche bilden das inhaltlich wie stilistisch originellste Element. Die Ausführungen zur Wahl der Therapie zeigen, dass dem Arzt der Antike für die Behandlung von Patienten mit entzündlichen Erkrankungen des Bewegungsapparats zahlreiche gemischte Arzneimittel zur äußerlichen Anwendung zur Verfügung standen, die stets nach kritischer Abwägung der Vor- und Nachteile verordnet worden sind.

Christianity emerged as a small and marginal movement in the first century Palestine and throughout the following three centuries it became highly visible in the whole Mediterranean. Little is known about the mechanisms of spreading innovative ideas in past societies. Here we investigate how well the spread of Christianity can be explained as a diffusive process constrained by physical travel in the Roman Empire. First, we combine a previously established model of the transportation network with city population estimates and evaluate to which extent the spatio-temporal pattern of the spread of Christianity can be explained by static factors. Second, we apply a network-theoretical approach to analyze the spreading process utilizing effective distance. We show that the spread of Christianity in the first two centuries closely follows a gravity-guided diffusion, and is substantially accelerated in the third century. Using the effective distance measure, we are able to suggest the probable path of the spread. Our work demonstrates how the spatio-temporal patterns we observe in the data can be explained using only spatial constraints and urbanization structure of the empire. Our findings also provide a methodological framework to be reused for studying other cultural spreading phenomena.

A paleoparasitological study was carried out on 2 lead coffins recovered from the Roman site of Jaunay-Clan (near Poitiers, France). For the first time, this particular type of burial gave positive parasitological results, and eggs of the whipworm Trichuris trichiura were identified in 1 individual. In the present case, thanatomorphose associated with funerary practices may explain the scarcity of the recovered eggs. However, human whipworm has now been observed in 9 individuals dated to the Roman period. The very high frequency of Trichuris sp. eggs in Roman archaeological sites (up to 80%) suggests that fecal peril, hygiene, and waste management were problematic during this period. Finally, due to the fact that very few analyses have been conducted on human bodies dated to the Roman period, more analyses must be performed in the future to provide further information about diseases in the Roman world.

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The Roman emperor Claudius suffered from a wide range of physical tics and disabilities. Many scholars have explained these symptoms by hypothesizing that Claudius suffered from cerebral palsy. However, this hypothesis is dated and does not take into account all of the evidence available. This article re-examines ancient historical sources in the light of modern medical knowledge in an attempt to retrospectively diagnose the cause of Claudius\'s problems. In doing so, it suggests that Claudius may have suffered from Tourette\'s syndrome.

This note calls attention to Galen\'s use of different, nonrational elements of Hellenic culture and society in the construction of his case histories.

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