Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Tag: Óscar Lamas Filgueira

  • Did Queen Anne have systemic lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome?

    Óscar Lamas FilgueiraValencia, Spain Queen Anne is remembered as the last Stuart sovereign and the queen under whom the kingdoms of England and Scotland were formally united in 1707. Her personal life was marked by profound physical suffering. Contemporary accounts described her as chronically ill, exhausted, swollen, and in constant pain. For centuries, historians attributed…

  • I, Baldwin: Leper king of Jerusalem

    Óscar Lamas FilgueiraValencia, Spain Baldwin IV (1161–1185), known as “the Leper King”, was king of Jerusalem during the late twelfth century. Despite developing leprosy in childhood, he ruled during a period of intense military and political instability and personally led his forces to a decisive victory against Saladin at the Battle of Montgisard in 1177.…

  • The canon’s vision

    Óscar Lamas FilgueiraValencia, Spain In medicine, we rely on images every day—photographs, X‑rays, scans—that reveal truths our eyes alone cannot grasp. But centuries ago, physicians and healers had no such tools. Their understanding of illness had to be drawn from observation, testimony, and sometimes, from the works of artists who captured the marks of disease…