Tag: Vignettes
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Le Cid by Pierre Corneille
Le Cid is a five-act French play written by Pierre Corneille, first performed in December 1636 in Paris. It is based on Guillén de Castro’s Las Mocedades del Cid, which itself draws from the legend of El Cid, a Spanish national hero. Pierre Corneille, born in 1606 and died in 1684, was writing during what…
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Akshamsaddin from a medical point of view
The Ottoman scholar Akshamsaddin (Muhammad Shams al-Din bin Hamzah, 1389–1459) is remembered more often as the mentor and advisor to Sultan Mehmed II rather than as a physician who contributed remarkably to the medical knowledge of his time. Born in Damascus, he acquired in his youth a significant knowledge of medicine and pharmacology, derived from…
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The history of typhus
Typhus exanthematicus is an old disease long confused with typhoid fever. Some historians believe that it caused the Plague of Athens as described by Thucydides, and that it was introduced into Europe by the Spanish soldiers returning from the Americas in the sixteenth century. It likely caused the severe epidemic occurring during the confrontations between…
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Jules Verne’s novels
Jules Verne, the celebrated 19th-century French author, is primarily known for his science fiction works that anticipated many technological innovations. His approach to writing was rooted in scientific research: Before penning his novels, he meticulously studied scientific journals and consulted with experts across various fields. This approach allowed him to incorporate authentic medical knowledge into…
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Cuore: The heart of Italian literature and society
Cuore, which means “heart” in Italian, is one of the most influential works in Italian literature. Written by Edmondo De Amicis and published in 1886, this novel has become a fundamental text in Italian culture and education. Through its narrative structure and emotional depth, Cuore captures the essence of Italy during a crucial period of…
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The mythology of the Sun Fountain in Nice, France
Arpan K. BanerjeeSolihull, England In Place Masséna, a historic square named after Napoleon’s greatest general, near the old town area of Nice, France, there is a grand fountain in the Baroque style named the Fontaine du Soleil, or the “Sun Fountain.” In the center of the fountain stands a marble sculpture depicting the god Apollo…
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Septimus Severus: “Omnia fuit, nihil expedit”
“I have been all things, and all was of little value.”1 Septimius Severus was Roman emperor from 193 to 211 CE and is remembered for his reforms, innovations, military campaigns, and severity.1 Born in present-day Libya, he came to the throne after several emperors who ruled briefly after the death of Nero. As emperor, he…
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Olives now and then
Olives in their natural state are exceedingly bitter. I made that discovery by the roadside between Granada and Madrid when I reached up and plucked an olive from a tree. I later learned that olives are made edible by leaching out a bitter phenolic compound called oleuropein. This is done by pickling or curing techniques…
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Plutarch and medical practice (c. 46–120 CE)
Plutarch does not immediately come to mind when one considers the history of medicine. Known primarily as an historian, he was born in Chaeronea when Greece was already part of the Roman Empire. Widely influential, he was an important biographer, philosopher, and teacher, with a deep interest in ethics, morality, and how one should conduct…
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Paleopharmaceuticals from fossil amber
José de la FuenteCiudad Real, Spain Amber is fossilized plant resin commonly used for jewelry, decoration, and in the study of fossil inclusions.1,2 The largest sources of amber are found in Myanmar (formerly Burma; Burmite, Cretaceous, ca. 99 million years ago [mya]) and the area around the Baltic Sea (Eocene, ca. 34–56 mya). Fossil amber…