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Background: Although the advances in contemporary medicine have helped to improve the healthcare services, the wounds that do not heal remain a problem. Patients' life expectancy has increased and many diseases are now considered chronic. Objective or Aims: The present historical study explores the important use of Maggot Debridement Therapy in clinical practice from antiquity to this day. Methodology: A literature review of both Greek and international literature was conducted. Popular data bases such as Pubmed, Medline, and Iatrotek were also used. Results: Maggot therapy is a controlled therapeutic myiasis, during which, fly maggots are placed on the trauma and help to clean the dead and infected tissue. These maggots have been sterilized and have been bred in laboratories with strict quality control protocols. Usually, the preferred species for this particular type of treatment is the species Lucilia sericata. Discussion: Maggot therapy first appeared at the beginning of civilization. From the Ngemba tribe to the Maya civilization, from army physicians during war campaigns to the 21rst century, maggot therapy has been used to treat ulcers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the elaboration of a new Interuniversity Postgraduate Programme, leading to a Master's degree that started in Greece in September 2017. The School of Medicine of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the School of History and Ethnology of the Democritus University of Thrace organized the programme, the first Postgraduate Programme in Greece involving History of Medicine and, at the same time, the first also involving Biological Anthropology. We present the scope of the Programme, along with the courses taught, the members of the faculty involved, and the methodology used. The first year proved that there is great interest in our field, despite the deficient financial status of the country. Students from diverse backgrounds (medical school graduates, graduates from Humanities' background, from Social Anthropology background and others) were interested and are currently enrolled in this Programme, which ranks among the top 5 of the Postgraduate programmes of the Medical School, in terms of enrollments. Faculty members include professors not only from the two cooperating universities: a currently ongoing attempt to establish a collaboration with almost all Greek professors teaching the History of Medicine and Biological Anthropology, no matter the university of origin. We report various difficulties that we still face but the enthusiasm of the students and Professors participating empowers us to go ahead and improve the quality of the education provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper presents liver abscesses, as studied in the ancient Greek and Greco-Roman bibliography. Methods: Numerous references concerning this entity can be found in the writings of the Hippocratic doctors (5th cent. B.C.), Archigenes of Apamea (1st cent. A.D.), Galen (2nd cent. A.D.), Aretaeus of Cappadocia (2nd cent. A.D), Oribasius (4th cent. A.D.), Theophilus Protospatharius (7th cent. A.D.), and Paulus Nicaeensis (7th-10th cent. A.D.). Results: In most cases the clinical manifestations, the prognosis and the method of treatment are presented. In all ancient writings we studied, the rupture of a liver abscess is also part of the main theme. In specific, the path that the fluid would follow after a rupture was considered to be a main prognostic factor, i.e. if the fluid "coursed into the stomach", the patient would definitely die. Conclusions: In this work, an attempt is also made to correlate the ancient descriptions to modern medical entities, such as amebic or pyogenic liver abscess. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of progressive hereditary degeneration, which significantly influenced medical, particularly psychiatric and in turn social thought of the second half of the 19th century, was articulated by Bénédict Augustin Morel. The distinguished French psychiatrist developed the theory of degeneration and created the nosological framework of the heredity of mental illness in order to explain the more frequent psychoses and nervous disorders. In the absence of patho-anatomical findings, Morel attributed these phenomena to hereditary causes. His theory was the first attempt to interpret insanity, mental disorders, and criminality, across generations, and formed the basis for the further development of psychiatry. It had a notable influence on many scientific disciplines of the time, such as criminology, anthropology, biology, and general pathology. It would later result in the emergence of eugenics, which raised several moral issues and would ultimately be used in many ways to justify segregation. Morel was mainly influenced by the monogenetic degenerative theory and believed that social progress could be achieved by the coupling of psychiatry, a social medicine, with philosophy and Christianity., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Rosiou et al.)

Objective: This paper presents liver abscesses, as studied in the ancient Greek and Greco-Roman bibliography., Methods: Numerous references concerning this entity can be found in the writings of the Hippocratic doctors (5th cent. B.C.), Archigenes of Apamea (1st cent. A.D.), Galen (2nd cent. A.D.), Aretaeus of Cappadocia (2nd cent. A.D), Oribasius (4th cent. A.D.), Theophilus Protospatharius (7th cent. A.D.), and Paulus Nicaeensis (7th-10th cent. A.D.)., Results: In most cases the clinical manifestations, the prognosis and the method of treatment are presented. In all ancient writings we studied, the rupture of a liver abscess is also part of the main theme. In specific, the path that the fluid would follow after a rupture was considered to be a main prognostic factor, i.e. if the fluid "coursed into the stomach", the patient would definitely die., Conclusions: In this work, an attempt is also made to correlate the ancient descriptions to modern medical entities, such as amebic or pyogenic liver abscess.