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At least 937 records · Page 52Linked to original sources
PubMed2004

Sulphur and skin: from Satan to Saddam!

Since the dawn of time, Beelzebub has been showering fire and brimstone (sulphur) on tortured souls, but the cutaneous effects of this have been poorly described. Sulphur has also been used for centuries as a treatment for many skin conditions, such as fungal infections, scabies, psoriasis, eczema and acne. It has also been used extensively in cosmetic preparations and by cosmetic dermatologists treating conditions such as seborrhoeic eczema. Many natural bathing spas have high levels of sulphur; such balneology has been advocated by medical and cosmetic dermatologists as an effective treatment for cutaneous disorders for more than 500 years. Sulphur was often the active agent in many of the so-called 'patent medicines' that became popular in the mid-nineteenth century. Time has not withered medical practitioners' enthusiasm for sulphur. There are various reports in the medical literature of its current use. However sulphur treatment is not without its risks; a sulphur spring dermatitis has been described from a spa bath in Taiwan. With the satanic threat of bio-terrorism, some dermatologists may be treating the effects of contact with sulphur mustard all too soon.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Kalokagathia--beauty is more than just external appearance.

Notions of beauty have evolved through history and are culture-specific. In the Western world one concept which has been linked to beauty is that of kalokagathía, an ideal that unites physical beauty and moral value in a human being. This notion was inherited from Antiquity and was modified during the Middle Ages, when much more attention was paid to the fate of the soul, and further modified during the Renaissance, when concepts of beauty and of moral responses, utility and good gradually became separated. A glance at an ancient notion, such as kalokagathía, has its value in trying to understand modern perceptions of beauty.

Beauty↗
PubMed1996

Social support as road map and vehicle: an analysis of data from focus group interviews with a group of African American women.

As part of a larger study of the impact of a social support intervention on pregnancy outcome for lower-income African American women, 6 African American women (a medical social worker, a physician's assistant, 2 community outreach workers, a lactation consultant, and a health project representative) participated in focus group discussions concerning the unique social support needs of lower-income African American women during pregnancy. Transcripts of focus group interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Emergent themes included strengths of African American communities, deficiencies in social support for many lower-income African American women, the meaning of pregnancy for African American women, the ability of many pregnant women to "make it" without visible means of support, young women's locations "inside" and "outside" of "mainstream" life, and the importance of social support as a mechanism for guiding and transporting "lost souls" back into the mainstream.

Black or African American↗
PubMed2005

No old man ever forgot where he buried his treasure: concepts of cognitive impairment in old age circa 1700.

Cognitive impairment in old age is one of the most important topics in modern geriatrics. This article discusses the historical dimensions of this phenomenon. To this end, a number of primary sources ranging from antiquity to the modern era are evaluated. Although a physiology and pathology of old age were conceptualized in Greco-Roman times, cognitive impairment in old age remained a marginal issue until the 17th century. Alternatively, after 1500, medicine boasted detailed theories on the physiology and pathology of old age. There are several possible explanations for this unusual situation. Underlying conflict between idealistic and materialistic views of man played a decisive role, for these concepts differed considerably regarding the intellectual and mental functioning of the soul as well as the effects of the passage of time. After Cartesianism and Iatromechanism had pushed these traditional boundaries back, the problem of cognitive impairment in old age was increasingly regarded as a physical illness and began to receive more attention. Just as its philosophical and theological context shaped early modern medicine, contemporary nonmedical disciplines such as genetics, (neuro-)biology, and the information sciences influence modern research.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

The importance of cultural sensitivity and therapist self-awareness when working with mandatory clients.

Systemic therapy emphasizes the importance of understanding each relationship in the context of its ecosystem. Considerations such as the influence of social agencies, culture, and the therapist's self-awareness are described in the literature as amplifying lenses within the therapeutic relationship. When a minority client is caught in the web of larger system agencies and is mandated to family therapy, systemic family therapy, which incorporates multiple lenses and attends to the context of social background, may provide a better understanding of the client's reality. Clinical cases show that therapists may slip into veiled racist and discriminatory attitudes with minority clients. Self-awareness, "soul searching," and appropriate supervision may be of tremendous help in learning from such experiences. A case example illustrates the application of this approach.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Self-representation in nervous systems.

The brain's earliest self-representational capacities arose as evolution found neural network solutions for coordinating and regulating inner-body signals, thereby improving behavioral strategies. Additional flexibility in organizing coherent behavioral options emerges from neural models that represent some of the brain's inner states as states of its body, while representing other signals as perceptions of the external world. Brains manipulate inner models to predict the distinct consequences in the external world of distinct behavioral options. The self thus turns out to be identifiable not with a nonphysical soul, but rather with a set of representational capacities of the physical brain.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Some comments on Dr Iglesias's paper, 'In vitro fertilisation: the major issues'.

In an article in an earlier edition of the Journal of Medical Ethics (1) Dr Iglesias bases her analysis upon the mediaeval interpretation of Platonic metaphysics and Aristotelian logic as given by Aquinas. Propositional forms are applied to the analysis of experience. This results in a very abstract analysis. The essential connection of events and their changing temporal relationships are ignored. The dichotomy between body and soul is a central concept. The unchanging elements in experience are assumed to be more real than the actual world of experienced process. Such a view makes the analysis of the temporal factors in experience impossible. Its abstractness is quite unsuitable for the analysis of the ontological structure and development of the neonate from fertilisation to birth. A N Whitehead made the notion of organism central to his philosophy. He refused to place human experience outside nature, or admit dualism. His philosophy of organism is an attempt to uncover the essential elements connecting human experience with the physical and biological sciences. Time, change and process are, in his view, more real than the static abstractions obtainable by the use of the fallacy of misplaced concreteness. Use of the latter negates the essential connectedness of events and the importance of temporarily and change (2). In this paper I argue that the embryo, being an organism, is not analysable in terms of thinghood. It is a process. To apply Aristotelian logical concepts to it is to distort the real nature of the datum.

Beginning of Human Life↗
PubMed1990

Danish ethics council rejects brain death as the criterion of death -- commentary 2: return to Elsinore.

No discussion of when an individual is dead is meaningful in the absence of a definition of death. If human death is defined as the irreversible loss of the capacity for consciousness combined with the irreversible loss of the capacity to breathe spontaneously (and hence to maintain a spontaneous heart beat) the death of the brainstem will be seen to be the necessary and sufficient condition for the death of the individual. Such a definition of death is not something radically new. It is merely the reformulation -- in the language of the neurophysiologist -- of much older concepts such as the 'departure of the (conscious) soul from the body' and the 'loss of the breath of life'. All death -- in this perspective -- is, and always has been, brainstem death....

Advisory Committees↗
PubMed1984

Outline of the beginnings of alchemy and its antecedents.

There had been a long use of Simples as drugs of longevity. Among these red substances predominated, red ochre and cinnabar as minerals, ephedra bearing red berries and pomegranate and peach as vegetable products. In China herbalism became a cult of longevity with its legendary founder as Emperor Shen Nung and with the god of longevity finally emerging from the peach as Shou-Sing. To excell simple drugs of longevity the first synthetic drug was prepared as brick red colloidal gold. It was called Chin-I. Gold-cum-herbal juice. Dialectally it was pronounced Kim-Iya, whence Alkimiya in Arabic, and finally alchemy. Chin-I was Herbo-golden drug and also gold-making-juice, a miraculous substance. But it was not blood-red. Now came Chin-Tan, Cinnabar-gold, red like blood. Its redness equalled blood and as such was soul, gold as its acceptor had an everlasting body. Chin-Tan was designed as the ideal drug of longevity. Alchemy started by making red gold but degenerated, trying to make bullion gold.

Alchemy↗
PubMed1985

Cinnabar-gold as the best alchemical drug of longevity, called Makaradhwaja in India.

A drug of longevity, prior to alchemy, was peach, from which the god of longevity has emerged. Alchemy began by synthesizing red colloidal gold with gold to make the body ever-lasting and redness, as soul, to make life eternal. Its climax was reached with cinnabar-gold, which is blood-red, while red-gold is only brick-red. It was called Makaradhwaja in India. There have been fertility gods. Hermes was one and Alchemy has been named a hermetic art. Makara was crocodile-cum-fish, god of fertility. Makaradhwaja means Emblem of god of fertility, signifying a drug conferring vigour of youth.

Alchemy↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The University of California at San Francisco Fetal Treatment Center: a personal perspective.

Today, the Fetal Treatment Center at the University of California, San Francisco is premier not only for its innovative and cutting-edge developments in fetal diagnosis and therapy, but in its delivery of excellent clinical care to patients from within and outside the United States. Indeed it is recognized as the pioneering institution for fetal surgery. But, the road to success and international recognition has been torturous and often tumultuous. From a personal perspective, Dr. Michael Harrison recounts the center's 25-year history--an evolution that has seen a 'California fault zone' become an epicenter of excellence for fetal therapy. Along the way, Dr. Harrison recalls the best and worst of times in the center's history particularly as they relate to fetal surgery, recalls the initial principal payers and subsequent cadre of professionals responsible for developing the center and providing the medical and surgical expertise that is the hallmark of the UCSF Fetal Treatment Center, provides a subjective assessment, a 'report card', of where they stand in fetal therapy today, and finally, gives well-deserved credit to the many talented research fellows, whom he calls the 'heart and soul' of the enterprise, whose 'fingerprints' are borne on all the advances in fetal treatment.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed2006

[Placebo-controlled study of the effects of a standardized MORA bioresonance therapy on functional gastrointestinal complaints].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Many practitioners of natural medicine as well as a non-controlled study have reported about positive effects of MORA bioresonance therapy on psychosomatic diseases. The present placebo controlled study aimed to test the effects of MORA bioresonance therapy on non-organic gastro-intestinal complaints. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A randomized, placebo controlled study was carried out on 20 participants (10 in the placebo group, 10 in the verum group). The main outcome parameters were the patients' and the physician's estimation of the intensity and frequency of gastro-intestinal complaints as well as the examination results recorded by the physician: stomach pain by palpation, meteorism by percussion and intestinal noise by auscultation, assessed pre and post treatment. Secondary outcome parameters were the electric resistance between hands and feet, data from feces, urine and blood, and the subjective general condition of body, mind and soul. RESULTS: According to the participants' and the physician's estimation the intensity and frequency of the gastro-intestinalcomplaints were markedly and significantly reduced in theverum group (p < 0.01). This was also true for stomach pain(p < 0.01) and meteorism (p < 0.05), but not for intestinal noise (p > 0.05). The main outcome parameters in the placebo group changed only slightly (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TheMORA bioresonance therapy can markedly improve non-organic gastro-intestinal complaints.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

[Does there exist one specific "view of man" in naturopathy / complementary medicine?].

BACKGROUND: Practitioners and users of naturopathic therapies claim that one of the assumptions underlying their work is a holistic "view of man". OBJECTIVE: Does there exist one specific view of man in present naturopathy and what does this mean? MATERIAL AND METHODS: Database and literature research of use and meaning of the term "view of man" and descriptive analysis. RESULTS: The term "view of man" is neither timeless nor related to a specific subject area. Its meaning is connected with the state of knowledge of the respective epoch as well as its reception in science and society. The discourse concerning the term "view of man" in the 2nd half of the 20th century in German literature shows, that in different fields the argumentation about one specific view of man shifts towards a pluralistic understanding of man. This pluralistic view about man exists in medicine as well. On the one hand conventional medicine, a long time under influence of the reductionism of natural science, has widened its worldview due to methods and questions of different disciplines such as psychosomatics, psychotherapy or social medicine towards a more complex perception of man. On the other hand Traditional European Naturopathy (TEN) too, claims to respect aspects of the "body-mind-soul-unity" in its understanding of man; yet, in connection with its hardly ever explained "natural forces". Besides the findings in literature clinical experience with our patients reveals some aspects that are characteristic of today's pluralistic naturopathic understanding of man and could also be useful for conventional medicine: recognition of patients' expectations (e.g. subjective view of illness), participation in the therapy planning (e.g. construction of how to get healthy) and naturopathic modes of therapy (e.g. start of therapy at healthy parts of the body, too). CONCLUSIONS: Despite some characteristics in naturopathy one finds variations of views or images of man, which originate from multiple subjective and socio-cultural perspectives of patients and therapists and which require, next to medical knowledge, on both sides openness and communication regarding aspects of health, illness and therapeutic settings.

Complementary Therapies↗
PubMed2006

Reports by some massage therapists of a sense of 'special connection' that is sometimes experienced with clients/patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to provide exploratory qualitative data on anecdotal reports by some physical therapists that they sometimes experience a sense of 'special connection' with patients or clients. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: 21 self-selected massage therapists provided written comments about their experience of therapy in response to a questionnaire (free-form response format) asking about the experience of connection. RESULTS: 20 out of 21 therapists reported a sense of 'special connection'. Content analysis suggested 10 themes, the main ones relating to the special connection being: (a) a sense of oneness or unity with the patient; (b) intimacy, trust and the touching of souls; (c) meditative, trance-like, floating relaxation; (d) 2-way flow of energy, and the mutual contribution of patient and therapist characteristics in forming this connection; (e) that it tends to be there or not but if there, it varies in degree. CONCLUSION: These reports are similar in some respects to descriptions given by healers of the experience of healing, suggesting that some massage therapists, and possibly some other complementary or conventional therapists engage, unknowingly, in a process of healing while they practice the therapy for which they have been trained.

Female↗
PubMed1994

Hippocratic medicine and nephrology.

The history of nephrology is a part of culture in general and should be treated not as a hobby or an isolated specialty of medical science, but as closely connected with medical education and everyday clinical practice. In the age of the apotheosis of renal biotechnology, medicine more than ever needs to combine Hippocratic messages with renal technologic achievements, in order both to restore quality of life in patients with renal disease and to bring harmony and balance to individuals impaired in body and soul. Indeed, Hippocratic medicine lies at the root of the development of clinical nephrology. Hippocratic writings have not lost their nephrologic interest, despite the enormous recent advances in renal technology. Today's practising nephrologist can still learn not only from Hippocratic clinical observations, but also from the prognostic thoughts, the ethical principles, the philosophic concepts and the humane messages of the 'father of clinical nephrology'.

Codes of Ethics↗
PubMed1997

A history of natural membranes in dialysis.

Nature uses various natural membranes to eliminate toxic substances from the blood, mainly in renal failure. The membranes used for this purpose are predominantly those of the gastrointestinal system and the skin. Humans tried to imitate nature, and employed the same membranes for blood purification in patients with renal failure. The beginning of the practice can be dated to at least 4,000 years ago. However, the initiative for such clearing maneuvers was given by the human mind's conception for purifying the cosmos, the polis and the soul. This article traces similarities between such metaphysical tactics and procedures of the applied sciences. It also describes the historical evolution of the use of natural membranes for medical reasons in nephrological patients.

History, 17th Century↗
PubMed1977

Images of the mind: psychiatry in the commercial film.

There are many striking temporal and cultural parallels in the development of commercial films and psychiatry. The psychiatrist has been depicted in widely varying ways--as madman, as a powerful force for tinkering with the soul, and as a wonder worker who cures patients by uncovering a single traumatic event. The early years, in which psychiatric issues were often treated simplistically or sensationally, were followed by a "latency period". After the war there was a deluge of psychological films, which also began to deal with emerging social issues. Contemporary films tend to focus on madness as a metaphor or on the struggle of seemingly normal, successful people to find fulfillment. Psychiatry and film are "toys that have grown up together," along with the consumers of both.

History, 19th Century↗
PubMed1998

"Healthy avenues of the mind": psychological theory building and the influence of religion during the era of moral treatment.

OBJECTIVE: This article delineates the main psychological interventions used by American asylum superintendents practicing moral treatment between 1815 and 1875. Further, it explores the impact of Protestant religious ideas on specific aspects of moral treatment's theory and practice. METHOD: Asylum annual reports written by superintendents (physicians dedicated to the treatment of the mentally ill) were studied along with volumes of the American Journal of Insanity from its premier issue in 1844 through the 1890s. The writings of two laymen, Thomas Gallaudet and Horace Mann, both committed advocates of moral treatment, were also examined. RESULTS: The superintendents espoused complex theories about individual psychology and the nature of the self based on their observations. Protestant religious thought was a major influence, helping to catalyze original psychological propositions. Interesting resonances can be found between the superintendents' concept of a central agency, a governing "I" accounting for individual behavior, and ego psychologists' concepts of the organizing functions of the ego. CONCLUSIONS: Moral treatment did not produce a comprehensive psychotherapeutic system. Nonetheless, the superintendents voiced surprisingly modern psychotherapeutic insights. Religious worship as well as religious notions about the inviolability of the soul greatly influenced their views of patients. Rather than being an impediment to formulating psychological ideas, religious concepts proved to be a rich framework for evolving theories about aspects of patients' internal psychological functioning.

Christianity↗