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According to the medical theory of the Middle Ages, every individual had a general complexion for its whole body, but at the same time each organ had a specific complexion, determined by its anatomy, its function, and, of course, the individual. The problem of the relationship between those two types of complexion was, therefore, crucial for the medical practitioner: could a shift in the complexion of the body have an effect on a single organ? Could a change in the complexion of one member alter the general functioning of the body? And what were the interactions between the separate complexions of the various organs? All these questions, which had only briefly been tackled by Galen in his Tegni , began to be systematically addressed by physicians at the end of the thirteenth century. Some thinkers started to write specific treatises on the subject, often called De resistentiis , dealing with the "resistance" (or "counter-operations") of particular complexions between them. The present paper deals with the origins of this debate, highlighting the role of Gentile da Foligno (d. 1348), and shows how the discussion evolved in the following century. Thus, the aim is to present an overlooked medical debate on complexion while proposing a reflection on the way in which scientific problems can come into being and how they can evolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This commentary highlights the onset and progression of the diagnosis and treatment of cancer from ancient times to the 15th century. During the preparation of this synoptic review of the lives and contributions to oncology of 7 ancient physicians, it became clear that despite separation by centuries, ethnicity, and religion, they had many things in common. For example, with the exception of Chauliac, all were born into wealthy families, had an excellent education in the liberal arts and sciences, and were mentored by outstanding teachers. After they became physicians, they traveled extensively, were polyglots, were sponsored by influential individuals, had inquisitive minds, searched for the true nature of diseases, and were proud to share the results of their observations with others. Except for Galen, all of them were kind and well-mannered individuals. They cared with sincere dedication for the poor and those who had untreatable disease, including cancer. Although their understanding of cancer was limited, they were deeply concerned about the neglect and hopelessness of cancer patients. They were aware of their shortcomings in offering effective treatment beyond the surgical excision of early cancers. For advanced cancers, they had nothing to give beyond palliative care with herbals and minerals. All physicians who care for cancer patients owe these pioneer physicians, whatever their shortcomings, an inexpressible debt for their attempts to cure cancer. Cancer 2016;122:1638-46. © 2016 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the influence of an ancient Greek medical treatise by ancient Greek physician Galen, known by the title of its Latin translation "Ars medicinalis" or "Ars parva", on Venetian medical humanist Niccolò Leoniceno. Among other topics addressed are the influence of the work of Galen on ancient and medieval medicine, and Leoniceno's own re-translation of Galen's work from the Greek into Latin.

This paper focusses on the general contributions which the ancients Greeks and Roman did in the study of human anatomy. It has a historical approach narrating the principal achievements of scientific knowledge developed in antiquity on the human body. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]