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There are numerous studies dealing with olive oil management from ancient civilizations to the mid last century, but they are limited on the historical value of information. At the same time, much knowledge is widely available and accessible on the contemporaneous production of olive oil, the necessary inputs (water and energy) and outputs (by-products) of the production process. The present study aims to shed light on olive oil extraction management from antiquity to present and to bridge the gap between archaeological and modern agricultural, engineering, and environmental disciplines. For the purposes of this study, Crete, Greece, a well-known and traditional olive oil producing region is investigated. This study is dedicated to unveil practices concerning: (a) the processing of the olives, (b) the various energy aspects per era, (c) the role of water and energy at each stage of the extraction process, and (d) management of by-products per era. The main findings support that: (a) the evolution of the extraction processes was relatively slow and remained almost the same from Minoan times until the middle of the 20th century, (b) the importance of water has been demonstrated from the beginning in the efficient extraction of the maximum amount of olive oil, (c) wastewater was first reported during the Hellenistic-Roman period due to the increased quantities produced, (d) by-product management was only considered in the previous century for environmental purposes, (e) olive oil production has been a human-based process for centuries and was greatly increased by the introduction of animals, and (f) olive oil production was further increased with the utilization of mechanical and electrical energy. It can be therefore clearly concluded that past practices have both similarities and differences with the present ones, which in turn have been optimized in terms of energy sources, water uses, olive mill equipment, and environmental considerations, to result in maximum olive oil production with minimum environmental impacts. Based on this work, important lessons can be drawn that show the historical evolution of extraction and management practices., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

While medieval and modern embalming practices in Western Europe are attested to historically and bioarcheologically, especially for famous historical figures, there are few recorded occurrences of this type of corpse preparation for a large number of archaeological individuals from the same lineage. Moreover, evidence of such practices mainly concerns adult individuals, whereas traces of child embalming are extremely rare. In 2017, the discovery of a crypt in the chapel of the Château des Milandes (Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, Dordogne, France) revealed a collective burial of the scattered remains of seven adults and five children of the aristocratic Caumont family, who died in the 16th and 17th centuries and whose skeletons all show marks of embalming practices. In 2021, another excavation in the chapel uncovered the individual grave of an elderly woman whose body was also embalmed. This skeletal sample provides a unique opportunity to examine the modus operandi of medieval embalming through the cutmarks left on the cranium and appendicular skeleton and to compare mortuary protocols for adults and children. Our macroscopic and microscopic investigations revealed a thorough and highly standardized technical treatment that was similar for both adult and very young immature individuals and displays a skillset that was passed down over two centuries., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics statement The research was conducted in accordance with all French ethical and legal guidelines for the excavation, handling, and analysis of archaeological human remains. The remains were handled with care to minimize disturbance and preserve their integrity for future research, with some remains being partially reburied in situ. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

This paper has several aims: to determine if Yersinia pestis was the causative agent in the last Scottish plague outbreak in the mid-17th century; map the geographic spread of the epidemic and isolate potential contributing factors to its spread and severity; and examine funerary behaviours in the context of a serious plague epidemic in early modern Scotland. Results confirm the presence of Y. pestis in individuals associated with a mid-17th century plague pit in Aberdeen. This is the first time this pathogen has been identified in an archaeological sample from Scotland. The geographic spread of the plague from 1644 through to 1649 is generally, with some key exceptions, restricted to the central lowlands of Scotland. The role of administrative responses to the epidemic in managing its spread and distribution is unclear. Finally, normative funerary practices tended to co-exist with mass burial scenarios. In conclusion, the distribution of the epidemic is arguably a function of population density/distribution, transportation networks, and the chaos associated with the concurrent civil war. Administrative responses to the epidemic likely had a variable, albeit limited, effect in the central lowlands. More peripheral cities, such as Aberdeen, while also employing sophisticated plague prevention measures, were perhaps initially spared simply due to their distance from the central plague belt. It is unclear if a general fear of the dead and contracting the Pest from plague victims can be used to characterise mid-17th century Scottish public opinion. Mass burial appears to have been a practical approach to the logistical problems mass mortality presented, while many instances of normative burial treatment can also be seen., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Dittmar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Artificial skull deformations were performed in all cultures since Prehistoric times using external devices, to permanently modify the shape of the head of newborns. Two types of deformations are reported: (1) antero-posterior deformations ("flat heads") and (2) circumferential deformations ("long heads"). Deformation devices exert mechanical forces on the forehead and the occiput: forehead shape is thus a major source of information for diagnosis, classification and on the culture significance of artificial skull deformations. France was the major European country for artificial skull deformations, and Toulouse was the epicenter of this practice. Numerous dry skulls and exceptional historical data are available to explore the origins, the mechanisms, the motivations, and the consequences of "Toulouse" artificial skull deformations., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Objectives: The present paper highlights the potential of osteological data for answering demographic questions through the development and application of a Bayesian approach incorporating age estimations of adults., Materials and Methods: The metropolis of London is a rewarding study region for such an approach due to the large number of cemeteries, with thousands of individuals, spanning a period from 1100 AD to the mid-19th century, that have been excavated and published in the past two decades. Furthermore, London has a rich tradition of early written records on mortality that can be used for comparison purposes. In order to gain comparable results from the different source categories, we use a Bayesian framework in which the Gompertz distribution features centrally., Results: Our intensive simulations show that the Bayesian approach performs better than maximum likelihood estimation or ordinary least squares in terms of recovering the original age distribution parameters. They also show how strongly population growth affects mortality patterns. The osteological data suggests that during medieval times and the Early Modern period, the modal age-at-death of the general population of London remained more or less constant and hovered around 30 years, and that only monks showed a higher modal age, of about 45 years. However, from the 17th century onwards, life expectancy of adults increased markedly., Discussion: Our comparison of written sources and osteological data demonstrates their general comparability and highlights the much higher mortality among adults in London than in the rest of England and Wales. We conclude that Bayesian modeling has great potential for recovering true mortality patterns from osteological data., (© 2024 The Author(s). American Journal of Biological Anthropology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

It is little appreciated not only how closely linked are the disciplines of neurology, psychiatry, and anthropology but even more so the degree to which they share a "common ancestry". This paper briefly reviews the definition and historical origins of each area of study to then begin to illustrate how their "genealogies" overlap. This illustration is by way of a sampling of the many key figures who contributed to the rise of not just neurology, psychiatry or anthropology but of all three disciplines. That is, a selective review is undertaken of paragons whose careers bridged medicine, neuropsychiatry, and anthropology. A sampling from among the dozens who have made major contributions to spanning these disciplines illuminates the significant extent of their co-mingled intellectual ancestry. This series is akin to a data table of necessarily concise biographical vignettes - past scholars with some or full medical training who also advanced both anthropology and neuropsychiatry as these disciplines grew into intellectual maturity. Each is, in a sense, a data point that bolsters the overarching thesis that the intellectual history of these disciplines have shared ancestry. Thus, even this preliminary and topical survey of a few past "exemplars" underscores the importance of this unique intellectual siblingship. Moreover, there is now a profusion of living scholars who add fulsomely to what might be deemed this 'trilateral marriage' of anthropology, psychiatry, and neurology. A compilation of more contemporary contributors is well worthy of a future review that expands from this first consideration. This initial work is meant to engender more robust scholarship that better elucidates and, thereby, enriches and enlivens further work while also uncovering new avenues of deeper insight, notably as to the "conceptual and heuristic progression" of evolutionary neurosciences with respect to the normative and pathologic., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Investigating changes in temporal bone pneumatization (TBP) and paranasal sinus volumes (PSV) across different eras may help understanding not only changes in skull anatomy but also pathophysiology of chronic otitis media and sinusitis, respectively, which are common health problems., Methods: Eight skulls from the second century AD, 20 skulls were from the 10th-11th centuries AD, 20 skulls from the 16th-19th centuries AD, and 60 contemporary skulls were included in this cross-sectional observational study. Using computerized tomography (CT) scans, the PSV were calculated by multiplying the height, width, and antero-posterior distance of the sinuses. TBP was divided into three types. Internal acoustic canal (IAC) length and width, and olfactory cleft (OC) width were measured., Results: No statistically significant differences were found between the paranasal sinus (frontal, maxillary, and sphenoid) volumes between the groups. However, TBP decreased statistically significantly over time on both sides of the skulls (p = 0.001). The contemporary IAC and OC measures were found to be significantly lower on both sides compared to the skulls from the other three eras (p < 0.001 for both)., Conclusions: Although no significant change was observed in PSV, decreases were evident in TBP, OC width and IAC length and width over time. It appears a fair inference that changes in size of OC and IAC might be another indication of the fact that olfaction and hearing were more vital for survival in old eras. Since we do not know incidence of chronic ear problems in old eras, we cannot speculate outcome of increased TBP in terms of developing chronic ear diseases. On the contrary, increased TBP was likely to play a protective role in traumas in old ears. Additionally, the environmental influences may be crucial role in the development of paranasal sinuses., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The original Valsalva manoeuvre (VM) was described in detail by the Italian anatomist, physician and surgeon Antonio Maria Valsalva (1666-1723). The VM consists of a voluntary forced expiratory effort against a closed upper airway. It was used tradionally in otolaryngology for testing the openess of the eustachian tubes and expelling pus/fluid from the middle to the external ear. VM is associated with increased intrathoracic and -abdominal pressure and leads to hemodynamic changes. The use of VM for cardiovascular purposes was first described by Eduard Friedrich Weber, a German physiologist. The Müller manoeuvre (MM) represents the opposite of the VM by forced inspiration against a closed upper airway. Negative intrathoracic and abdominal pressure (ITP) with direct effects on cardiac function and hemodynamics can be generated by the MM. MM has also been used to simulate the hemodynamic effects of negative ITP in obstructive sleep apnea patients. The Müller manoeuvre was first described by the German anatomist and physician Johannes Müller (1801-1858)., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Throughout history, animal hair and human hair have been used as suture materials in surgery and retain sporadic interest today. This systematic literature review examines 42 primary sources to uncover insights into the use of hair sutures. Several notable figures documented their experiences across specialties, highlighting horsehair's longevity and patient comfort. Despite waning popularity owing to synthetic alternatives, recent interest in autologous hair filaments for facial wounds signals a resurgence. The time-tested hair sutures offer a cost-effective, eco-friendly option, particularly in resource-limited settings., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting InterestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Under the futuristic vision of anatomical sciences, a strong societal connection is mandatory. The anatomical practice experienced robust societal participation through public human dissection from the 16th century onward. With a perspective to explore the intersection of spirituality with anatomy, the present study analyzed this momentous period. From a spiritual perspective, the study also reflects on two relevant but presently uncoupled entities of public human dissection and societal connection through the prism of current regulations. Strong representation from the general public during public human dissection was primarily driven by spiritual proclivity and an endorsement from religious authorities. To regulate large gatherings and maintain academic sanctity, anatomical theaters emerged as dedicated spaces for such a merger. With time and growing financial support, the theaters transformed from temporary structures to elaborate architectural marvels, further propelling already robust societal connections associated with the practice. Nevertheless, a confluence of multiple factors led to the violation of spiritual principles and a consequent decrease in societal participation from the early 18th century, eventually culminating in the demise of such spectacle. Presently, public human dissection-when done-is mostly conducted for commercial gains and in contravention of ethical norms. It is against the essence of spirituality and harbors a bleak prospect for societal connection. Contrastingly, measures adopted to promote societal participation (mostly related to body donation) were quite effective and followed the principles of spirituality. Societal connections served anatomy in the past and can lead to its advancement if approached through a righteous path., (© 2024 The Authors. Anatomical Sciences Education published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association for Anatomy.)

The disease called cancer was named after the animal known as the crab. According to ancient tradition, cancer was named after the crab because of the aggressivity or obstinacy of the crab or because of the appearance of the crab's tangled legs., (© 2024 The Author(s). Cancer published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Cancer Society.)

Vinegar is a natural product derived from fruits or grains after being subjected to food fermentation processes. Vinegar is a beneficial food additive, preservative, and condiment. It is appreciated across the Islamic world following the Prophetic teaching where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recommended its utility, saying: "The best of condiments is vinegar". Modern medicine recognizes the health benefits, especially upon metabolism and circulation, mediated by the bioactive constituents of vinegar, including acetic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, gallic acid, p -coumaric acid, catechin, and epicatechin. Using a variety of search engines, including Google Scholar, Sci-Finder, Wiley publications, Springer Link, Scopus, MDPI, Web of Science, and PubMed, a thorough survey of the literature was carried out. To compile a comprehensive data on the various varieties of vinegar, this review highlights and updates the existing information of different vinegar-related topics including production methods, quality assessment using different quantitative analysis tools, preclinical and clinical studies, structure-activity relationship, consumption, and applications from antiquity to the present.

Maroons in Suriname and French Guiana descend from enslaved Africans who escaped the plantations during colonial times. Maroon farmers still cultivate a large diversity of rice, their oldest staple crop. The oral history and written records of Maroons by colonial authorities provide contrasting perspectives on the origins of Maroon rice. Here, we analyzed the genomic ancestry of 136 newly sequenced Maroon rice varieties and found seven genomic groups that differ in their geographical associations. We interpreted these findings in light of ethnobotanical and archival investigations to reconstruct the historical contexts associated with the introduction of rice varieties to the Guianas. We found that two rice groups trace to West Africa, which we propose are linked to the transatlantic slave trade (c. 1526 to 1825). We posit that the Maroon rice stock additionally contains varieties that derive from rice introduced by indentured laborers from Java (1890 onwards), USA rice breeders (1932 onwards), and Hmong refugees who fled the Vietnam War (1991). Furthermore, on the Maroon fields, we found rice types never documented before that were derived from crosses. Overall, our results demonstrate that the Maroon farmers prioritize maintenance of a high stock diversity, which we posit reflects the expertise they inherited from their (African) ancestors. Ignored by agricultural modernization initiatives, Maroon farmers today are custodians of a unique cultural heritage. Notably, the genomic findings underline many Maroon stories about their past. We anticipate that a similar study approach can be applied to other heirloom crops of (Indigenous) communities that may have preserved their history on their farms to reconstruct, acknowledge, and honor the past., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest The authors declare no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.)

AbstractIn dimorphic vertebrates where males are larger than females, the energetic costs of producing and rearing sons can exceed those of daughters. In humans, differences in maternal energy intake suggest that sons require 10% and 7% more energy than daughters during pregnancy and lactation, respectively. Due to a trade-off between reproduction and somatic maintenance, having sons is expected to have a more pronounced detrimental impact on a mother's lifespan than having daughters. A limitation of previous studies investigating this hypothesis is that the increased mortality cost of having sons was assumed to affect all mothers equally. Using a dataset from a preindustrial Quebec population monitored over two centuries, we found that the number of sons decreased postmenopausal lifespan only in mothers experiencing high infant mortality. Our study highlights the importance of interindividual variation in environmental conditions and maternal health when studying effects of offspring sex on reproductive costs.

The jet stream is an important dynamic driver of climate variability in the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes 1-3 . Modern variability in the position of summer jet stream latitude in the North Atlantic-European sector (EU JSL) promotes dipole patterns in air pressure, temperature, precipitation and drought between northwestern and southeastern Europe. EU JSL variability and its impacts on regional climatic extremes and societal events are poorly understood, particularly before anthropogenic warming. Based on three temperature-sensitive European tree-ring records, we develop a reconstruction of interannual summer EU JSL variability over the period 1300-2004 CE (R 2  = 38.5%) and compare it to independent historical documented climatic and societal records, such as grape harvest, grain prices, plagues and human mortality. Here we show contrasting summer climate extremes associated with EU JSL variability back to 1300 CE as well as biophysical, economic and human demographic impacts, including wildfires and epidemics. In light of projections for altered jet stream behaviour and intensified climate extremes, our findings underscore the importance of considering EU JSL variability when evaluating amplified future climate risk., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Division of the growing long bone into individual basic parts, that is, diaphysis, metaphysis, physes and epiphyses, has become generally accepted and used. However, the origin of these terms is almost unknown. Therefore, we have analyzed the literature in order to identify their sources. The terms epiphysis and apophysis have been used since the time of Hippokrates, although with different meanings. During the time of Galen, the term apophysis was used to describe all types of bone processes, and epiphyses denoted articular ends. The term diaphysis denoting the middle cylindrical part of the long bone was used for the first time by Heister in 1717. The first to use the term metaphysis was Theodor Kocher in his books on gunshot wounds and on bone inflammation of 1895. On the basis of Kocher's study, Lexer published a radiological study of the vascular supply to bones in which he defined metaphyseal blood vessels as a separate group supplying a particular part of the long bone. The epiphyseal growth plate had no particular name from the time of its first description in 1836. During the second half of 19th century, this structure acquired different names. The term "physis" was therefore introduced in 1964 by the American radiologist Rubin in order to label the growth structure between metaphysis and epiphysis clearly. One year later, the term physis also appeared in the radiological literature, and during the following decades it spread in the orthopedic literature., (© 2024 The Authors. Clinical Anatomy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association of Clinical Anatomists and British Association of Clinical Anatomists.)

The current research aimed to analyze the history of bioterrorism in antiquity and to adapt the data to modern medical knowledge. To this end, a thorough evaluation of the literature related to the ancient history of bioterrorism and modern data was done using the Web of Sciences, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Results showed that knowledge of bioterrorism has existed since antiquity in different civilizations. Biological and toxicological agents were used as an instrument of legal execution, as a warfare tool in battles, or to eliminate political rivals across nations. Ancient people researched bioterrorism to apply it against enemies and at the same time provide countermeasures in favor of themselves and allies. Despite the existence of the principles of bioterrorism since ancient times, adaptation of the data to modern research can assist in planning countermeasure efforts, preventive actions, and treatments in the framework of modern counterterrorism medicine., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, ein Teil von Springer Nature.)

In 1614, the German astronomer Simon Mayr published his claim about the discovery of Jupiter's satellites. In his treatise Mundus Jovialis , Mayr made his assertion in a convoluted but unequivocal manner, earning resentment from Galileo Galilei, who published his harsh protest in 1623 in Il Saggiatore . Though Galileo's objections were fallacious in some respects, and though numerous scholars took to the field to prove Mayr's claim, none ever really succeeded, and the historical evidence remains to Mayr's detriment. On the basis of such historical evidence, including comparisons between Mundus Jovialis and Mayr's earlier works, Mayr's independent discovery of the satellites can be ruled out. Indeed, it is very likely that he never observed them before 30 December 1610, nearly a year after Galileo. The lack of a corpus of Mayr's observations and the inaccuracy of his tables are also puzzling.

The manuscript discusses the historical evolution of observing blood cell morphology under an optical microscope, from the earliest microscopes in the 17th century to the modern digital era, highlighting key advancements and contributions in the field. Blood has historically held symbolic importance in various cultures, with early medical observations dating back to Hippocrates and Galeno. The discovery of cells and subsequent advancements in microscopy by scientists like Hooke and van Leeuwenhoek paved the way for understanding blood cell morphology. Influential figures such as Hewson, Donné, and Ehrlich followed. Diagnostic cytology evolved from manual cell counting to the development of automated hematological systems. Automated complete blood counting came to support microscopic examination in diagnosing hematological disorders. Morphology is crucial in predicting disease outcomes and guiding treatment decisions, particularly hematological neoplasms. The introduction of flow cytometry and its integration with traditional morphological analysis and the new cytogenetic and molecular techniques revolutionized the classification and prognostication of hematologic disorders. Digital microscopy has emerged as a powerful tool in recent years, offering rapid acquisition and sharing of blood cell images. Integrating Artificial Intelligence with digital microscopy has further enhanced morphological analysis, improving diagnostic efficiency. We also discuss the prospects of AI in pre-classifying blood cells in bone marrow aspirate samples, potentially revolutionizing diagnostic pathways for hematologic diseases. Overall, the manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of the historical development, clinical significance and technological advancements in observing blood cell morphology, underscoring its continued relevance in modern hematology practice., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Laboratory Hematology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

As a style of writing and a form of communication, the modern scientific report enables the creation, sharing and continuous updating of natural knowledge in such a manner that the idiosyncrasies of ordinary language are reduced to a minimum. This article examines how the standards for scientific reporting were 'born' in the seventeenth century and their legacy. The first part of the article reviews the existing literature on this topic. The second part outlines the key features of the scientific report and the common standards for scientific reporting. The third part presents detailed historical evidence to trace the emergence of these standards in seventeenth-century England. The final part discusses why the scientific report means so much for the progress of science, for understanding the history of science and science popularization, and even for the development of academia more generally.

This study challenges historical paradigms using a large-scale integrated bioarchaeological approach, focusing on the female experience over the last 2,000 years in Milan, Italy. Specifically, 492 skeletons from the osteological collection of Milan were used to elucidate female survivorship and mortality by integrating bioarchaeological and paleopathological data, paleoepidemiological analyses, and historical contextualization. Findings revealed changes in female longevity, with a notable increase from Roman to contemporary eras, albeit plateauing in the Middle Ages/modern period. Significant sex-specific differences in mortality risk and survivorship were observed: females had higher mortality risk and lower survivorship in the Roman (first-fifth century AD) and Modern (16th-18th century AD) eras, but this trend reversed in the contemporary period (19th-20th century AD). Cultural and social factors negatively impacted female mortality in Roman and modern Milan, while others buffered it during the Middle Ages (sixth-15th century AD). This study underscored the importance of bioarchaeological inquiries in reconstructing the past, providing answers that may challenge historical assumptions and shedding light on how the interplay of cultural, social, and biological factors shaped the female experience across millennia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rapa Nui (also known as Easter Island) is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. It has captured the imagination of many owing to its archaeological record, which includes iconic megalithic statues called moai 1 . Two prominent contentions have arisen from the extensive study of Rapa Nui. First, the history of the Rapanui has been presented as a warning tale of resource overexploitation that would have culminated in a major population collapse-the 'ecocide' theory 2-4 . Second, the possibility of trans-Pacific voyages to the Americas pre-dating European contact is still debated 5-7 . Here, to address these questions, we reconstructed the genomic history of the Rapanui on the basis of 15 ancient Rapanui individuals that we radiocarbon dated (1670-1950 CE) and whole-genome sequenced (0.4-25.6×). We find that these individuals are Polynesian in origin and most closely related to present-day Rapanui, a finding that will contribute to repatriation efforts. Through effective population size reconstructions and extensive population genetics simulations, we reject a scenario involving a severe population bottleneck during the 1600s, as proposed by the ecocide theory. Furthermore, the ancient and present-day Rapanui carry similar proportions of Native American admixture (about 10%). Using a Bayesian approach integrating genetic and radiocarbon dates, we estimate that this admixture event occurred about 1250-1430 CE., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The glans clitoris has a corona; however, unlike the corona of the glans penis, the corona of the glans clitoris is practically "nonexistent" as evidenced by the noteworthy absence of its mention and depiction in anatomical and clinical sciences. Accordingly, the corona of the glans clitoris has been neglected in anatomical education and clinical practice. This report details the history regarding the anatomical terminology of the glans and identifies that descriptions of the glans penis, corona of the glans penis, and other penile structures have preceded descriptions of the homologous anatomy of the clitoris by at least a century. Today, recognition of the corona of the glans clitoris, as well as the coronal sulcus and neck of the clitoris should be commonplace. Henceforth, the corona of the glans clitoris and its related anatomy including the sulcus of the glans clitoris and neck of the clitoris should be incorporated into anatomical and clinical language, illustrations, textbooks, education, and practice. Likewise, efforts should be made to propagate knowledge regarding the corona of the glans clitoris, coronal sulcus, and neck of the clitoris to the general public. Giving names to the anatomical structures of the clitoris will undoubtedly increase the awareness of their existence which, in turn, will encourage their clinical assessment and result in decreased morbidity and mortality. Likewise, improved self-awareness of clitoral anatomy will promote self-care which is important in the prevention of disease and the promotion of optimal sexual health., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

The oldest extant anatomy textbooks compiled in ancient Rome were by Galen who described in writing most of the various parts and organs of the body. History tells us that ever since the time of Galen, anatomical terminology would be a necessary and beneficial feature, but it also brought unexpected and annoying consequences into the field. The benefits are readily apparent in the case of muscle terminology. Galen identified more than 150 different kinds of skeletal muscles, most of which were unnamed, hence difficult to identify without professional knowledge of anatomy. Vesalius introduced detailed anatomical illustrations in Fabrica (1543), which made the identification of the muscles easier. Bauhin then introduced proper descriptive names for the muscles in Theatrum anatomicum (1605), which enabled the identification of the muscles without illustrations. After the terminology became complex and diverse, a logically consistent standard nomenclature was established by Nomina anatomica (1895). The unexpected consequences may be found in the terminology of bones and joints. Galen gave 39 proper names for individual bones, and classified and termed the types of bony joints. Many of these terms have survived in modern anatomy as literal translations of the bone terms, as well as the joint terms. The annoying consequences may be found in the terminology of intestines. Galen divided the small and large intestines into three portions, such that the major part of the small intestine suspended by the mesentery was divided into two without sufficient reason. The Latin translations of jejunum and ileum were, respectively assigned to them by Mondino in his Anatomia written in 1316., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

Bioactive substances found in plants, microorganisms and animals have fascinated mankind since time immemorial. This review will focus on the progress that has been made over the centuries and our growing insights. The developments relate to both the discovery and characterization of novel bioactive substances, as well as the ceaseless implementation of refined techniques, the use of high-end instruments and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence with deep learning-based computational methods. As these approaches possess great translational potential, with many applications in different fields, such as therapeutic, diagnostic and agrochemical use, there is a good rationale to continue investing in toxinology-related research., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:Jan Tytgat reports was provided by KU Leuven. Jan Tytgat reports a relationship with KU Leuven that includes: employment. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Latin anatomical terminology has been codified since 1895. However, the situation is different for national anatomical terminologies. There are countries that have standardized anatomical terminology in their language, e.g., Poland, Slovenia, Japan, Spain, Hungary, others, such as the Czech Republic or Slovakia, are still lacking their own standardized and official terminology. In the Bohemian Lands, the first terms describing parts of the human body appeared as early as the ninth century in works written in Cyrillic script. The first comprehensive references to Czech anatomical terminology appeared in the fourteenth century. From the Baroque period, anatomical terms were preserved in the educational works of the Teacher of Nations Jan Amos Comenius' Janua linguarum reserata and Orbis sensualium pictus. Many of these terms have remained almost unchanged to this day, but some of them have acquired a pejorative meaning over time. We present here an overview of the history and examples of these terms describing parts of the human body., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Japanese Association of Anatomists.)

This paper offers a reconstruction of the interpretations of Descartes's ideas of place and motion by Dutch Cartesians (Henricus Regius, Johannes de Raey, Johannes Clauberg, and Christoph Wittich). It does so by focusing on the reading of Descartes's Principia philosophiae (1644) offered, in particular, by the dictated commentaries on it. It is shown how such commentaries bring to the light new potential Aristotelian-Scholastic sources of Descartes, and the different ways Dutch Cartesians brought to the fore, also with the help of such sources, the rationale of the Cartesian text: in doing so, they constituted a philosophical school., (© 2024 The Author(s). Berichte zur Wissenschaftsgeschichte published by Wiley-VCH GmbH.)

Objective: Dental disease is frequently used as a proxy for diet and overall health of individuals of past populations. The aim of this study is to investigate dental disease in a sample of enslaved African individuals recovered from an urban dump (15th-17th centuries) in Lagos, Portugal., Design: In all, 81 African individuals (>12 years old) were analysed (19 males, 49 females, and 13 of unknown sex), in a total of 2283 alveoli, 2061 teeth, and 2213 interdental septa. Analysed oral pathologies include dental caries, periodontal disease, and ante-mortem tooth loss. Dental wear was also recorded., Results: Dental caries affected 52.0 % of the teeth, although only 31.9 % were cavitated lesions. In all, 96.3 % of the individuals presented at least one cariogenic lesion. Gingivitis and periodontitis were recorded in 56.7 % and 19.0 % of the septa, respectively. Only one male individual had all septal areas healthy. Ante-mortem tooth loss was recorded in 38.3 % of the individuals, in a total of 96 teeth lost (4.2 %). Regarding occlusal wear, 70.8 % of the surfaces were recorded with grades 1-3., Conclusions: The frequencies of the oral pathological conditions observed may not only reflect a cariogenic diet (rich in starches and with a high frequency of meals) but also the conditions during the maritime voyage of the first victims of the North Atlantic slave trade (xerostomia due to lack of water, sea sickness and vomiting, vitamin C deficiency, poor hygiene), and also the impact intentional dental modifications had on the dentitions., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors report no declarations of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

As the title indicates, this article deals with the origins of anatomic terminology and its development up to the present day. The first attempt to name anatomical structures in animals and humans date back to Alkmaion, i.e. to the fifth century BC. Further work has been done at the same time by the Hippocratics and about 100 years later by Aristotle. As the Alexandrians Erasistratos and Herophilos first in history dissected human bodies, they expanded the anatomical terms. Until Celsus (around Christ's birth) and even later on, anatomical terminology was almost exclusively based on the Greek language. Thus, Celsus and not-as frequently done-Galenos has to be called the father of Latin-based anatomical terminology. Due to several translations including Arabic, first periods of proverbial Bable resulted. Return to systematic order was achieved finally by Andreas Vesal (1514/15-1564) and Caspar Bauhin (1560-1624). But again due to translations into several national languages, the uniformity of the anatomical nomenclature was undermined. Thus, by the end of the nineteenth century, in 1895 the newly founded Anatomische Gesellschaft created a uniform terminology, the Basle Nomina Anatomica (BNA). Although it has been revised several times, it is still the very basic of human anatomical terminology. Recently, an attempt was made to replace it by English translations of the original Latin (and also still Greek) terms to mainly get machine-readable denominations. As this will result again in non-uniformity of terminology, the Anatomische Gesellschaft proposes a version of the latest, generally accepted terminology, based on the Latin terms but incorporating recent developments., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Phrenitis is ubiquitous in ancient medicine and philosophy. Galen mentions the disease innumerable times, Patristic authors take it as a favourite allegory of human flaws, and no ancient doctor fails to diagnose it and attempt its cure. Yet the nature of this once famous disease has not been properly understood by scholars. My book provides the first full history of phrenitis . In doing so, it surveys ancient ideas about the interactions between body and soul, both in health and in disease. It also addresses ancient ideas about bodily health, mental soundness and moral 'goodness', and their heritage in contemporary psychiatry, offering a chance to reflect critically on contemporary ideas about what it means to be 'insane'., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The only known copy of Sejfer derech ejc ha-chajim, an anonymous old print, is stored in the Austrian National Library in Vienna. It was written in the Yiddish Ashkenazi language and printed in 1613. The author, a Jewish physician, resided or lived in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This rare book, although it was printed over 400 years ago, has not yet been systematically assessed in the ethnomedical context of those times., Aim of the Study: A quantitative assessment of the botanical drugs and kinds of healthy diets described in The Guide is presented to recognise the medicinal, diachronic, and botanical outlines of this peculiar rarum., Materials and Methods: To investigate various recipes describing the use of medicinal plants of Jewish culture in the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the content of The Guide was analysed. All therapeutic uses of herbal medicines and nutritional recommendations for health were obtained by reviewing the Polish translation of the rare medical handbook. For each plant usage revealed in the text, we noted: Scientific, Common and Yiddish name of the taxon, Plant family, Part of the plant or substance used, Administration, Preparation, Primary pathology, Broad use, and Inferred pathology (ICD-11 and ICPC-3)., Results: Among the 161 recipes, 58 plant taxa and 361 use records were recorded. Additionally, 127 mixtures with 68 plant taxa and 183 use mixture records were noted. 22 diet recipes with 19 plant taxa were also found. These data constitute three separate analyses, according to the intention of the author of The Guide. Formulations using Apiaceae were recommended primarily for gastroenterology and gynecology, while those using Rosaceae for gastroenterology, urology, and neurology. For mixtures, Lamiaceae plants are also represented and used for gastroenterology, respiratory system treatment, and gynecology., Conclusion: The medicinal knowledge described in Sejfer derech ejc ha-chajim fills a gap in contemporary knowledge regarding phyto-medical writing of the Renaissance. The Guide has a form of home first aid kit, used both for medicinal purposes and on the daily menu. In response to current challenges in healthcare, there is a growing interest among researchers in ethnomedicinal sources for the discovery of novel therapeutic compounds. This includes the re-evaluation of formulations and therapeutic indications that have been recognised for centuries. The remedies analysed and detailed in The Guide can provide valuable insights for researchers focused on identifying biologically active therapeutic raw materials of plant origin, thus contributing to advances in modern healthcare., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Between the Irish late medieval (AD 1150-c.1550) (LMP) and post-medieval (AD c.1550-1800) (PMP) periods, colonial practices changed land ownership. Contextualizing these periods within a biocultural political economy framework supports increasing social inequality in the PMP, which we expect to be reflected in different skeletal markers of longevity and stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that widespread exposure to stressors and resource deprivation contributed to lower longevity in the PMP compared to the LMP, and that there would be greater variation between sites in the frequency of linear enamel hypoplasias (LEH) in the PMP., Materials and Methods: We estimated age and counted matched pairs of LEH on 526 adult skeletons from the Irish counties of Dublin, Kildare, Louth, and Meath. Age-at-death was compared through Kaplan-Meier survival functions and non-parametric tests. Linear enamel hypoplasias prevalences were analyzed with Mann-Whitney U tests and Generalized Linear Models., Results: Age-at-death distribution changed between the LMP and PMP for males, with males experiencing an increase in median-age-at-death. The same was untrue for females, who show no changes in median age-at-death. Analysis of LEH frequency per individual showed that variation between sites was significant in the post-medieval period but not in the late medieval period., Conclusion: These results suggest that social organization contributed to embodied health experiences that varied across time periods. Specifically, populations from the PMP appear to have embodied greater social inequality in their more varied susceptibility to stress. Our work demonstrates the strength of pairing historical texts with the analysis of skeletal remains to evaluate the impact of social structures on biological frailty., (© 2024 The Author(s). American Journal of Biological Anthropology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

For 350 years, we have known that the human body hosts microbes, then called "animalcules". For over a century, following the demonstration of the role of some of these microbes in diseases, questions have arisen about the role of the largely predominant ones colonizing human skin and mucous surfaces, particularly the rich microbial ecosystem of the intestine, the gut microbiota. From the invention of germ-free life - axenism - which experimentally validated the human-microbe symbiosis, resulting from a long coevolution, to the development of anaerobic culture methods, then to the invention of molecular diagnosis, deep sequencing opening up metagenomic and omics approaches in general, a remarkable race has taken place between technological innovations and conceptual advances. This race, beyond the exhaustive description of the microbiota in its intra- and inter-human diversity, and the essential symbiotic functions of the microbiome, has paved the way for a new field of medicine: microbial medicine., (© 2024 médecine/sciences – Inserm.)

This Ambix special issue explores premodern alchemical ideas and practices in their entanglements with medicine. It employs diverse methods, from traditional close reading to the new distant-reading framework of computational humanities, to investigate alchemical thought over a timespan of several centuries. In medieval times, everyday practices could offer heuristic models of material transformation - such as the fermentation of bread as a model for metallic transmutation (Schmechel). Paracelsus relied on "fire" to link his natural philosophy with his medical alchemy; new computational methods show how his ideas evolved over time (Hedesan). Early modern medical pluralism favoured the thriving of chemical medicine in Italy; diplomatic efforts introduced chemical remedies into acknowledged pharmacopoeias (Clericuzio). An English physician offers William Cavendish both practical distillation recipes and the hope of learning more about the principles of chemistry (Begley). In eighteenth-century France, Diderot draws on chemical ideas to blur the conceptual boundary between living and non-living matter (Wolfe). The papers largely adhere to integrated history and philosophy of science (iHPS) and to a pragmatist "operational ideal of knowledge" (Chang). They showcase the interdisciplinarity of premodern scientific thought and examine how medicine and alchemy, but also theory and (everyday) practice informed each other fruitfully across the ages.

Despite the increasing interest in Italian medicine, comparatively little attention has been paid to the establishment of iatrochemistry. Though this process spread throughout the Peninsula, Naples witnessed an impressive growth of chemical research and the outbreak of a conflict between the medical establishment and the chemical physicians. The purpose of this article is to explore the emergence of chemical medicine in Naples in the period that precedes the founding (1663) of the Accademia degli Investiganti . In the first part of the seventeenth century, chemistry achieved recognition in settings like academies, pharmacies, hospitals, and monasteries. Chemical studies and the making of new remedies were spurred by the scientific exchange that Neapolitan savants established with scholars from different areas. The so-called medical pluralism and the recurrent outbreaks of epidemics stimulated the introduction of new chemical therapies, which coexisted with old ones . The establishment of chemical medicine was triggered by Marco Aurelio Severino (1580-1656), who, besides promoting chemical remedies, resorted to chemical theories, including Paracelsian ones, to account for physiological processes. Severino was the mentor of the chemical physicians who gave rise to the Accademia degli Investiganti . One of Severino's disciples was Giuseppe Donzelli (1596-1670), who fostered chemical remedies in Naples.

Since the Palaeolithic Age food has been closely linked to the development of the human species, meeting our energy needs and fuelling our cell metabolism. Without food there can be no life. However, over the centuries food and our eating habits have also had a damaging effect, whether through deficiencies, excesses, direct toxic effects or as a vector of pathogenic agents. The human species has known two major food revolutions: one at the start of the Neolithic Age and the other very recently in the years following the Second World War. In this article we will be looking at the ambiguous relationship between food and human health as well as the health of our planet., (Copyright © 2024 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

"The study of emotional expression," it has recently been said, "has long been the provenance of scientific discovery and heated controversy" (Keltner et al., 2016, p. 467)-and nothing has been more central to this inquiry than attempts to understand the precise connection between affective experience and human facial expression. But as science moves forward, it is also wise to consider where it has been. This Brief Report reproduces a pre-Darwinian account of the facial expression of emotion from Thomas Wright's The Passions of the Minde in Generall (1604), one of the most interesting books on emotion from the English Renaissance. Before the modern scientific revolution, Wright's theorization anticipates several key aspects of 21st Century thought on the facial expression of emotion, an intriguing reminder of the connection between historical folk understanding and modern research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in Australia between 2016 and 2024 was driven by high sea surface temperatures (SST) 1 . The likelihood of temperature-induced bleaching is a key determinant for the future threat status of the GBR 2 , but the long-term context of recent temperatures in the region is unclear. Here we show that the January-March Coral Sea heat extremes in 2024, 2017 and 2020 (in order of descending mean SST anomalies) were the warmest in 400 years, exceeding the 95th-percentile uncertainty limit of our reconstructed pre-1900 maximum. The 2016, 2004 and 2022 events were the next warmest, exceeding the 90th-percentile limit. Climate model analysis confirms that human influence on the climate system is responsible for the rapid warming in recent decades. This attribution, together with the recent ocean temperature extremes, post-1900 warming trend and observed mass coral bleaching, shows that the existential threat to the GBR ecosystem from anthropogenic climate change is now realized. Without urgent intervention, the iconic GBR is at risk of experiencing temperatures conducive to near-annual coral bleaching 3 , with negative consequences for biodiversity and ecosystems services. A continuation on the current trajectory would further threaten the ecological function 4 and outstanding universal value 5 of one of Earth's greatest natural wonders., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The European Marriage Pattern (EMP), in place in NW Europe for perhaps 500 years, substantially limited fertility. But how could such limitation persist when some individuals who deviated from the EMP norm had more children? If their children inherited their deviant behaviors, their descendants would quickly become the majority of later generations. This puzzle has two possible solutions. The first is that all those that deviated actually had lower net fertility over multiple generations. We show, however, no fertility penalty to future generations from higher initial fertility. Instead the EMP survived because even though the EMP persisted at the social level, children did not inherit their parents' individual fertility choices. In the paper we show evidence consistent with lateral, as opposed to vertical, transmission of EMP fertility behaviors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

"The only history is a mere question of one's struggle inside oneself. But that is the joy of it. One need neither discover Americas nor conquer nations, and yet one has as great a work as Columbus or Alexander to do," said David H. Lawrence. In this historical vignette, we look at the lives of certain western giants of neuroanatomy from the past. To understand the origin of today's advancements and successes in neurosurgery, a strong foothold on the path taken by anatomical greats is necessary. What curiosity inspired them to search the meaning of the human nervous system? Learning this from the paths of Herophilus, Galen, Franciscus Sylvius, Thomas Willis, Alexander Monro secundus, Luigi Rolando, François Magendie, and Martin Rathke, will propel us to create a better future for our successors.

This article focuses on a curious manuscript treatise in the British Library, Harley MS 6940, which the learned physician Samuel Bispham composed for the English patron and horseman William Cavendish (1593-1676), most likely in the mid-1640s. Sitting somewhere between a practical medical recipe book and theoretical chymical treatise, while being peppered with traditional causal explanations and Galenic precautions, Harley MS 6940 testifies to the erosion of the entrenched dichotomy between chymical and Galenic medicine in the mid-seventeenth century. Harley MS 6940 also lays bare how a learned physician used (and taught the use of) practice to confirm and sometimes challenge his learning, offering a counterpoint to recent scholarship that underscores the learning that apothecaries used to shore up their practice. Produced at the behest of a leading Royalist who sought both to acquire techniques for distilling and fermenting herbs and to advance his knowledge of chymical conceptions of spirits, seeds, and salts, the manuscript allows us to appreciate that the chymical art animated a broader set of individuals than the historiography often implies.

Significant regional variability in lifespan in Europe is influenced by environmental factors and lifestyle behaviors, including diet. This study investigates the impact of geographical region on the lifespan of European rulers spanning from the fourteenth century to the present day. By analyzing historical records and literature, we aim to identify region-specific dietary patterns and lifestyle factors that may have contributed to longer lifespans among rulers. The hypothesis to be tested is that rulers from Southern European countries, where the traditional Mediterranean diet is consumed by the local people, may exhibit longer lifespans compared to rulers from other regions, due to the well-documented health benefits associated with this dietary pattern. We extracted comprehensive information for each ruler, encompassing their sex, birth and death dates, age, age of enthronement, duration of rulership, country, and cause of death (natural vs. non-natural). To determine their nationality, we coded rulers based on their hypothetical present-day residence (2023). Utilizing the EuroVoc Geographical classification, we categorized the countries into four regions: Northern, Western, Southern, Central and Eastern Europe. While Cox regression models did not find significant differences in survival rates among regions, further analysis stratified by time periods revealed intriguing trends. Contrary to our initial predictions, the Northern region displayed better survival rates compared to the Southern region between 1354 and 1499, whereas survival rates were similar across regions from 1500 to 1749. However, after 1750, all regions, except the Southern region, exhibited significantly improved survival rates, suggesting advancements in healthcare and lifestyle factors. These findings underscore the dynamic influence of both region and time period on health and longevity. Interestingly, despite the prevalence of the Mediterranean diet in the Southern region of Europe, rulers from this region did not demonstrate longer lifespans compared to their counterparts in other regions. This suggests that additional lifestyle factors may have played a more prominent role in their longevity. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the intricate relationship between region, time period, and lifespan among European rulers. Although the Mediterranean diet is often associated with health benefits, our findings indicate that it alone may not account for differences in ruler longevity across regions. Further research is warranted to explore the impact of other lifestyle factors on the health and lifespan of European rulers throughout history., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

This study aims to shed light on the role of Solomon ben Nathan Ashkenazi, an Ottoman Jewish physician, in Ottoman diplomacy. Despite being a German-born Jew and practicing medicine for several years, Ashkenazi played a crucial part in Ottoman relations with Venice and Poland after arriving in Istanbul. The study explores how Ashkenazi, a physician by profession, attained the position of diplomat and examines the reasons behind his involvement in Ottoman foreign relations. While it is common for Ottoman Jewish physicians to be involved in Ottoman foreign affairs, Ashkenazi's example provides valuable insight into the mechanisms and motivations behind their participation in Ottoman diplomacy. The study shows that Jewish physicians in the Ottoman Empire contributed to Ottoman medicine with their medical expertise and played a significant role in bridging the gap in Ottoman-European relations with their diplomatic skills., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background: Queen Christina of Sweden, a prominent Early Modern European character, died in Rome on April 19th, 1689. The scarce literature published about her illness and death agrees about the cause of the death in the diagnosis of erysipelas, that did not appear externally with an ulcer, but became manifest in her blood, causing an inflammation of heart and lungs. The article underlines the essential contribution of the learned surgeons to the development of practical anatomy in the late Seventeenth century as illustrated by the specific case of the Queen's autopsy report by the court surgeon Alessio Spalla., Methods: The study is based on the analysis of the published literature and the comparison of archival sources as the anonymous report of the Queen's autopsy, preserved in Vienna and the unknown autopsy by Spalla, discovered in a private archive., Results: The comparison of Spalla's autopsy with the Viennese report of an anonymous practical doctor -suspected to be Marcello Malpighi-, who also participated in the Queen's dissection highlights how the two perspectives of investigation - the surgical-morphological and the medical-practical ones - are integrated in the theoretical and practical dimension of practical anatomy., Conclusions: The unpublished report of the surgeon Spalla integrates the knowledge of the queen's illness and death, stands as an example of a private autopsy performed by a court surgeon in the late Seventeenth-century Rome and as a case study on the development of new hybrid areas of knowledge, such as practical anatomy.