Gregory Tsoucalas

• MD, MSc, Hist Med Dipl, PhD, postdoc
• Professor (Associate) at University of Crete

Breast is an eternal quintessential symbol of the female. An icon to symbolize a cluster of perceptions like beauty, fertility, power, dominion, status, feeding and idolize warriors, priestesses and goddesses. Since the early bronze age until the Hellenistic period art, divine and wealth shaped a plethora of figurines, statues, sculptures and potte...

The Hellenic Pharmacopoeia, authored by Ottoman pharmacist Georgios Photeinos and published in 1835 in Smyrna (modern-day Izmir, Türkiye), is a historically significant yet largely overlooked work in 19th-century pharmaceutical literature. At a time when modern pharmaceutical resources in Greek were scarce, Photeinos sought to address this gap by c...

The Greco-Roman physician Galen of Pergamon was the first to mention a drug named Paccianon. This drug was unknown in ancient Greece and most probably through the School of Alexandria entered medical literature. Oribasius and Aetius were the only two practitioners who mentioned it after Galen, administrating it in various forms, such as poultice, m...

Background: Crohn’s disease, described by Dr. Burrill Crohn and his colleagues in 1932, continues to be of great research and clinical interest. It was initially perceived as a distinct condition and it has evolved since into a complex disease, with debates still going regarding its classification and etiology. Even though more that 80 years of res...

Hematidrosis constitutes a rare imposing phenomenon encountered millennia ago. It involves the plexus of small, mostly superficial arteries, veins and sweat glands of various parts of the human body. Bloody sweat implies skin pathology. It has been connected to psychogenic impairment and lacks a clear etiology. The present study conducted a histori...

Crete, strategically situated at the crossroads of three continents, was historically embroiled in incessant conflicts between colonisers and Greek revolutionaries, as well as recurrent battles against disease. In 1918, the island faced a novel adversary: influenza. In response, the state, local authorities, and medical professionals on the island...

The aim of this historical review is to present the beliefs of the ancient Greeks related to lyssa and how the mythology surrounding this disease was created. In Greek antiquity Lyssa was a secondary goddess, a personification of a zoonotic disease which could be transmitted after an animal bite. Also named hydrophobia, the illness lyssa presented...

The mythological creature Centaur Chiron, lived in the mountain Pelion in ancient Thessaly in Greece. Chiron was considered as the teacher of medicine for all ancient physicians, even for the god patron of medicine Asclepius. As a creature of the land, half horse, half man, knew about herbs, elixirs, knifes (surgery) and music. Chiron as the son of...

Achilles Rose, a German-American physician of the late 19 th century, became famous for his persistent global struggle to promote the hellenic language as the official language in medicine and science in general. having studied in Zurich, Jena, and New York, he became a general practice physician. His most well-known medical treatise was "The Carbo...

Introduction: The failure of closure of the dorsal wall of the sacral canal (SC) has been known since the eve of modern osteology, appearing in prehistoric times. Variants include partial or complete absence of the dorsal wall of the SC. SC presents a pathway for minimally invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures for spinal diseases and for e...

Theodoros Aretaios (1829–1893), having pursued advanced studies at home and abroad and possessing a wide range of competences and interests, was among the first Greek physicians to produce educational treatises for both students and doctors of medicine. Among these is his medical treatise Surgery which deals with thyroid operations and goiter sympt...

The lands of Malaka in Spain have been renowned for their wine since the 8th century BC. Malaka wine gained popularity among merchants and consumers since the 17th century, becoming one of Europe’s favourites. The seeds (nuts) of the African Cola acuminata trees had been used in daily life as an invigorating and stimulating chewing or eating delica...

Sometimes, during an era of clashes, appears a man to promote humanism. Such a man was Panagiotis Lefakis who dedicated his life to treat the helpless inhabitants of Dedeagats (later Alexandroupolis) regardless of nationality and religion. With studies in Constantinople and Paris he practiced general medicine and obstetrics in Thrace. Lefakis, comp...

Divine always exist inside communities since Prehistoric times and carves the evolution of health care. To discuss the value of god in relation to the history of medicine is a hard task and mathematics may provide a way to achieve it.

Georg Bartisch, a 16th century barber surgeon, published in 1583 his treatise entitled "Ophthalmodouleia" (Greek term meaning eye service), a work in German to promote ophthalmology for his countrymen barber surgeons. He did not have an academic education nor knew classical languages, he had used a triplet in terminology by using German, Hellenic a...

Hôpital municipal de Pananeio: de l'éclat initial aux ruines, une vignette historique À la fin de la domination Ottomane sur l'île de Crète, la population urbaine croissante de la ville d'Héraklion avait besoin d'un nouvel établisse-ment de santé. Grâce aux efforts de la communauté Chrétienne et à un don important du couple Pananos et Athena Theodo...

Dear Colleagues, We are delighted to share another issue (September 2023, Volume 29, Issue 3) of the European Journal of Therapeutics (Eur J Ther). We believe this issue’s valuable and exciting works will be read with interest. As you will notice at first glance, you will see that this issue contains many editorials and letters to the editor, unli...

The mythical bronze creature Talos (Greek: Τάλως) was worshiped initially as the god of light or the sun in the Hellenic Island of Crete. He is supposed to have lived in the peak Kouloukona of the Tallaia Mountains in the Gerontospelio cave. His relation towards bronze and fire and his continuous voyage circling the island of Crete most probably in...

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come to the frontline, paving the way toward a future of operational efficiency. Following the current, cardiac surgery has evolved as well. We live in a world where AI has brought immense progress in almost every aspect of the field, but still, the question remains; will there be a time when robots will replace car...

In coronary artery disease, the presence of Vieussens' arterial ring (VAR), a ring-shaped anastomosis between the conus branch of the right coronary artery with the left anterior descending artery (LAD), will allow blood flow to return to the obstructed coronary system. We have conducted a literature review, aiming to collect all the existing infor...

Dear Colleagues, In the previous editorial paper published by Balat et al. [1] as an Early View Article a few months ago, it was reported that there were changes in the Editorial Team of the European Journal of Therapeutics (Eur J Ther). During these few months, while the preparations for the new issue (June 2023, volume 29, Issue 2) continued, the...

The rich land of Erythrae in the coast of Asia Minor attracted the attention of the Ionian king Codrus. An oracle demanded the presence of the murky deity Hecate for him to conquer the city. Priestess Chrysame was sent by Thessalians to set the strategy of the clash. The young sorceress poisoned a sacred bull who turned mad, later to be released to...

Purpose: To reconsider Alexander the Great's injury in Kyropolis. Methods: Historical sources were compared with modern neurosurgery. Results: Earlier interpretations were focused on the transient blindness Alexander the Great presented after the injury, but according to our point of view we should rather focus on his dysarthria which lasted almost...

Supernumerary kidney (SNK) is a rare congenital anatomical variation usually detected incidentally via imaging. Although a random finding, it may present with hydronephrosis, calculi or malignancy. Both its vascularization and its drainage vary significantly, depending on its location and shape. Riedel’s lobe is a normal, though rare, variant of li...

The purpose of this article is to highlight the history of Hospital Agios Dimitrios, the General Hospital of Thessaloniki. During the early 20th century, many refugees settled in the Greek city of Thessaloniki. To address the growing public health needs of the city's inhabitants, the Greek government established a health agency to offer medical car...

Arabic medicine, or Arab-Islamic, mainly refers to all developments achieved in the Age of Khalifs, or the Golden Age of the Arab-Islamic civilization (ca 7th-14th centuries AD). Arab scholars adopted ancient Greek medicine and soon understood the essence of the fatal disease known as cancer. They introduced various new types of cancer, distinguish...

Jugular foramina are two openings in the base of the skull. Difference in diameter between two sides is noted, while right sided foramen is usually mentioned as the larger one. Rare cases have been reported with an enlarged jugular foramen. We report such a case with a right jugular foramen of a diameter 24mmX13mm. Microsurgery in the near future m...

Cranial vault lesions are rare and may alter skull figure. Among them, osteomas are the most frequent entities found on burial remains. We present a skull (dry bone) which was unearth in the cemetery of Serres city in Northern Greece and was then donated to the Anatomy Department of the Democritus University of Thrace. The specimen presents a tripl...

The persistence of a complete metopic suture in adulthood is called metopism. Numerous studies report wide variations concerning the prevalence of metopic sutures in adult crania. Metopic suture lies to the midline of the forehead and extends from the frontal bone to the root of the nose. However various types of incomplete sutures do exist. A seri...

Backround. John Watson (1807-1863) was the first surgeon in USA who performed and published his results on esophagotomy. Methods. His pioneer surgical work was a gold standard reference for the later surgeons. Results. Watson was a devoted surgeon and his innovative operating techniques secured him a place in the hall of fame of the history of medi...

Introduction. Common hepatic artery is one of the three branches of Haller tripod and gives rise to the left and right hepatic arteries. We describe the case of a 62-year-old woman with the right hepatic artery rising from abdominal aorta, diagnosed incidentally during an abdominal computed tomography angiography. Case report. The common hepatic ar...

In ancient Greece, many textbooks were written in order to provide comprehensive, pioneering, and ingenious guides on the philosophy and medical aspects of sexual behaviour. Unfortunately, only fragments of these texts have survived among the treatises from Greek and Roman antiquity. The aim of this study is to examine these texts and understand th...

Gottlieb Burckhardt was a 19th-century Swiss psychiatrist who introduced the psychosurgical method known as topectomy as a means to relieve the symptoms of aggression and agitation in individuals diagnosed with mental disease. Specifically, he performed topical excision of part of the cerebral cortex on 6 patients with chronic schizophrenia. Most o...

Background: Styloid process (SP) is a needle shaped projection of the temporal bone, which lies in close proximity to several important anatomical structures of the head and neck. It attracts the attention of anatomists, otolaryngologists and head and neck surgeons, as an abnormally long SP is linked with a clinical condition known as Eagle Syndrom...

In ancient Greek literature the adjective toxic (Greek: τoξικόν) derives from the noun τόξo, that is the arc. This noun according to the Liddell – Scott – Jones lexicon had several meanings. Apart from the meaning that someone is able to use a bow or the military department of the archers, the medical context of the term is that a substance has the...

Count Ioannis Antonios Kapodistrias was an important political figure of the 19th century. He was a pioneer in the fight against epidemics and used his medical experience in Italy to protect Greeks from the 1828 plague. As a renowned diplomat and leader, Kapodistrias helped forge the federal state structure of Switzerland and formed the first organ...

Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim known as Paracelsus was a German-Swiss homo universalis, or Renaissance man, whose interests included medicine, chemistry and toxicology. Characterized as a rebellious and great reformer of established medicine of his era, Paracelsus preferred observing nature, over studying ancient texts to find appropriate tre...

Diseases of the ear have been recorded and treated since ancient times. Ex-votos have been offered to heal deafness. Noninvasive treatments have evolved into minor, and later more advanced, surgical techniques to treat head and neck issues. Paul of Aegina (ca 625-690 ad) perfected his medical skills in the School of Alexandria in Egypt. His medical...

This historical epidemiological study evaluates sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among Greek refugees during the Interwar period in the region of Imathia, Central Macedonia, Greece, as a part of the effort against sexually transmitted infections in Greece (1910-1940). We examined the archives of the Refugee Hospital of Veroia - the capital of...

William Cheselden (1688-1752) was a British surgeon and anatomist who was famous for his rapid and skilful techniques. He emphasized learning through dissection and introduced lateral lithotomy as an effective approach for the removal of bladder stones. Medical practitioners throughout Europe adopted his techniques. Cheselden also has been credited...

Introduction The brachiocephalic artery (BCA) is the largest branch that arises from the aortic arch, which varies in length. The present study focuses on BCA length and its probable correlation with height and torso length. Methods The BCA length (from the artery’s origin to the arcus aortae), the length of the torso, and height were measured in 7...

Sharaf al-Dīn (Şerefeddin) Sabuncuoğlu (1385-c.1468) was an innovative surgeon and a prominent illustrator who lived in the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. His medical treatise, Kitāb al-Jarrāhiyyāt al-Khaniyya (Kitâbü’l-Cerrâhiyyetü’l- Hâniyye [Book of Imperial Surgery]; 1465), is the first illustrated surgical textbook written in Turkish....

Background: Amaurosis is the sudden and acute loss of sight. Followers of Hippocrates in ancient Greece described amaurosis as a symptom of several ophthalmological pathologies, such as tumours or trauma. To treat it, surgery often was performed. Methods: The Corpus Hippocraticum, edited by Littré, was thoroughly studied. Results: The Corpus Hippoc...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to present the level of aortic bifurcation in a sample of Greek origin (case series) and to perform an up-to-date systematic review in the existing literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-six formalin-fixed adult cadavers were dissected and studied in order to research the level of aortic bifurcation. Additio...

The choice of Dedeagatch as the place where the station of the Adrianoupolis-Constantinople railway line was to be built was the reason for the foundation of the Greek city of Alexandroupolis (originally under the Ottoman government). The population grew in its early years mainly due to the settlement by railway and construction workers. Meanwhile,...

We study variations of the aortic arch (AA) and its first branches, the branchiocephalic, common carotid, and subclavian arteries. Specifically, we describe anatomical variations of the left subclavian artery (LSA) and their significance in clinical practice. Such variations are commonly associated with congenital anomalies of the right-sided AA (R...

Objective The morphology and quantitative anatomy of the axis vertebra (C2) attracts a lot of attention between anatomists, surgeons and radiologists. However, no report exists in the literature correlating the height of the dens with the length of the femur. Our paper aims to determine such a correlation. Material and methods An examination of fo...

Bone variations are usually a result of abnormal ossification during embryonic life. Separately or in combination, sternal foramina and bifid xiphoid process are well documented skeletal alternations, as well as the median cleft of the posterior arch of the atlas. However, their appearance in combination is not yet celebrated in the literature. Our...

La biochimie au début du 20-ème siècle : les princi-paux contributeurs La biochimie ou la chimie biologique est la science qui étudie tous les processus chimiques qui se déroulent dans l'organisme vivant de l'homme, des animaux, des protozoaires et des plantes. Dans notre article, nous révélons la contribution des scientifiques éminents à ce domain...

Few scientists have contributed as much to medicine and society as Ioannis Kardamatis (1859-1942). Kardamatis was an important historical figure whose vast medical knowledge was recorded in a spectrum of medical publications, including monographs, bibliographic reviews, books, and experimental and statistical studies. IHis studies have been publish...

The supratrochlear artery represents a terminal branch of the ophthalmic artery. Cosmetic interventions may traumatize it, resulting in a circulation in the lesion in glabellar region and in the medial aspect of the forehead. This review article aims to synopsise the existing knowledge of the anatomy of the supratrochlear artery in close correlatio...

The brachial artery is the main artery of the arm and constitutes the continuation of the axillary artery. It gives off two terminal branches, the radial and ulnar arteries. According to the literature, the brachial artery might present a deviation from the normal pattern in 20% of the cases. High bifurcation of the artery seems to be the most comm...

The first description of organized surgical care is given in Homer's epic poem "Iliad'', even though evidence of performing surgical operations can be traced back to the history of ancient civilizations. Machaon (ca. 1300 BC), the son of Asclepius, was described as a skillful and confident therapist, whose lineage ensured a unique training. He live...

Mathieu Jaboulay (1860-1913) was an inventor in vascular and general surgery. He fabricated many new surgical techniques and instruments such as Jaboulay method for vascular sutures, Jaboulay anastomotic button, and Jaboulay amputation, known also as hemipelvectomy. In addition, he was a pioneer in heterologous transplantation and sympathectomy. He...

Stafne bone defect (SBD) or as sometimes called "cavity", is a rare, unilateral, mostly unilocular, asymptomatic bone depression found at the posterior part of the mandible, below the mandibular canal at the level of the molars. It is usually being depicted at plain radiographs as a round-shaped or oval-shaped radiolucency. It is diagnosed in adult...

Hans von Gersdorf was an experienced German battlefield surgeon born in Strasbourg. His book "Feldbuch der Wundartzney" put him in history of medicine's hall of fame, since it introduced new methods of treatment for gunshot wounds and lower limb amputations, all depicted with fine illustrations. Hans Wechtlin, the artist who engraved some of the fi...

Throughout history arsenic had a dual role as an ideal poison and as a remedy. Derived from the Greek word "arsenikón" meaning masculine or valiant, referring to its powerful activity , arsenic was prescribed since antiquity in mixtures and it was applied topically to treat cancer. In the 17 th century, the French physician Pierre Alliot (1610-1685...

The purpose of this study is to summarize the life and work of the French surgeon Jules Pean (1830-1898). Pean made an impact in the history of surgery through his work and especially with his innovative surgical techniques in abdominal surgery and in orthopedics as well as with the invention of numerous surgical instruments. He also made an impact...

Rotated mesiodentes impaction is a rare variant of dental anatomy which may cause a cluster of symptoms damaging nearby structures. Although some recommend a delayed approach, after the end of teeth development, it seems that an immediate surgical removal would be of great benefit for the patients involved. Rotated mesiodentes impaction is a rare v...

Situs inversus totalis has been reported as a rare entity. The detailed knowledge of the human structure and its anatomical variations is of great importance for the daily clinical practice and even more critical in emergency medicine. Such a condition may elude in routine patient evaluation or an urgent interventional procedure, with potentially f...

The Greek surgeon-gynecologist Savvas Georgiadis from Phocaea in Asia Minor had performed in 1897 an innovative surgical operation in a young female patient, reconstructing her vagina. Having been educated both in Greece and France, specialized in gynecology, he became a famous surgeon in the Hellenic Hospital of Smyrna “Agios Charalampos,” where t...

The word “limb” in the article title was misspelled with a “p” at the end. The correct title is: Congenital orthopaedic limb deformities in Corpus Hippocraticum which is also given above.

Born in an island with huge medical tradition in ancient Greece, Praxagoras of Cos became an esteemed medico-philosopher and surgeon. The evolution made by the Hippocratic School of Medicine further boosted his talent and helped him perform surgical operations, which were believed impossible for his era. Praxagoras introduced an innovative surgical...

Case: Osteochondroma is a benign bone tumor usually affecting areas around the knee, pelvis, neck and tibia. This disease rarely affects the talus. A case of a 19-years-old female with anteromedial ankle impingement with 8 years follow-up is reported. Surgery removal was the treatment of choice and histopathology examination revealed a benign soli...

Objective: Gardner's syndrome is a variant of familial adenomatous polyposis, characterized by gastrointestinal polyps, multiple osteomas, and skin and soft tissue lesions. Diagnosis by means of an understanding of its various symptoms is of great importance. Case reposrt: This report presents the case of a 32-year-old man with obvious asymmetry...

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has rapidly evolved, with major applications in the field of medicine. One of the greatest advances leading to 3D bioprinting was the development of biomaterials, cells and supporting components for the fabrication of functional living tissues. Several different methods and techniques of 3D bioprinting are briefly de...

The dorsal wall of the sacrum presents various anatomical variations, while the dorsal bony wall of the sacral canal suffers more. We report a case of a sacrum with a series of variants in the midline due to abnormal ossification and a bizarre aperture on the sagittal plane between the 1st and the 2nd sacral spinous processes. A failure of the ossi...

ARTICLE INFO abstract Introduction: Patella is the largest sesamoid bone of the human body. Despite having an important role in the knee joint movement, it is rather neglected concerning its study. Numerous studies exist for its classification using the posterior articular surface, while for the anterior which is pierced by a series of nutrient for...