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Rheumatism: Its history from paleo-pathology to the advent of experimental science
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism ] (2015) ]]]–]]]
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/semarthrit
Rheumatism: Its history from paleo-pathology to the advent of experimental science Thomas G. Benedek, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, 2015 The author has packed, into about 150 pages, the history of rheumatology from its origins, through the mid-19th century, to present concepts on uric acid and gout. Consistent with his prior publications, the information is carefully referenced and presented in exquisite detail. Although there are no figures, each chapter is followed by a table that lists chronologically the authors referenced, their location, and inclusive dates. There are 5 chapters, dividing the history of rheumatology by periods of time. Each chapter is subdivided into sections that emphasize a contributor or conceptual contribution. Within each chapter, the author cross-references topics that overlap other eras. The origins of the terminology, such as “arthritis” and “rheumatism,” are clearly defined. The text documents gout as nearly the only rheumatic
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.semarthrit.2015.10.005
disease in the ancient literature. The transition from the concepts of “rheumatism” a member of the 4 bodily humors was slow. The text documents the transition and introduction of modern day science in the past few centuries. The author brings us to our present state of knowledge, particularly in gout and uric acid. Many passages contain subtle humor. Being a student of the history of rheumatology, I enjoyed the detail and documentation. Some of my ideas were changed, for example, the historical role and toxicity of colchicine in arthritis and gout. The author has tried to bring clarity to a confusing and diverse literature that by today’s standards was simplistic. My major question after reading the text was about how our present state of knowledge, that we consider real and logical, will be viewed in the future.
Roy D. Altman, MD E-mail address: [email protected]
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/semarthrit
Rheumatism: Its history from paleo-pathology to the advent of experimental science Thomas G. Benedek, Nova Science Publishers, Inc., New York, 2015 The author has packed, into about 150 pages, the history of rheumatology from its origins, through the mid-19th century, to present concepts on uric acid and gout. Consistent with his prior publications, the information is carefully referenced and presented in exquisite detail. Although there are no figures, each chapter is followed by a table that lists chronologically the authors referenced, their location, and inclusive dates. There are 5 chapters, dividing the history of rheumatology by periods of time. Each chapter is subdivided into sections that emphasize a contributor or conceptual contribution. Within each chapter, the author cross-references topics that overlap other eras. The origins of the terminology, such as “arthritis” and “rheumatism,” are clearly defined. The text documents gout as nearly the only rheumatic
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.semarthrit.2015.10.005
disease in the ancient literature. The transition from the concepts of “rheumatism” a member of the 4 bodily humors was slow. The text documents the transition and introduction of modern day science in the past few centuries. The author brings us to our present state of knowledge, particularly in gout and uric acid. Many passages contain subtle humor. Being a student of the history of rheumatology, I enjoyed the detail and documentation. Some of my ideas were changed, for example, the historical role and toxicity of colchicine in arthritis and gout. The author has tried to bring clarity to a confusing and diverse literature that by today’s standards was simplistic. My major question after reading the text was about how our present state of knowledge, that we consider real and logical, will be viewed in the future.
Roy D. Altman, MD E-mail address: [email protected]