Dermatology in Ancient Rome: Medical ingredients in Ovid's "Remedies for female faces".

BACKGROUND: In Roman medicine, face packs, plasters, unguents, and peelings were part of the therapy of dermatological diseases, but also served cosmetic purposes. Ancient medical textbooks inform us about the ingredients for these applications. Beyond medical literature, other genres contain information about dermatological applications. The Roman poet Ovid (43 BC-17 AD) wrote a didactic poem recording five recipes for topical applications for female faces (Medicamina faciei femineae). Researchers debate the relation of Ovid's poem to Roman medicine: Does the poem contain therapeutical or cosmetical information, or is it mere belles lettres? AIMS: The objective of the paper is to conduct a medico-historical classification of Ovid's poem by determining whether the ingredients of Ovid's recipes were thought to be effective by the authors of Roman medical textbooks. METHODS: First, translation and identification of the ingredients were carried out. Second, comparison of the ingredients' functions regarding the therapy of dermatological diseases in two important Roman medical textbooks was realized. For this purpose, several commentaries on the text of Ovid were used and a keyword search in Roman medical textbooks was performed. RESULTS: Ovid's five recipes contain 23 ingredients. All ingredients can be found in medical textbooks. We find that 14 of these ingredients serve cosmetic purposes, 17 serve the therapy of dermatological diseases, and 13 serve both. CONCLUSION: Ovid's recipes contain drugs that were considered effective by the authors of Roman medical textbooks. These drugs were recommended both for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes by the same authors. Therefore, Ovid's didactic poem is not mere belles lettres, but contains serious medical and cosmetical information. As far as we know, it is the first Roman text that contains dermatological recipes.

Evolución histórica de la higiene corporal: desde la edad antigua a las sociedades modernas actuales / Evolução histórica da higiene pessoal: desde os tempos antigos para as sociedades modernas actuáis / Historical evolution of body hygiene: from ancient to modern modern societies

El objetivo general del estudio es estudiar la evolución de la higiene corporal de forma holística desde la edad antigua a la actualidad. Como objetivos específicos nos planteamos: 1-describir las consecuencias para la salud de las tendencias en higiene corporal de las sociedades modernas; 2- describir el rol de la enfermería moderna en los cuidados higiénicos corporales. Metodología y fuentes: se realizó una revisión integradora en las bases de datos Medline/Pubmed, Scielo, y Lilacs y búsqueda inversa de documentación, obteniendo un total de 30 trabajos. Los hábitos cotidianos de higiene corporal han sufrido importantes variaciones a lo largo de la historia. En la antigua Grecia y Roma el baño adquiría expresión social y de ocio además de terapéutica, incluso su raíz etimológica deriva de la Diosa griega de la salud ‘Hygieia’. En la época medieval la higiene corporal sólo merecía una importancia estética relacionando la enfermedad con la pobredumbre del aire, al igual que en el renacimiento donde además surge la fantasmagoría en torno al baño. Con el siglo XIX y los avances en microbiología surge el movimiento higienista enriqueciendo además a la higiene como concepto. Actualmente las sociedades desarrolladas alcanzan elevados niveles de higiene corporal donde recientes investigaciones señalan que pueden ser contraproducentes para la salud, replanteándose cuáles son los mejores hábitos de higiene corporal basados en la evidencia científica (AU)

The general aim of inquiry is to study the evolution of corporal hygiene holistically from ancient times to the present. As specific aims we considered: 1-to describe the health consequences of trends in corporal hygiene of modern societies; 2- to describe the role of modern nursing in corporal hygiene care. Methodology and sources: an integrative review was conducted in Medline / Pubmed, Scielo and Lilacs data and a documentation Reverse Search, obtaining a total of 30 jobs. Daily personal hygiene habits have changed considerably throughout history. In ancient Greece and Rome the bathroom acquired social expression and entertainment in addition to therapeutic, and its etymological root is derived from the Greek goddess of health ‘Hygieia’. In medieval times personal hygiene deserved only an aesthetic importance linking the disease with pobredumbre air, as in the Renaissance where the phantasmagoria around the bathroom also arises. In the nineteenth century, and advances in microbiology, the hygienist movement emerged also enriching hygiene as a concept. Currently developed societies achieve high levels of personal hygiene which recent research suggests that may be counterproductive to health, reconsidering what the best personal hygiene habits based on scientific evidence (AU)

O objetivo geral da pesquisa é estudar a evolução da higiene pessoal de forma holística desde os tempos antigos até o presente. Como objetivos específicos podemos definir: 1-descrever as consequências para a saúde de tendências da higiene pessoal das sociedades modernas; 2- descrever o papel da enfermagem moderna no cuidado de higiene corporal. Metodologia e as fontes: uma revisão integrativa em bases de dados Medline/ Pubmed, Scielo e Lilacs foi realizada, e uma pesquisa inversa de documentação, obtendo um total de 30 postos de trabalho. Diários hábitos de higiene pessoal mudaram consideravelmente ao longo da história. Na Grécia e Roma antigas banheiro adquiriu expressão social e de entretenimento, além de terapêutica, e sua raiz etimológica é derivado da deusa grega da saúde ‘Hygieia’. Nos tempos medievais higiene pessoal merecia única uma importância estética que liga a doença com ar pobredumbre, como no Renascimento, onde a fantasmagoria em torno do banheiro também surge. No século XIX, e avanços em microbiologia, o movimento higienista surge também o enriquecimento de higiene como um conceito. Sociedades desenvolvidas atualmente alcançar altos níveis de higiene pessoal que pesquisas recentes sugerem que pode ser contraproducente para a saúde, reconsiderando o que os melhores hábitos de higiene pessoal, baseada em evidências científicas (AU)

[History and care of malignant wounds in breast cancer]. / Histoire et soins des plaies tumorales liées au cancer du sein.

The first descriptions of ulcerated breast cancer date back to ancient Egypt. From the Greek and Roman periods to the Renaissance, fungating wounds were described, excised, cauterized and necrotized using various techniques and unguents. The foundations of some of the therapeutic strategies we still use today were developed.Today the management of inoperable malignant wounds that are not amenable to anti-cancer treatment remains complex and the symptoms are difficult to control.

Cosmetics, categories, and the future.

Cosmetics is an interesting unregulated category of over-the-counter products designed to enhance appearance and skin health. The coloring agents used in cosmetics are regulated along with their preservative constituents. New understandings of skin physiology have allowed cosmetics to advance beyond appearance issues into the functional arena. Cosmeceuticals is an unrecognized term from a regulatory perspective that conveys the new cosmetic formulations ability to improve skin health.

Rash remarks and practical points.

A letter in the BJN 100 years ago highlighted an interesting nursing point with regard to speaking in front of patients without thinking about their feelings.

An 18th century account of the treatment of burns and acute wounds that is still relevant today.

In 1766, a French physician wrote a treatise on wound management. Despite the lack of knowledge on physiology of wound healing and causes of infection, much of the clinical advice given in the text still holds true today.

Five millennia of wound care products--what is new? A literature review.

The first wound an wound treatments were described five millennia ago. Since then, various principles of wound care have been passed on from generation to generation. In contrast to large numbers of general technological inventions over the last 100 years, progress beyond ancient wound care practices is a recent phenomenon. It is essential to know the historical aspects of wound treatment (both successes and failures) in order to continue this progress and provide future direction. A survey of the literature shows that concepts such as "laudable pus" persisted for hundreds of years and that lasting discoveries and meaningful progress did not occur until grand-scale manufacturing and marketing started. Landmarks such as understanding the principles of asepsis/antisepsis, fundamental cellular research findings, knowledge about antibiotics/antimicrobials, moist wound healing, and the chemical and physical processes of wound healing have provided the foundation to guide major developments in wound management, including available evidence-based guidelines. Although research regarding interaction of basic wound management principles remains limited, the combined efforts of global research and clinical groups predict a bright future for improved wound management.

An 18th century account of leg ulcer care that speaks to us today.

In 1766, a French physician proposed a protocol of care for patients with leg ulcers that anticipates much modern thinking on this topic. So, has our understanding increased as much as we think or is there still much to learn and do?

Early attempts at sterilization: BJN 100 years ago.

The cleanliness of the skin for operations was a big issue 100 years ago, and it is fascinating to read different accounts of how surgeons tackled the problem and came up with their solutions. Mr Stretton, a senior surgeon to the Kidderminster Infirmary and Children's Hospital, writing in the BJN at the time, said:

Dermatology and skin disease in the American Civil War.

The Civil War happened at the end of the medical dark ages or, conversely, at the beginning of the modern medical era. The story of how physicians and nurses of the time approached a number of cutaneous diseases of importance in the military context is related. Entities discussed include the army itch/camp itch phenomenon, sexually transmitted diseases, scurvy and nutritional disorders, smallpox and spurious vaccination, and hospital gangrene.