Diabetes and the “Natural Faculties'” in the Galenic treatises

Niki Papavramidou, Helen Christopoulou-Aletra

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The term diabetes first appears in a text by Aretaeus to describe a disease of the kidneys. Galen is likely to have borrowed this term from Aretaeus also to describe the same disorder, though in a manner somewhat uncharacteristic of his writings. Taken as a whole, only a few mentions may be found in the Galenic writings …

The Pineal Gland and its earliest physiological description

Konstantinos Laios

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Dear Editor, The earliest physiological description of the Pineal (Latin: pinea = pinecone) Gland (also occasionally “conarium”, from the Greek: κωνάριο = κώνος = cone, pinecone) is found in two medical works written by Galen (2nd c. AD) (Figure 1). These works contain its anatomical description …