Spyros Michaleas | University of Ioannina/Greece (original) (raw)
Papers by Spyros Michaleas
Maedica - A Journal of Clinical Medicine
PubMed, Jun 1, 2022
Mateu Joseph Bonaventura Orfila i Rotger was a prominent Spanish chemist and scholar of the 19th ... more Mateu Joseph Bonaventura Orfila i Rotger was a prominent Spanish chemist and scholar of the 19th century whose experimental work has enormously contributed to the progress of toxicology. Being a pioneer with his research on the effects of toxins and antidotes on live animals, he established basic principles of modern medicine and pharmacology. Orfila improved the accuracy of several chemical techniques such as the Marsh test. He served as an expert and well-known scientific investigator in important legal trials involving alleged poisonings with arsenic and other chemical substances. In 1840, he was asked to investigate the notorious case of Charles Lafarge's death, whose wife had been accused with murder by poisoning his food with arsenic. After four failed chemical analyses, Orfila was finally able to detect arsenic in the victim's body, leading the court to convict Madame Lafarge. Due to his overall contribution to the field, Orfila is considered the father of modern toxicology.
The Journal of Modern Hellenism, May 10, 2019
Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων. Σχολή Φιλοσοφική. Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας. Τομέας Ιστορίας Νεώτερων χρόνων, 2020
Cureus
In medieval Venetian Methoni, the provision of medical care could be roughly divided into two pha... more In medieval Venetian Methoni, the provision of medical care could be roughly divided into two phases. During the first phase, Venice provided medical care solely to the staff, the garrison, and the Venetian citizens residing in Methoni. Medical care to the rest of the population was offered by the solitary orders that had settled in the area after the conquest of Methoni, in the context of charity. In the second phase, when trade with the East and also the pilgrimages to the Holy Places increased, the Senate took over medical care, initially by subsidizing the local monasteries and later, according to a decision made by the Senate of Venice since 1423, by taking over the provision from its own hospital, which was located in the residential area of the castle, dedicated to Saint Johannes the Theologian (Evangelist).
Military Medicine
The rich land of Erythrae in the coast of Asia Minor attracted the attention of the Ionian king C... more 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 toward the camp of Erythraeans. The beast was captured and sacrificed. In the feast that followed, all ate a piece of his flesh and went crazy, stimulated by the poison, an easy prey for the army of Codrus. The deleterium used by Chrysame is unknown, but her strategy shaped the origin of biowarfare.
Cureus
Princess Alexandra of Greece (1870-1891), the eldest daughter of King George I of Greece (1845-19... more Princess Alexandra of Greece (1870-1891), the eldest daughter of King George I of Greece (1845-1913), was known as the "beloved daughter of the Athenians". Her death at the age of 21 in 1891 due to a pregnancy complication caused nationwide grief. To honour her, the Alexandra Maternity Hospital in Athens was named in her memory. Affiliated with the University of Athens, Alexandra Maternity Hospital researches pregnancy and newborn care, including complications and maternal mortality. Today, the hospital contains various clinical and laboratory departments providing patients with exceptional health care.
Cureus
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs (known as pulmonary tuberculo... more Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs (known as pulmonary tuberculosis). Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family of Mycobacteriaceae and the causative agent of tuberculosis; it was discovered by Robert Koch in 1882. From about 1918 to 1939, tuberculosis in Greece was characterized as a social disease because it seemed to spread among the lower social classes, including displaced people living in refugee camps. The battle against tuberculosis involved private initiatives aimed at educating people on hygiene and establishing anti-tuberculosis institutions, such as sanatoria and preventoria.
Le infezioni in medicina, 2021
Not available.
Journal of Religion and Health, 2021
Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim (1493–1541), known as Paracelsus, was a German-Swiss Renaiss... more Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim (1493–1541), known as Paracelsus, was a German-Swiss Renaissance man. His interests included alchemy and medicine. During the early 1500s, he worked as a physician, introducing mineral-based therapies to treat ailments. He is credited with developing the first recipe for laudanum, a powerful opium-based pain medication. He had radical beliefs, claiming that supreme knowledge could be reached by observing nature, not by reading books. He expressed rebellious opinions on religious topics and, though devoted Christian, criticized the Catholic Church, preaching that the spirit of Christianity dwells in the human soul and not within the church walls. Paracelsus’ efforts to “renovate” the expression of the Christian faith by limiting the ritual and augmenting the spirituality among believers are presented.
Erciyes Medical Journal, 2020
Theriac in the Persian Traditional Medicine Theriac is a term referring to medical compounds that... more Theriac in the Persian Traditional Medicine Theriac is a term referring to medical compounds that were originally used by the Greeks from the first century A.D. to the nineteenth century. The term derived from ancient Greek thēr (θήρ), "wild animal". Nicander of Colophon (2 nd century BC) was the earliest known mention of Theriac in his work Alexipharmaka (Αλεξιφάρμακα), "drugs for protection". During the era of King Mithridates VI of Pontus (132-63 BC), the universal antidote was known as mithridatium (μιθριδάτιο or mithridatum or mithridaticum) in acknowledgment of the compound's supposed inventor or at least best-known beneficiary. It contained around forty ingredients, such as opium, saffron, castor, myrrh, cinnamon and ginger. Theriac was not only used as an antidote from poisoning but also for various diseases, such as chronic cough, stomachache, asthma, chest pain, fever, colic, seizures, diarrhea, and retention of urine. The present study aims to collect and discuss the mentions of theriac in Persian medical texts.
Infezioni in Medicina
was one of its most difficult. A deadly airborne pneumonic plague, believed to have originated fr... more was one of its most difficult. A deadly airborne pneumonic plague, believed to have originated from tarbagan marmots, broke out in October 1910 in a northeastern Chinese province commonly known by the exonym Manchuria. The disease had a near 100 percent mortality rate, affecting mainly the lower socioeconomic classes and eventually killing more than 60,000 people over six months. By April 1911, the epidemic was suppressed, in large part due SUMMARY to the efforts of a Western-educated Chinese physician, Wu Lian-Teh. Similar to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Manchurian Plague outbreak highlighted the importance of personal protective equipment, such as face masks, and a quick and efficient international medical response.
Cureus
The purpose of this article is to highlight the history of Hospital Agios Dimitrios, the General ... more 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 care and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics. This initiative resulted in the construction or renovation of various hospitals. The Hospital Agios Dimitrios in Thessaloniki was completed in 1903. Its innovative architecture includes kiosks and wards designed to provide better ventilation and prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.
Acta medico-historica Adriatica, 2021
From the mid-18th century to the mid-20th century, Greek doctors in Smyrna collaborated with phar... more From the mid-18th century to the mid-20th century, Greek doctors in Smyrna collaborated with pharmacists, churches, and the city’s Greek Orthodox community to create a state of-the-art health network and charitable foundation to serve physical and mental health needs of the local community. At Graekikon Nosokomion o Agios Haralampos (Greek Saint Charalampos Hospital), or the Greek Hospital, every citizen, regardless of origin, language, religion, or economic status, had access to the most appropriate medical and pharmaceutical care. Neighborhood pharmacists complemented this care by administering vaccinations and preparing medicines. Smyrna’s pivotal influence on the Greek medical community ended in August 1922, when the Greek Hospital was destroyed during the Catastrophe of Smyrna.
Acta medica academica, 2020
OBJECTIVE This historical epidemiological study aims to investigate ocular conditions in Greek re... more OBJECTIVE This historical epidemiological study aims to investigate ocular conditions in Greek refugees during the Interwar period (1926-1940) in the region of Imathia, Greece. MATERIALS AND METHODS The archival material encompasses 15,921 patients who were admitted to the Refugee Hospital of Veria, Imathia, Greece. Descriptive statistics were estimated. RESULTS Twenty-two cases of ocular conditions were identified. Ten patients had anterior segment conditions, such as keratitis, blepharoconjunctivitis, conjunctivitis, epithelioma, leukoma and an operated cataract. Another patient was diagnosed with ocular trachoma. Four patients presented sympathetic ophthalmia; two additional patients suffered from ophthalmia due to syphilis. One patient was diagnosed with ocular malaria. Four cases of ocular traumas were recorded, among which an ocular burn due to gunpowder, a motorcycle accident leading to a retro-ocular hematoma, and a kick in the eye resulting in ocular trauma were notable. CO...
Maedica - A Journal of Clinical Medicine
PubMed, Jun 1, 2022
Mateu Joseph Bonaventura Orfila i Rotger was a prominent Spanish chemist and scholar of the 19th ... more Mateu Joseph Bonaventura Orfila i Rotger was a prominent Spanish chemist and scholar of the 19th century whose experimental work has enormously contributed to the progress of toxicology. Being a pioneer with his research on the effects of toxins and antidotes on live animals, he established basic principles of modern medicine and pharmacology. Orfila improved the accuracy of several chemical techniques such as the Marsh test. He served as an expert and well-known scientific investigator in important legal trials involving alleged poisonings with arsenic and other chemical substances. In 1840, he was asked to investigate the notorious case of Charles Lafarge's death, whose wife had been accused with murder by poisoning his food with arsenic. After four failed chemical analyses, Orfila was finally able to detect arsenic in the victim's body, leading the court to convict Madame Lafarge. Due to his overall contribution to the field, Orfila is considered the father of modern toxicology.
The Journal of Modern Hellenism, May 10, 2019
Πανεπιστήμιο Ιωαννίνων. Σχολή Φιλοσοφική. Τμήμα Ιστορίας και Αρχαιολογίας. Τομέας Ιστορίας Νεώτερων χρόνων, 2020
Cureus
In medieval Venetian Methoni, the provision of medical care could be roughly divided into two pha... more In medieval Venetian Methoni, the provision of medical care could be roughly divided into two phases. During the first phase, Venice provided medical care solely to the staff, the garrison, and the Venetian citizens residing in Methoni. Medical care to the rest of the population was offered by the solitary orders that had settled in the area after the conquest of Methoni, in the context of charity. In the second phase, when trade with the East and also the pilgrimages to the Holy Places increased, the Senate took over medical care, initially by subsidizing the local monasteries and later, according to a decision made by the Senate of Venice since 1423, by taking over the provision from its own hospital, which was located in the residential area of the castle, dedicated to Saint Johannes the Theologian (Evangelist).
Military Medicine
The rich land of Erythrae in the coast of Asia Minor attracted the attention of the Ionian king C... more 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 toward the camp of Erythraeans. The beast was captured and sacrificed. In the feast that followed, all ate a piece of his flesh and went crazy, stimulated by the poison, an easy prey for the army of Codrus. The deleterium used by Chrysame is unknown, but her strategy shaped the origin of biowarfare.
Cureus
Princess Alexandra of Greece (1870-1891), the eldest daughter of King George I of Greece (1845-19... more Princess Alexandra of Greece (1870-1891), the eldest daughter of King George I of Greece (1845-1913), was known as the "beloved daughter of the Athenians". Her death at the age of 21 in 1891 due to a pregnancy complication caused nationwide grief. To honour her, the Alexandra Maternity Hospital in Athens was named in her memory. Affiliated with the University of Athens, Alexandra Maternity Hospital researches pregnancy and newborn care, including complications and maternal mortality. Today, the hospital contains various clinical and laboratory departments providing patients with exceptional health care.
Cureus
Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs (known as pulmonary tuberculo... more Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that mainly affects the lungs (known as pulmonary tuberculosis). Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family of Mycobacteriaceae and the causative agent of tuberculosis; it was discovered by Robert Koch in 1882. From about 1918 to 1939, tuberculosis in Greece was characterized as a social disease because it seemed to spread among the lower social classes, including displaced people living in refugee camps. The battle against tuberculosis involved private initiatives aimed at educating people on hygiene and establishing anti-tuberculosis institutions, such as sanatoria and preventoria.
Le infezioni in medicina, 2021
Not available.
Journal of Religion and Health, 2021
Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim (1493–1541), known as Paracelsus, was a German-Swiss Renaiss... more Theophrastus Bombastus Von Hohenheim (1493–1541), known as Paracelsus, was a German-Swiss Renaissance man. His interests included alchemy and medicine. During the early 1500s, he worked as a physician, introducing mineral-based therapies to treat ailments. He is credited with developing the first recipe for laudanum, a powerful opium-based pain medication. He had radical beliefs, claiming that supreme knowledge could be reached by observing nature, not by reading books. He expressed rebellious opinions on religious topics and, though devoted Christian, criticized the Catholic Church, preaching that the spirit of Christianity dwells in the human soul and not within the church walls. Paracelsus’ efforts to “renovate” the expression of the Christian faith by limiting the ritual and augmenting the spirituality among believers are presented.
Erciyes Medical Journal, 2020
Theriac in the Persian Traditional Medicine Theriac is a term referring to medical compounds that... more Theriac in the Persian Traditional Medicine Theriac is a term referring to medical compounds that were originally used by the Greeks from the first century A.D. to the nineteenth century. The term derived from ancient Greek thēr (θήρ), "wild animal". Nicander of Colophon (2 nd century BC) was the earliest known mention of Theriac in his work Alexipharmaka (Αλεξιφάρμακα), "drugs for protection". During the era of King Mithridates VI of Pontus (132-63 BC), the universal antidote was known as mithridatium (μιθριδάτιο or mithridatum or mithridaticum) in acknowledgment of the compound's supposed inventor or at least best-known beneficiary. It contained around forty ingredients, such as opium, saffron, castor, myrrh, cinnamon and ginger. Theriac was not only used as an antidote from poisoning but also for various diseases, such as chronic cough, stomachache, asthma, chest pain, fever, colic, seizures, diarrhea, and retention of urine. The present study aims to collect and discuss the mentions of theriac in Persian medical texts.
Infezioni in Medicina
was one of its most difficult. A deadly airborne pneumonic plague, believed to have originated fr... more was one of its most difficult. A deadly airborne pneumonic plague, believed to have originated from tarbagan marmots, broke out in October 1910 in a northeastern Chinese province commonly known by the exonym Manchuria. The disease had a near 100 percent mortality rate, affecting mainly the lower socioeconomic classes and eventually killing more than 60,000 people over six months. By April 1911, the epidemic was suppressed, in large part due SUMMARY to the efforts of a Western-educated Chinese physician, Wu Lian-Teh. Similar to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the Great Manchurian Plague outbreak highlighted the importance of personal protective equipment, such as face masks, and a quick and efficient international medical response.
Cureus
The purpose of this article is to highlight the history of Hospital Agios Dimitrios, the General ... more 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 care and respond to infectious disease outbreaks and epidemics. This initiative resulted in the construction or renovation of various hospitals. The Hospital Agios Dimitrios in Thessaloniki was completed in 1903. Its innovative architecture includes kiosks and wards designed to provide better ventilation and prevent the transmission of infectious diseases.
Acta medico-historica Adriatica, 2021
From the mid-18th century to the mid-20th century, Greek doctors in Smyrna collaborated with phar... more From the mid-18th century to the mid-20th century, Greek doctors in Smyrna collaborated with pharmacists, churches, and the city’s Greek Orthodox community to create a state of-the-art health network and charitable foundation to serve physical and mental health needs of the local community. At Graekikon Nosokomion o Agios Haralampos (Greek Saint Charalampos Hospital), or the Greek Hospital, every citizen, regardless of origin, language, religion, or economic status, had access to the most appropriate medical and pharmaceutical care. Neighborhood pharmacists complemented this care by administering vaccinations and preparing medicines. Smyrna’s pivotal influence on the Greek medical community ended in August 1922, when the Greek Hospital was destroyed during the Catastrophe of Smyrna.
Acta medica academica, 2020
OBJECTIVE This historical epidemiological study aims to investigate ocular conditions in Greek re... more OBJECTIVE This historical epidemiological study aims to investigate ocular conditions in Greek refugees during the Interwar period (1926-1940) in the region of Imathia, Greece. MATERIALS AND METHODS The archival material encompasses 15,921 patients who were admitted to the Refugee Hospital of Veria, Imathia, Greece. Descriptive statistics were estimated. RESULTS Twenty-two cases of ocular conditions were identified. Ten patients had anterior segment conditions, such as keratitis, blepharoconjunctivitis, conjunctivitis, epithelioma, leukoma and an operated cataract. Another patient was diagnosed with ocular trachoma. Four patients presented sympathetic ophthalmia; two additional patients suffered from ophthalmia due to syphilis. One patient was diagnosed with ocular malaria. Four cases of ocular traumas were recorded, among which an ocular burn due to gunpowder, a motorcycle accident leading to a retro-ocular hematoma, and a kick in the eye resulting in ocular trauma were notable. CO...