Early history and iconography of lupus erythematosus.
In analyzing the history of a certain disease, not only must the particular disease be investigated, but related pathological conditions that exist in a population at a given time must also be addressed. Also, the prevalence of other diseases should be explored, which may have a bearing on the problem under discussion. The history of medicine can help in this respect, revealing the circumstances or the environment when certain diseases (dis)appeared. Terminology must also be explored, and is the point with which we will begin. With regard to lupus, this again is the case (Latin for wolf; lykos ___ in Greek). Taboo and fantasy border semantics because in the naming of the wolf, the image of "tearing apart" or "pulling or ripping off" (a destructive phenomenon) comes into play. Even the Sanskrit word allows such a relation (v_ik, varkate, v_íkah [symbols: see text]). As a consequence, processes of various origin but characterized by ulceration or necrosis (neoplastic, infectious, traumatic, etc), were labeled lupus before the mid-19th century, and no specific pathogenesis was implied. This resulted in considerable confusion, as the books of Willan, Alibert, Cazenave, Schedeland, Hebra, and others prove. We see no purpose in delving further into the history of ulcerative lesions and what was understood early on to be their presumed cause, eg, back to Paracelsus and to the Old Testament ("shekhin" [see text] Hebrew, meaning "ulcer"); or, "cancer," another such descriptive term relating to destruction, taken from the Greek).
Fatovic-Ferencic
Stella
S
Institute for the History of Medicine, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Zagreb, Croatia. stella@hazu.hr
Holubar
Karl
K
D003880:Dermatology / Q000266:history; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008178:Lupus Erythematosus, Cutaneous / Q000266:history* / Q000473:pathology; D008177:Lupus Vulgaris / Q000266:history