title: Dante and cardiology: Physiopathology and clinical features of cardiovascular diseases in the Middle Ages.
abstract: Ancient non-medical texts can unexpectedly provide useful information on the development of knowledge about the heart and its diseases throughout history. The 750th anniversary of the birth of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) provides a timely opportunity to analyze medical references in his works, in particular, focusing on literary descriptions that may be attributed to cardiovascular disorders. Dante's high level of medical knowledge, probably derived from his academic studies, is testified by his affiliation to the Florentine Guild of physicians and pharmacists. In all his works, the poet shows a deep interest for the heart. However, his anatomical and physiological knowledge of the circulatory system appears to be poor, probably due to it being based on theories and concepts brought forth by Aristotle and Galen, which were taught in medieval universities. Despite this, accurate descriptions of some symptoms (emotional syncope, orthopnea, dyspnea on exertion) and signs (ascites, paleness), which may be attributed to cardiovascular disorders, can be easily found in Dante's works, particularly in his masterpiece, the Divine Comedy. The literary and historical analysis of cardiovascular signs and symptoms allows us to assume that clinical features due to alterations of heart function were probably known by medieval physicians, but their etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms were not completely understood in that period. Historians of cardiology and clinicians should consider analysis of non-medical texts (including poetry) as an opportunity to better investigate the evolution of their discipline throughout the ages.
authors.affiliation: Section of History of Medicine, Research Center on Public Health, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy. Electronic address: michele.riva@unimib.it.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.affiliation: Section of History of Medicine, Research Center on Public Health, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cambioli
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castagna
authors.affiliation: University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cianci
authors.affiliation: Cardiology IV, Cardiovascular "A. De Gasperis" Department, Niguarda Ca' Granda, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Varrenti
authors.affiliation: Cardiology IV, Cardiovascular "A. De Gasperis" Department, Niguarda Ca' Granda, Milan, Italy; Department of Health Science, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giannattasio
authors.affiliation: Section of History of Medicine, Research Center on Public Health, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cesana
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology / Q000266:history*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000266:history* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005197:Famous Persons; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008513:Medicine in Literature; D011037:Poetry as Topic / Q000266:history*
keywords: Cardiovascular diseases; Dante; History; Middle Ages; Syncope