Valentin Magnan and Sergey Korsakov: French and Russian pioneers in the study of alcohol abuse

This study focuses on two outstanding psychiatrists: the Frenchman Valentin Magnan (1835–1916) and the Russian Sergey Korsakov (1854–1900). Their international renown is primarily associated with their investigations into health consequences of alcohol consumption; they were pioneers in this field, and happened to know each other well. The similarities and differences are shown in social and scientific approaches adopted by these two scientists. In his work, Magnan focused mainly on absinthe and epilepsy; he considered alcoholism to be a hereditary mental disorder. Korsakov, after a period of work in Paris under Magnan’s guidance, represented a more modern generation and was advancing fundamental ideas on the nature of psychoses and merging clinical features, somatic, psychological, and social factors. Although Magnan has practically disappeared from the current literature on alcoholism, Korsakov is still clearly present today.     

YOUNG MAN M

This article focuses on the case of young man M, who had planned to assassinate the Governor-General of Finland in 1878. The Physician-in-Chief Thiodolf Saelan conducted a psychiatric assessment on M’s mental state and concluded that M suffered from moral insanity. Saelan backed up his argument with cases of political violence in Europe and in the United States that Finnish newspapers had reported with great detail. I argue that Saelan had specific aims in presenting M’s case to the public, and the main aim was to defend the category of diminished responsibility in criminal law. He stressed the role of psychiatric expertise in evaluating responsibility. Saelan’s arguments were a success, as the category of diminished responsibility was included in the Criminal Code of Finland (39/1889).     

The Experiments of Ramón M. Termeyer SJ on the Electric Eel in the River Plate Region (c. 1760) and other Early Accounts of Electrophorus electricus

Dr. Haakon Sæthre was a leader of Norwegian neurology and psychiatry. He was resourceful, compassionate and had immense pride in his independent homeland. He described Sæthre-Chotzen syndrome (acrocephalosyndactyly type III). When Nazi Germany occupied Norway during World War II, Sæthre fearlessly and actively resisted, from revoking his medical association membership, to hiding persecuted Jews as patients in his psychiatric ward and aiding in their escape to Sweden, to managing the largest “illegal” food warehouse in Oslo with Danish humanitarian aid. As a prominent and noticeable citizen, he was arrested and executed by the Nazis in reprisal for the resistance's assassination of a hated Norwegian Nazi. His legacy lives on in Norway, where he was honored by a scholarship fund, a portrait and multiple plaques at Ullevål Hospital, and a street and memorial statue in his hometown. He was a hero and should be remembered by all who practice neurology.     

Vincenzo Neri and His Legacy in Paris and Bologna

Italian neurologist Vincenzo Neri was able to discover cinematography at the beginning of his career, when in 1908 he went to Paris to learn and improve his clinical background by following neurological cases at La Pitié with Joseph Babinski, who became his teacher and friend. While in Paris, Neri photographed and filmed several patients of famous neurologists, such as Babinski and Pierre Marie. His stills were published in several important French neurological journals and medical texts. He also collaborated with Georges Mendel, who helped Doyen film the first known surgical operation in the history of cinema. In 1910, when he came back to Bologna, he continued in his clinical activities and, for 50 years, slowly developed a huge archive of films, images, and prints of neurological, psychiatric, and orthopedic cases. This archive was extremely helpful to Neri, who especially needed to analyze neurological disorders and to differentiate them from functional conditions in order to understand clinical signs, rules, and mechanisms.     

Sacred space and the art of its representation in the ethnic culture of Northern Asia: artifacts of Sakhalin

The article discusses the sacredness of art which refl ects the natural, vital needs of the indigenous people of Sakhalin Island. The article examines material artifacts including the Rukutama staff made of deer antler found in the Uilta air burial in the Rukutama River area (Poronai Region, Sakhalin Province), pottery dated to the 8th–13th centuries AD discovered in the Poronai and Korsakov Regions, as well as “verbal artifacts” preserved in language and myth. Ethnological data, collected by the author over 20 years of expeditions conducted in the Sakhalin Province is compared with artifacts from the museums of the Sakhalin Province, St. Petersburg, Osaka, and Hokkaido. The Tungus-Manchu dictionaries are widely used as an auxiliary source. A detailed analysis of the main themes of the Uilta sacred world including a ritual relationship to the fi re, dog, bear, and Kori bird is provided. The perception of space transmitted through the visual arts reveals the multifaceted nature of the perception and relationship to space among the ethnic culture of the Uilta people of Sakhalin Island and other Tungus-Manchu communities of the mainland: the Nanai, Ulchi, Negidals, and Orochi. Numerous similarities in the worldview of the Uilta people and the Evenki suggest their common origin.     

Front and Back Covers,Volume 36, Number 2. April 2020

Front and back cover caption, volume 36 issue 2 Front cover CRISIS IN VENEZUELA Shop owner Alejandro Malek shows hundreds of banknotes that he has accepted from customers who buy their daily groceries in his small supermarket near the border between Venezuela and Brazil. He also accepts Brazilian reals, US dollars and gold. Malek is a migrant himself and arrived almost 30 years ago in the country. He poses for the picture with packs of bolivares soberanos to express his love for Venezuela. Big packs of banknotes to purchase basic goods have become normal for many Venezuelans since hyperinflation reached mind-boggling levels. Basic goods, such as toilet paper and cornflour, are unavailable or simply unaffordable for more than 90 per cent of the population. Since 2015, the economy has been in free fall and Venezuelans look for countless means to survive. In times of crisis, people seek to make ends meet by joining the informal economy outside the official structures. The thriving local emergency economy of banknotes, gold, food, petrol and medicine in Venezuela ties into illegal transnational networks which commercialize natural resources, people, drugs and weapons that stretch far beyond the Latin American region. In this issue, Eva van Roekel and Marjo de Theije suggest an anthropology of abundance to study the illicit manifestations and everyday ideals of wealth that accompany social and environmental crises in resource-rich countries like Venezuela. Back cover THE SHAMAN VS PUTIN In spring 2019, Aleksandr Gabyshev, a Sakha (Yakut) shaman, embarked on an 8,000 km trek from Yakutsk to Moscow. His stated goal was to ‘expel demon-Putin’ (izgnat' Putina-demona) from the Kremlin and thus liberate the people of Russia. Drawing a cart with supplies and necessities, he slowly progressed along Siberian highways, camping on roadsides along the way. While initially his journey attracted little attention beyond local cybernauts, by the end of the summer, word of Gabyshev's campaign had spread far and wide. Around a dozen people (his ‘squad’) joined his trek, while many more stopped him along the way to chat, take a picture, express support and offer supplies. On 19 September, Gabyshev's trek came to a halt almost 3,000 km in. He was arrested by the authorities in the Republic of Buryatia, as he and his ‘squad’ were approaching Irkutskaya Oblast. The shaman was flown back to Yakutsk where he underwent a psychiatric examination. He is facing charges on account of ‘calls to extremism’ and was put under travel restrictions for several months. He attempted another short-lived, unsuccessful trek in December 2019, again stopped by the authorities. Recently, Gabyshev announced that he would continue the trek in spring 2020 and reach Moscow in 2021, expressing confidence in the impending success of his undertaking. In this issue, Kristina Jonutyte shows how this shaman's campaign has attracted a lot of attention within Russia, especially on the Internet and social media. Many have expressed their interest in and support for the campaign, while at the same time ‘distancing’ the shaman in time and space, as well as along the lines of ‘rationality’.     

遵义乡贤宦泽民述略

宦泽民第遵义名门、沙滩文化重要的学者宦懋庸之孙。从晚清留学日本,投身辛亥革命,参加护国运动,桑梓从教十余年。一生勇于奉献,尽职尽责,算得上是贵州一位有作为的乡贤,值得后世效法。     

Magnus Gustaf Blix (1849-1904); neurophysiological, physiological, and engineering virtuoso

This paper was written to honour the 150th anniversary of the birth of Magnus Gustaf Blix. Blix belongs to the small group of 19th century physiologic neuroscientists who still regularly are cited, on account of having presented fundamental results. He contributed to three fields: somatic sensation, and visual and muscular function. He was the first to publish evidence regarding modality specific receptors in the skin. He extended the work of Hermann von Helmholtz on the optical properties of the anterior ocular chamber of living humans, after having constructed the necessary apparatus. He also measured the heat production of contracting muscles. For this purpose he constructed the apparatus that provided a start for A. V. Hill's Nobel Prize-winning work in the field. He showed for the first time that the power of muscle contractions depended on the length/extension of the muscle fibres. He worked on the possibility of muscle powered human aviation. For this purpose he constructed a bicycle dynamometer for measuring the maximal human power output. He was the vice-chancellor of Lund university when he died from an acute disease in 1904 at the age of only 55 years.     

Magnus Gustaf Blix (1849-1904); Neurophysiological,Physiological, and Engineering Virtuoso

This paper was written to honour the 150th anniversary of the birth of Magnus Gustaf Blix. Blix belongs to the small group of 19th century physiologic neuroscientists who still regularly are cited, on account of having presented fundamental results. He contributed to three fields: somatic sensation, and visual and muscular function. He was the first to publish evidence regarding modality specific receptors in the skin. He extended the work of Hermann von Helmholtz on the optical properties of the anterior ocular chamber of living humans, after having constructed the necessary apparatus. He also measured the heat production of contracting muscles. For this purpose he constructed the apparatus that provided a start for A. V. Hill’s Nobel Prize-winning work in the field. He showed for the first time that the power of muscle contractions depended on the length/extension of the muscle fibres. He worked on the possibility of muscle powered human aviation. For this purpose he constructed a bicycle dynamometer for measuring the maximal human power output. He was the vice-chancellor of Lund university when he died from an acute disease in 1904 at the age of only 55 years.     

天人合一述论

邹衍第一次把天人合一变成了系统的学说。从天地的形成谈起,融阴阳与五行为一体,用五行生克、阴阳消长和五德转移的理论解释一年四季的诸多变化和历史演进的规律,并进而规范人类、特别是王者的行为,是邹衍学说的实质和核心。但邹衍的天人合一理论和它所自出的巫术原理一样,归根结底是错误的和虚妄的。有人把天人合一等同于人和自然的和谐,完全是对古代文化的曲解。     

毕竟高歌能拔剑——论祁寯藻诗的师法渊源和诗歌意象

祁寯藻是清代道、成、同三朝帝师,位居首辅,影响整个咸丰初期的政局走向。他在政事之余作诗,出之以性情,寯平生哀乐于诗中,展示出晚清特定的时代风貌与文人士大夫的心态。他是宋诗派领袖,诗歌除宗法杜甫、韩愈、苏轼外,尤其推崇白居易,在师法渊源上独具特色。在表情达意方面,则常借助“剑”“春晖“‘萱草”等意象,形成个性鲜明的抒情体系。     

何绍基诗歌创作中呈现出的师承渊源

何绍基是晚清宋诗派中最有成就的诗论家和诗人,其诗歌创作中呈现出的师承渊源非常丰富。何绍基一生不论为人、治学还是写诗作文皆服膺苏轼,苏轼忠孝节义的道义心性,旷达乐观、洒落超迈的胸襟,格物致知的进取精神与谐趣睿智的人格魅力对他产生深刻的影响。何绍基的诗作中除了对苏轼诗句的借用、比喻手法的吸收以及大量次苏韵等表象外,还在谐趣、理趣、儒者伦理的追求等方面得苏诗之神韵。随着阅历的变化,何绍基寄韵白居易,创作了讽喻诗,语言平易流利,不避口语俗语。晚年的何绍基心境较为黯淡,师法对象再次发生转移,“自将诗心比郊岛”,企望“敲诗”“苦吟”而达到“人夸奇想自天来”,寒瘦之诗成又一风貌。     

Some contributions of Robert Bentley Todd

A Dubliner by birth and education, Robert Bentley Todd (1809-1860) settled in London, achieving success as physician and educator. He was professor of anatomy and physiology at King's College, and a founder of King's College Hospital. His publications were numerous; he edited a Cyclopaedia of Anatomy and Physiology in which he introduced the terms afferent and efferent and pointed to the location of the major lesion of tabes dorsalis. He described postictal paralysis in his Lumleian Lectures (1849); the features of "Todd's paralysis" are discussed. He appeared for the prosecution at the Smethurst murder trial (1859). He prescribed wine and brandy copiously for fevers.     

New books

Peter Chel?ický was one of the most interesting figures of the Hussite movement, whose distinctive views on the organisation of Christian society have been unjustly neglected in the west. He criticised the traditional division into three estates: the clergy who had pastoral duties, the knighthood who provided protection, and the peasants who produced the food. Chel?ický argued that this division was pagan in origin and should be given up by Christian communities. He rejected the tripartite division on the grounds that it was a hierarchical arrangement in which the two upper estates lived off and dominated the third estate of ‘working people’. He rejected too not only war and aggression, but also the use of force in general. He believed that no Christian should have power over another Christian, a view which led him to the repudiation of all institutionalised authority as inconsistent with the faith and the way of salvation. His influence continued well beyond his lifetime: Tolstoy, for example, was a great admirer.     

李旭旦先生的学术思想和贡献及其他——纪念李旭旦先生诞辰100周年

李旭旦先生是人文地理学家、区域地理学家和地理教育家,毕生致力于地理教育和科学研究,培养了几代地理学人才,桃李满天下。他才思敏捷,知识渊博,治学严谨、执着,有较高的学术造诣。学术上他强调人地协调论和统一地理学,提倡区域研究,致力于地理教育理论的建设,创办《地理知识》杂志,曾任德国《GeoJournal》杂志编委,主编《人文地理学》(中国大百科全书分册)、《人文地理学论丛》、《人文地理学概说》,提出白龙江是我国西部南北地理分界线的科学论断,主张把解决现实问题作为人文地理学的主攻方向,重视野外调查,晚年他提出复兴人文地理学的倡议,把我国人文地理学的发展推向一个新的阶段。他是我国现代人文地理学的奠基人。     

论邵晋涵古籍整理研究之成就

邵晋涵是浙东学派的后起之秀。他在古籍整理研究方面主要成就有四：一是撰写了《尔雅正义》,订补了前人注疏的阙误;二是将散伏已久的《旧五代史》辑编成书,并为后人提供了宝贵的辑佚方法和经验;三是撰写了诸史提要：四是为重修《宋史》作了一定的准备工作。     

北庭副都护和守阳事迹考述

和守阳是唐代任职西域的一位少数民族出身的官员。在他担任碛西支度营田判官的景龙年间(707-710),曾协助安西大都护郭元振与当时的权相宗楚客推行的错误边防政策进行了坚决的斗争,后迁转北庭副都护、专知支都营田使,屯田积谷,始终十年,为加强唐朝西域边防的经济建设做出了重要贡献。守阳还曾历任播川、陇西等郡的太守,在行政临民、治理地方上也有突出的政绩可纪。     

郭嵩焘与晚清厘金

郭嵩焘首倡开办湖南通省厘捐,并推广湖南经验,先后在山东、江浙、广东等地整顿厘务,以裕军饷。1864年,他强烈反对停厘撤卡,平息了沸沸扬扬的罢厘之议。使英期间,他坚决主张停废各省厘捐,仿行西方税法。可见,郭嵩焘在晚清厘金兴废过程中起着举足轻重的作用。     

有关高力士的几个问题--读高力士的《神道碑》及《墓志铭》

高力士本名冯元一。他著名于唐代,是因为他与唐玄宗的政治生命相始终。他帮助玄宗取得政权、巩固政权,又随玄宗失去政权,最后又为维护玄宗的地位而被逐出京。他因受宠于玄宗首为内侍监。他为史官修史提供了重要资料,柳芳修撰《唐历》与他密切相关。他的终年是73岁而非79岁。     

庐江大神墩遗址发掘简报

大神墩遗址是在修建合安高速公路时发现的,属安徽江淮一带典型的台形遗址,总共发掘面积 330平方米。大神墩遗址文化层堆积薄,遗迹遗物相对简单。出土陶器以鬲为大宗,其次有豆、盆、三足盘和盉等,尤其是盉,特征明显,可能是江淮之间群舒文化因素的来源。