The man behind the syndrome: Sigvald Refsum

The authors attempt to solve the enigma about the possible aphasia of the Byzantine Emperor Manuel II Palaeologus (1391–1425) in the 3-year period between his first and his second and fatal stroke. The texts of historians and chroniclers reveal that Manuel remained semi-paralyzed at bed and his motor disability alienated him from the state affairs and condemned him to isolation from all embassies and contact with others, except his family. Only the funeral oration of the Bishop Bessarion raises the suspicion of a speechless emperor. All testimonies referring to this infirmity are examined.     

The man behind the syndrome: Argyll Robertson,Scotland's ambassador extraordinary in the realm of ophthalmology

Abstract

The aim of this study is to find out whether bromide was able to cause conversion of epilepsy to psychosis i.e., so‐called paradoxical normalization such as has been seen in treatment with modern antiepileptic drugs. Spontaneous conversion has been known for three hundred years. Locock introduced bromide in the treatment of epilepsy in 1857. Belgrave wrote in 1868 on its effect on epileptic attacks and concommitant insanity. In 1868 Holm observed reduction of the frequency of seizures at the same time as psychotic symptoms or just dysphoria. In 1875 Voisin described a dose‐dependent intoxication with psychosis and/or neurological signs. Stark in 1875 and Bannister in 1881 were the first to clearly describe the antagonism between epileptic seizures and psychotic symptoms, an antagonism or conversion described by many authors, both in cases with high and low dosage, and with and without intoxication. Thus, the title of this paper should be answered in the affirmative.

Bromide has been used as a sedative and has rarely caused intoxication. Thus the presence of epilepsy is not a condition for the development of bromide intoxication. A case with epilepsy and fatal massive bromide intoxication is reported. It is discussed whether the pathological findings give support to Wolf's hypothesis of latent epileptic activity in subcortical pathways during “normalization”;.     

幕后人生亦如戏 泉州、晋江、漳州木偶剧团传承故事

<正>挑灯夜战为汇演对于泉州、晋汀和漳州木偶剧团的第一印象,记者都是从观看三个剧团紧张的汇演节目排练产生的。剧场中锣鼓声一齐奏响,三米高台上的十来个演员排成一列,俯身操纵着各自的提线木偶,自如地在高台上逆时针走动。在他们身下灯光照亮的舞台上.小木偶们从两侧幕布后鱼贯而出,手舞足蹈。台上正在排练的是重新编排的传统剧目《卢俊义》,泉州市木偶剧团打算以此剧目参加马上来临的福建省文艺汇演。在同一时间,晋江市掌中木偶艺术保护传承中心和漳州市木偶剧团也在排练着各自的剧目,晋江已经排练完毕,开始练最后的谢幕,而漳州则在最后打磨一些技术和音乐细节。