Narcolepsy - Cataplexy and Psychoanalytic Theory of Sleep and Dreams

Narcolepsy had been documented some twenty years before the psychoanalytic movement, emphasizing the central role of sleep and dreams in the understanding of mental health, offered an entirely novel theory of its aetiology. And when the full range of the behavioural aspects of the condition were documented, it was obvious that intense psychoanalytic interest in it was inevitable. Unfortunately, even mainstream neurology, lacking any rival physiological explanation, for a time tended to entertain a definite role for such beliefs, at least in some cases. However such a theory, involving outré concepts of repressed, guilt-ridden sexual drives as an explanation of the behavioral aspects of narcolepsy-cataplexy, of necessity simply added to the burdens of the sufferer. For it became clear that the condition by itself produced enough psycho-social problems without further adding to them. This historical note details the persistence of this misconceived theory up to the later decades of this century, and the burden that it placed upon those who suffered from this condition.     

Between Horror and Hope: Gladiator’s Blood as a Cure for Epileptics in Ancient Medicine

Between the first and the sixth century a single theological and several medical authors reported on the consumption of gladiator’s blood or liver to cure epileptics. The origins of the sacred or apoplectic properties of blood of a slain gladiator, likely lie in Etruscan funeral rites. Although the influence of this religious background faded during the Roman Republic, the magical use of gladiators’ blood continued for centuries. After the prohibition of gladiatorial combat in about 400 AD, an executed individual (particularly had he been beheaded) became the “legitimate” successor to the gladiator. Occasional indications in early modern textbooks on medicine as well as reports in the popular literature of the 19th and early 20th century document the existence of this ancient magical practice until modern times. Spontaneous recovery of some forms of epilepsy may be responsible for the illusion of therapeutic effectiveness and for the confirming statements by physicians who have commented on this cure.     

Beyond Subsystems: Policy Regimes and Governance

We suggest attention to policy regimes provides a fruitful means for joining the contributions of scholars who study policy processes with those who are concerned with governance challenges. Our research synthesis underscores the limits of existing theorizing about policy processes for problems that span multiple areas of policy and highlights the prospects for and limitations of governing beyond the boundaries of subsystems. We suggest new avenues for theorizing and research in policy processes based on the concept of a boundary‐spanning policy regime. We develop notions about this type of policy regime within the context of the broader literature about regimes in political science, discuss the forces that shape the strength and durability of such regimes, and provide a variety of examples. This synthesis challenges the focus of policy process scholars on subsystems and broadens the traditional focus on policymaking to consideration of the dynamics of governing.