The veiled intimacy between neurology and Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) is one of the most important painters of our history. Celebrating 130 years since the death of this genius, this article unveils the surprising relationship between van Gogh and neurology. Besides all his eternal artistic output, Vincent also suffered all his life from a neurological disease. Many articles have already investigated his illness and epilepsy appears to be one of the most reasonable diagnosis. There is much evidence that van Gogh's work was influenced by his neurological condition in several ways. Besides, the analysis of Vincent's life can provide several valuable teachings to neurologists.     

Lessons from the 1656 Neapolitan Plague: Something to learn for the current coronavirus Pandemic?

In the spring of 1656, an epidemic of bubonic plague suddenly fell on Naples, the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The epidemic had put a strain on the government authorities, forcing them to take sometimes drastic measures but, in most cases, scarcely decisive. The current health emergency caused by Covid-19 disease has many similarities with the epidemics of the past. Here we report the parallelism among plague and Covid-19 in several respects. Taking as a paradigm the plague epidemic of Naples of 1656, we can easily understand how history, showing us how past epidemics were managed and overcome, even with the intrinsic differences due to the limits of time and scientific progress, can still give us a useful lesson to face the present.     

Adolf Meyer,grand nom de l’histoire de la psychiatrie aux États-Unis

Adolf Meyer (1866–1950) is considered one of the most famous psychiatrists in the United States and his influence was preponderant, particularly between 1895 and the Second World War. In the early 1900s, Meyer undertook a restructuring of the asylums system and, under his leadership, insane asylums began, at least in some places, to become institutions of care. After overseeing its construction, Meyer was appointed in 1913 as superintendent of the first psychiatric clinic in the United States – Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic – which would become one of the most prestigious psychiatric researches and training centers in the years that followed. It was at the Henry Phipps Psychiatric Clinic that Meyer was able to promote what he called “the new psychiatry” in 1901 and then psychobiology in 1908. Psychobiology has become synonymous with Meyerian psychiatry. Meyer has made a significant contribution to ensuring that mental disorders are the subject of scientific and clinical research, specific medical training and appropriate treatment.