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A History of Endocrinology

1983; American Medical Association; Volume: 249; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1001/jama.1983.03330270071045

1538-3598

Walter E. Szpunar,

Classical Philosophy and Thought

This is a comprehensive, informative, and generally well-written account of the history of endocrinology. The tour of endocrine history begins in prehistoric times with brief visits to ancient China, Egypt, and Greece before leading us to the modern period of endocrinology. Numerous anecdotes and important events relating to endocrinology are presented in a well-organized and interesting manner. Because of our special interest in thyroidology, we were especially interested in some of these fascinating tidbits. In 1600 BC the Chinese used burnt sponge and seaweed for the treatment of goiter. The cause of this malady was unknown, however. The followers of Hippocrates regarded goiter solely as a deformity attributed to the drinking of snow-water. In 1811 Bernard Courtois discovered that iodine was an ingredient of seaweed, and nine years later, Jean Francois Coindet first used iodine in the treatment of goiter. Paul Julius Moebius in 1886 stated that the primary factor