Eclampsia historical perspective

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Importance of Historical Perspective

The importance of historical perspective lies in the fact that our current understanding of pathophysiology, classifications and management strategies is influenced by past hypotheses and scientific contributions, which have also shaped our current practice trends. ^[1]

Origin

The term is derived from Greek and refers to a flash, a term used by Hippocrates to designate a fever of sudden onset.^[2]

Historical Perspective

Over time various theories and treatments based on those theories have been proposed.

Ancient Times

Theories

THEORY OF FOUR HUMORS
- In late 5^thand early 4^th BCE
- The balance between Four humors, blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile, resulted in health and illness.^[3]

WET AND DRY THEORY
- Women’s skin was considered wet, porous and soft and it was thought that she could accumulate lots of moisture which resulted in an overabundance of fluids and led to illness. ^[4]

WANDERING WOMB THEORY
- Hippocrates belived that dried up uterus wandered the body in search of moisture, and as it wandered the body, it could wreak havoc upon the liver, spleen, lungs and head, leading to disease.

Treatments Offered

Treatment directed towards the restoration of internal equilibrium by mechanisms that increased elimination of excess fluids and could consist of:

Altered diets
Purging
Blood-letting

References

↑ Bell MJ (2010). "A historical overview of preeclampsia-eclampsia". J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 39 (5): 510–8. doi:10.1111/j.1552-6909.2010.01172.x. PMC 2951301. PMID 20919997.
↑ Chesley LC. Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy, in Williams Obstetrics, 14th Edition. Appleton Century Crofts, New York (1971), page 700.
↑ Demand N. Birth, death, and motherhood in classical Greece. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press; 1994. [Google Scholar]
↑ Green MH. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Princeton University; 1985. The transmission of ancient theories of female physiology and disease through the early Middle Ages.

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[pmid20919997-1] Bell MJ (2010). "A historical overview of preeclampsia-eclampsia". J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 39 (5): 510–8. doi:10.1111/j.1552-6909.2010.01172.x. PMC 2951301. PMID 20919997.

[Chesley-2] Chesley LC. Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy, in Williams Obstetrics, 14th Edition. Appleton Century Crofts, New York (1971), page 700.

[3] Demand N. Birth, death, and motherhood in classical Greece. Baltimore, MD: The John Hopkins University Press; 1994. [Google Scholar]

[4] Green MH. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Princeton University; 1985. The transmission of ancient theories of female physiology and disease through the early Middle Ages.

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