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Octavian Buda

UMF Bucuresti, History of Medicine, Faculty Member

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Professor in the History of Medicine at the "Carol Davila" University of Medicine and Pharmacy Bucharest, Romania. Senior forensic psychiatrist at the National Institute of Legal Medicine "Mina Minovici" Bucharest, Romania.

Research interests - stretching from History of Forensic Medicine and Psychiatry, History of Epidemics, Medical Epistemology, Cultural and Psychiatric Anthropology through Social History of Criminology and Bioethics, with a particular focus on Eastern Europe, Romania.

Published Books:
Irresponsibility - from the Point of View of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine (Bucharest, 2006), Criminality: Its Legal and Medical History in Romania, single editor (Bucharest, 2007), An Anthropology of Marginality - Forensic Psychiatry in Romania: 1860-1940, single editor (Bucharest, 2007); On Regeneration and… Degeneration of a Nation: 1872-1912, single editor (Bucharest, 2009).

Editorship:
Rechtsmedizin (the official Journal of the German Society of Legal Medicine), since 2004; coordinating editor: Romanian Journal of Legal Medicine - RJLM (issued by the Romanian Society of Legal Medicine), since 1993.

Podcast:
The late works of Emil Kraepelin (7th May 2009, Goethe Institute Riga, Latvia) at pulse-project.org.

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Huntington University

Paul E . Michelson

Huntington University

Cristian Istrate

University of Bucharest

Irina Airinei Vasile

Ceobanu Adrian-Bogdan

Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza Iasi

Maria Magdalena Székely

Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza Iasi

Cristian Ploscaru

Institute for South East European Studies (Romanian Academy)

Constanta Vintila

"Nicolae Iorga" Institute of History

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Books by Octavian Buda

On Regeneration and… Degeneration of a Nation: Medical Discourses in Bucharest, 1872-1912

Criminality: Its Legal and Medical History in Romania

An Anthropology of Marginality - Forensic Psychiatry in Romania: 1860-1940

Papers by Octavian Buda

The Relationship between Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Dimitrie Alexandru Sturdza-Miclăuşanu

Gheorghe Marinescu și Academia Română (10 martie 1906)

STUDII ȘI COMUNICĂRI/DIS, 2013

Thomas Jonnesco - A Nominee for Nobel Prize, 1924

PubMed, Aug 23, 2016

Statistical association criteria in forensic psychiatry-a criminological evaluation of casuistry

Journal of medicine and life

Identification of potential shared primary psychoprophylaxis and crime prevention is measured by ... more Identification of potential shared primary psychoprophylaxis and crime prevention is measured by analyzing the rate of commitments for patients-subjects to forensic examination. The statistic trial is a retrospective, document-based study. The statistical lot consists of 770 initial examination reports performed and completed during the whole year 2007, primarily analyzed in order to summarize the data within the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, Bucharest, Romania (INML), with one of the group variables being 'particularities of the psychiatric patient history', containing the items 'forensic onset', 'commitments within the last year prior to the examination' and 'absence of commitments within the last year prior to the examination'. The method used was the Kendall bivariate correlation. For this study, the authors separately analyze only the two items regarding commitments by other correlation alternatives and by modern, elaborate statistical...

Alexandru Vaida Voevod: From Spa Medicine to First Prime Minister of Greater Romania - 150 Years Since His Birth

Alexandru Vaida Voevod, a physician and politician who served three times as prime minister of Ro... more Alexandru Vaida Voevod, a physician and politician who served three times as prime minister of Romania (1919-20, 1932, 1933), was a leading spokesman for the union of Transylvania with the Old Romanian Kingdom (Moldavia and Wallachia). In 1896 he was a member of the Committee of the Romanian National Party, representing the pro-Habsburg group.

Crystallization of the concept of the medical secret in 19th century France

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Dec 1, 2015

Background. Until recent years medical secret was considered one of the most important applied pr... more Background. Until recent years medical secret was considered one of the most important applied practical concepts in European medical ethics/deontology, being only surpassed by informed consent in the last half of the century. Little is known about the way this concept evolved in continental Europe, as only a small number of scientific articles in this area are available in the literature written in English. The purpose of this article is to summarize the evolution and crystallization of this concept in France from which it spread to numerous countries in Continental Europe in the 19 th century. Materials and methods. A bibliographic search of relevant books, articles, and documents regarding 19 th century medical secret in France. Results. The crystallization of medical secret in France started early compared to other European countries; both legal and moral aspects regarding medical secret disseminated widely from France to other countries in Continental Europe, influencing significantly the way this concept was structured at a national level. Conclusions. Many famous cases or debates in the areas of medical ethics and deontology from the countries in Continental Europe are forgotten. However, knowing and discussing them in relation to modern bioethics concepts might help decrease the resistance to these newer concepts, and elaborate a more practical model for the morality of the medical act, which will also include regional particularities.

Late abortion. Attitudes amongst young physicians in Romania

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Mar 2, 2013

Purpose The main purpose of this article is to analyze the way in which young physicians analyze ... more Purpose The main purpose of this article is to analyze the way in which young physicians analyze and address the issue of therapeutic abortion. Methods A multi-institutional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire containing 10 items. Results Most respondents agreed with therapeutic abortion (1) if the fetus is not yet viable and the mother is put at immediate risk by the continuation of the pregnancy, and (2) when the pregnancy is over 14 weeks and the prenatal screening identifies a very severe malformation. The lowest rate of acceptance was obtained by the option to terminate the pregnancy after 14 weeks for a minor malformation (polydactyly). The vast majority agreed that the OG physician should be permitted to refuse an abortion on moral grounds, even if permitted by law. Conclusions Our study reveals that the main reasons for conducting therapeutic abortion (TA) in the 2nd or 3rd trimester are: (1) if the mother is put in immediate risk by the continuation of the pregnancy and (2) if the congenital anomaly is extremely severe. Even though the number of respondents considering Down syndrome to be a congenital malformation severe enough to allow TA, the value much lower compared with other low and middle income countries. The main reasons for refusing TA in the 2nd or 3rd trimester are the presence of a minor congenital anomaly or if it is against the moral principles of the physician.

From Monastic Benevolence to Medical Beneficence: The Inception of Medical Ethics in Wallachia and Moldavia before the Second Half of the 19th Century

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

In Middle Ages, in Moldavia and Wallachia, the healthcare system was almost non-existent, medical... more In Middle Ages, in Moldavia and Wallachia, the healthcare system was almost non-existent, medical practice being the attribute of old women, midwives, charmers, and later monastic personnel. The first elements of medical ethics are identifiable in written texts from the 17th century, associated with a process of laicization of medicine and the appearance of the first combined civil and penal codes (Vasile Lupu’s Law from 1646 and Matei Basarab’s Law from 1652). In the next 150 years, elements of medical ethics were rarely identified, usually in legal regulations, personal letters, or literary works. Starting with the end of the 18th century, associated with the emergence of the position of public physician, detailed regulations regarding the healthcare system associated with an increased number of ethical norms began to emerge. The purpose of this article is to increase awareness to an international audience about the history of Romanian medical deontology and the roots of concepts ...

Occupational Therapy in Psychiatric Asylums in Bucharest, Eastern Europe, 1839-1919

European Psychiatry, Mar 1, 2015

Prostaglandin F2a (PGF) treatment is routinely used in the reproductive management of mares to in... more Prostaglandin F2a (PGF) treatment is routinely used in the reproductive management of mares to induce luteolysis and allow a subsequent return to estrus. The objective of this retrospective study was to assess the effect of follicle size at the time of administration of cloprostenol on interval to subsequent ovulation. A secondary objective was to determine the incidence of hemorrhagic anovulatory follicle (HAF) formation after PGF administration. Reproductive records of 275 mares monitored over a total of 520 estrous cycles were evaluated. All mares received a single intramuscular dose of 250 mg of the synthetic PGF analog cloprostenol sodium between days 5 and 12 after ovulation. The average interval from PGF to ovulation was 8.4 AE 2.5 days. The interval from PGF administration to subsequent ovulation was inversely proportional to the diameter of the largest follicle at the time of treatment. Administration of cloprostenol to mares with a large (!35 mm in diameter) diestrous follicle resulted in one of three outcomesdovulation within 48 hours (13.4%) with variable uterine edema, ovulation after 48 hours usually accompanied by the presence of uterine edema (73.1%), or regression without ovulation followed by emergence and eventual ovulation of a new dominant follicle (13.4%). There was no effect of mare age or season on interval from PGF to ovulation. The overall incidence of HAF development after PGF administration in this study was low (2.5%).

Cholera, Quarantines and Social Modernisation at the Danube Border of the Ottoman Empire: The Romanian Experience between 1830 and 1859

Social History of Medicine

Summary This study focuses on the history of the quarantine system established at the naval borde... more Summary This study focuses on the history of the quarantine system established at the naval border of the Romanian Principalities (Wallachia and Moldavia) between 1830 and 1859. We survey both the state’s ability to organise defences against contagious diseases and the society’s reaction to strict quarantine rules. In the end, we show that the Danube quarantine was not only a means of combating contagious diseases but also an instrument of pressure, surveillance and state regulation. To reconstruct an image of that period, we used information from five categories of sources: archive documents, health legislation, the press of the time, memoirs and diplomatic reports. By bringing the Romanian quarantine experience to the foreground, this study broadens both the perspective on quarantines and modernisation in the Romanian Principalities and also the knowledge regarding the free movement, politics and economy at the Danube border of the Ottoman Empire.

[150 years since the birth of Thomas Ionescu (1860-1926)]

Chirurgia (Bucharest, Romania : 1990)

One of the most important surgeons of the 1900 period was the Romanian-born Thomas Jonnesco. He b... more One of the most important surgeons of the 1900 period was the Romanian-born Thomas Jonnesco. He became a surgeon in Paris (1885-1890) under the guidance of D.M. Bourneville and J. Peyrot (Bicatre), P. Berger (Tenon), A. Le Dentu (St. Louis) and A. Verneuil (Pitié-Salpétrire). In 1894, he gained at the Paris Faculty of Medicine the title of professor of anatomy. In the same year he was selected by the professors Poirier, Charpy and Nicolas to be their collaborator in a treatise of anatomy, published in 1894. In 1895, he returned to Bucharest to lead the Institute of Topographic Anatomy and Experimental Surgery, especially created for him. He also accepted the Chair of the Clinical Surgery of Coltzea Hospital in Bucharest. In 1896 he founded in Paris the French periodical "Archives des Sciences Medicales'". Jonnesco was a prolific surgeon in the field of experimental surgery, especially cervical sympathectomy, general spinal anaesthesia but also in surgical oncology and ...

Altered states, alkaloids, and catatonia: Monoaminoxidase inhibitors and their role in the history of psychopharmacology

by Octavian Buda and Steluta Boroghina

Frontiers in Pharmacology

Monoamine oxidases are mitochondrial enzymes that catalyze the oxidative deamination of biogenic ... more Monoamine oxidases are mitochondrial enzymes that catalyze the oxidative deamination of biogenic amines (adrenaline, noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine), causing their inactivation and subsequently playing a fundamental role in the homeostasis of various neurotransmitters. As the regulation of these effects was deemed important in clinical practice, numerous modulators of these enzymes were tested for various clinical effects. The purpose of this paper is to present a few historical landmarks regarding monoaminoxidase inhibitors and their usefulness as psychopharmacological agents. We will be focusing on banisterine, iproniazid, selegiline, rasagiline, tranylcypromine, moclobemide, and their role in the history of psychopharmacology. An almost unknown fact is that harmine, an MAO-A alkaloid, was used as early as the latter half of the 1920s in Bucharest, to reduce catatonic symptoms in schizophrenia, thus ushering the dawn of psychopharmacology era which started with chlorpromaz...

Thoma Ionescu (1860-1926) şi destinul chirurgiei româneşti

STUDII ȘI COMUNICĂRI/DIS, 2010

"Legal highs" in Romania: historical and present facts

In the modern history of our country, the subject of psychoactive substances was banned as being ... more In the modern history of our country, the subject of psychoactive substances was banned as being against the socialist-communist political ideology, and consequently the research and knowledge on the historical evolution of the use of plants and substances for medical, hedonistic and/or ritual purposes in our country was not given any encouragement. In this context of a diluted and outdated knowledge on the psychoactive substances which had been maintained for decades, the explosion of the drug addiction phenomenon encountered an idealistic perception ("it is a problem of the Western world", "we are just a transit country", etc.), which lead to a fast increase in the number of young people who tried to consume illegal drugs. The political/administrative organisations, the civil society, the NGOs and particularly the scientific experts in Romania had all a very slow and laggard response, which has lead to the current situation when drug addiction is finally recognized as a very serious issue. Particular features of the Romanian phenomenon-surprisingly not due to the local tradition or spontaneous flora (as long as currently marketed products are imported)-are presented in this publication, giving examples from the criminal investigation experience. An alarming issue which has been highlighted by our research points to the fact that "classical drugs", such as opioids, methadone, ketamine, MDMA, are likely to be used in Romania for "spicing up" the so-called "legal" marketed products. In the following, we shall trace the historical evolution of the use of plants and substances for medical, hedonistic and/or ritual purposes in our country. We shall also reflect on the related legislative and medical issues, and the suggested measures.

Medicina Legală Și Criminalistică: Repere Istoriografice (Legal Medicine and Forensic Science: Historic Landmarks)

Romanian Abstract: In acest articol am căutat să punctez câteva argumente care să certifice legăt... more Romanian Abstract: In acest articol am căutat să punctez câteva argumente care să certifice legătura care există intre medicina legală și criminalistică. Ambele științe au drept scop să sprijine justiția in aflarea adevărului in numeroasele spețe ale dreptului penal și civil. Legătura strânsă dintre aceste două specialități o reprezintă identificarea, care reprezintă o metodă universală de stabilire a adevărului in procesul cunoașterii judiciare. Identificarea medico – legală și criminalistică sunt părți integrante ale identificării judiciare, cu mare valoare probantă. Inceputurile identificării criminalistice și medico – legale, s-au bazat inițial pe alte metode decât cele curente de azi. In acest sens amintim metoda portretului vorbit, care este o metodă științifică de descriere și comparare a trăsăturilor exterioare ale persoanelor. Portretul vorbit este legat de numele lui Alphonse Bertillon (1853 – 1914), care in anul 1879 a propus, in vederea recunoașteriirecidiviștilor, măsur...

Prvi eksplicitni opis unutarnjeg izlučivanja gušterače

Acta medico-historica Adriatica, 2017

Svrha je ovog članka opisati istraživanje Nicolaea Constantina Paulescua i istaknuti njegovu ulog... more Svrha je ovog članka opisati istraživanje Nicolaea Constantina Paulescua i istaknuti njegovu ulogu u otkriću inzulina. Metode: Temeljito smo pregledali literaturu i istraživanja u rumunjskoj akademskoj arhivi kako bismo pronašli odgovarajuće reference. Rezultati: N. C. Paulescu je 1912. analizirao kliničke i biokemijske promjene kod pacijenata s dijabetesom i kod pasa nakon izvođenja pankreatektomije, koji su osim hiperglikemije i glikozurije (metabolizam ugljikohidrata) zabilježili i promjene u metabolizmu lipida i proteina. Godine 1916. Paulescu je započeo eksperiment s ekstraktom gušterače dobivenim njegovom izvornom metodom, koji je intravenski ubrizgan u pse koji su bolovali od dijabetesa. Rezultati njegovih prvih eksperimenata pokazali su: “Ekstrakt gušterače ubrizgan u perifernu venu proizvodi: 1. smanjenje, pa čak i privremenu supresiju dijabetičke hiperglikemije, koja može biti zamijenjena hipoglikemijom; 2. smanjenje ili čak privremenu supresiju glikozurije; 3. smanjenje u...

Political abuse and forensic psychiatry in communist Romania

European Psychiatry, 2017

Psychiatry was often used for political reasons in the second half of the 20th century, especiall... more Psychiatry was often used for political reasons in the second half of the 20th century, especially in the former communist countries. According to the global initiative on psychiatry, political abuse of psychiatry is defined as the incorrect usage of diagnoses, treatments, or psychiatry admissions in order to limits fundamental rights of persons or population groups in certain countries. Most studies regarding political abuse as a repressive measure analysed it in either USSR or China. Romania is one of the countries from the former communist block in which psychiatry was proven to be used as a form of repression against political dissidents. One of the psychiatry “tools” used against political dissidents was the widespread usage of mandatory, non-voluntary admissions. They were seen as preventive measures, whose purpose was to prevent an individual to act antisocially. The purpose of this article is to analyse the characteristics of the patients that were non-voluntarily admitted i...

On Regeneration and… Degeneration of a Nation: Medical Discourses in Bucharest, 1872-1912

Criminality: Its Legal and Medical History in Romania

An Anthropology of Marginality - Forensic Psychiatry in Romania: 1860-1940

The Relationship between Alexandru Ioan Cuza and Dimitrie Alexandru Sturdza-Miclăuşanu

Gheorghe Marinescu și Academia Română (10 martie 1906)

STUDII ȘI COMUNICĂRI/DIS, 2013

Thomas Jonnesco - A Nominee for Nobel Prize, 1924

PubMed, Aug 23, 2016

Statistical association criteria in forensic psychiatry-a criminological evaluation of casuistry

Journal of medicine and life

Identification of potential shared primary psychoprophylaxis and crime prevention is measured by ... more Identification of potential shared primary psychoprophylaxis and crime prevention is measured by analyzing the rate of commitments for patients-subjects to forensic examination. The statistic trial is a retrospective, document-based study. The statistical lot consists of 770 initial examination reports performed and completed during the whole year 2007, primarily analyzed in order to summarize the data within the National Institute of Forensic Medicine, Bucharest, Romania (INML), with one of the group variables being 'particularities of the psychiatric patient history', containing the items 'forensic onset', 'commitments within the last year prior to the examination' and 'absence of commitments within the last year prior to the examination'. The method used was the Kendall bivariate correlation. For this study, the authors separately analyze only the two items regarding commitments by other correlation alternatives and by modern, elaborate statistical...

Alexandru Vaida Voevod: From Spa Medicine to First Prime Minister of Greater Romania - 150 Years Since His Birth

Alexandru Vaida Voevod, a physician and politician who served three times as prime minister of Ro... more Alexandru Vaida Voevod, a physician and politician who served three times as prime minister of Romania (1919-20, 1932, 1933), was a leading spokesman for the union of Transylvania with the Old Romanian Kingdom (Moldavia and Wallachia). In 1896 he was a member of the Committee of the Romanian National Party, representing the pro-Habsburg group.

Crystallization of the concept of the medical secret in 19th century France

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Dec 1, 2015

Background. Until recent years medical secret was considered one of the most important applied pr... more Background. Until recent years medical secret was considered one of the most important applied practical concepts in European medical ethics/deontology, being only surpassed by informed consent in the last half of the century. Little is known about the way this concept evolved in continental Europe, as only a small number of scientific articles in this area are available in the literature written in English. The purpose of this article is to summarize the evolution and crystallization of this concept in France from which it spread to numerous countries in Continental Europe in the 19 th century. Materials and methods. A bibliographic search of relevant books, articles, and documents regarding 19 th century medical secret in France. Results. The crystallization of medical secret in France started early compared to other European countries; both legal and moral aspects regarding medical secret disseminated widely from France to other countries in Continental Europe, influencing significantly the way this concept was structured at a national level. Conclusions. Many famous cases or debates in the areas of medical ethics and deontology from the countries in Continental Europe are forgotten. However, knowing and discussing them in relation to modern bioethics concepts might help decrease the resistance to these newer concepts, and elaborate a more practical model for the morality of the medical act, which will also include regional particularities.

Late abortion. Attitudes amongst young physicians in Romania

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Mar 2, 2013

Purpose The main purpose of this article is to analyze the way in which young physicians analyze ... more Purpose The main purpose of this article is to analyze the way in which young physicians analyze and address the issue of therapeutic abortion. Methods A multi-institutional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire containing 10 items. Results Most respondents agreed with therapeutic abortion (1) if the fetus is not yet viable and the mother is put at immediate risk by the continuation of the pregnancy, and (2) when the pregnancy is over 14 weeks and the prenatal screening identifies a very severe malformation. The lowest rate of acceptance was obtained by the option to terminate the pregnancy after 14 weeks for a minor malformation (polydactyly). The vast majority agreed that the OG physician should be permitted to refuse an abortion on moral grounds, even if permitted by law. Conclusions Our study reveals that the main reasons for conducting therapeutic abortion (TA) in the 2nd or 3rd trimester are: (1) if the mother is put in immediate risk by the continuation of the pregnancy and (2) if the congenital anomaly is extremely severe. Even though the number of respondents considering Down syndrome to be a congenital malformation severe enough to allow TA, the value much lower compared with other low and middle income countries. The main reasons for refusing TA in the 2nd or 3rd trimester are the presence of a minor congenital anomaly or if it is against the moral principles of the physician.

From Monastic Benevolence to Medical Beneficence: The Inception of Medical Ethics in Wallachia and Moldavia before the Second Half of the 19th Century

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

In Middle Ages, in Moldavia and Wallachia, the healthcare system was almost non-existent, medical... more In Middle Ages, in Moldavia and Wallachia, the healthcare system was almost non-existent, medical practice being the attribute of old women, midwives, charmers, and later monastic personnel. The first elements of medical ethics are identifiable in written texts from the 17th century, associated with a process of laicization of medicine and the appearance of the first combined civil and penal codes (Vasile Lupu’s Law from 1646 and Matei Basarab’s Law from 1652). In the next 150 years, elements of medical ethics were rarely identified, usually in legal regulations, personal letters, or literary works. Starting with the end of the 18th century, associated with the emergence of the position of public physician, detailed regulations regarding the healthcare system associated with an increased number of ethical norms began to emerge. The purpose of this article is to increase awareness to an international audience about the history of Romanian medical deontology and the roots of concepts ...

Occupational Therapy in Psychiatric Asylums in Bucharest, Eastern Europe, 1839-1919

European Psychiatry, Mar 1, 2015

Prostaglandin F2a (PGF) treatment is routinely used in the reproductive management of mares to in... more Prostaglandin F2a (PGF) treatment is routinely used in the reproductive management of mares to induce luteolysis and allow a subsequent return to estrus. The objective of this retrospective study was to assess the effect of follicle size at the time of administration of cloprostenol on interval to subsequent ovulation. A secondary objective was to determine the incidence of hemorrhagic anovulatory follicle (HAF) formation after PGF administration. Reproductive records of 275 mares monitored over a total of 520 estrous cycles were evaluated. All mares received a single intramuscular dose of 250 mg of the synthetic PGF analog cloprostenol sodium between days 5 and 12 after ovulation. The average interval from PGF to ovulation was 8.4 AE 2.5 days. The interval from PGF administration to subsequent ovulation was inversely proportional to the diameter of the largest follicle at the time of treatment. Administration of cloprostenol to mares with a large (!35 mm in diameter) diestrous follicle resulted in one of three outcomesdovulation within 48 hours (13.4%) with variable uterine edema, ovulation after 48 hours usually accompanied by the presence of uterine edema (73.1%), or regression without ovulation followed by emergence and eventual ovulation of a new dominant follicle (13.4%). There was no effect of mare age or season on interval from PGF to ovulation. The overall incidence of HAF development after PGF administration in this study was low (2.5%).

Cholera, Quarantines and Social Modernisation at the Danube Border of the Ottoman Empire: The Romanian Experience between 1830 and 1859

Social History of Medicine

Summary This study focuses on the history of the quarantine system established at the naval borde... more Summary This study focuses on the history of the quarantine system established at the naval border of the Romanian Principalities (Wallachia and Moldavia) between 1830 and 1859. We survey both the state’s ability to organise defences against contagious diseases and the society’s reaction to strict quarantine rules. In the end, we show that the Danube quarantine was not only a means of combating contagious diseases but also an instrument of pressure, surveillance and state regulation. To reconstruct an image of that period, we used information from five categories of sources: archive documents, health legislation, the press of the time, memoirs and diplomatic reports. By bringing the Romanian quarantine experience to the foreground, this study broadens both the perspective on quarantines and modernisation in the Romanian Principalities and also the knowledge regarding the free movement, politics and economy at the Danube border of the Ottoman Empire.

[150 years since the birth of Thomas Ionescu (1860-1926)]

Chirurgia (Bucharest, Romania : 1990)

One of the most important surgeons of the 1900 period was the Romanian-born Thomas Jonnesco. He b... more One of the most important surgeons of the 1900 period was the Romanian-born Thomas Jonnesco. He became a surgeon in Paris (1885-1890) under the guidance of D.M. Bourneville and J. Peyrot (Bicatre), P. Berger (Tenon), A. Le Dentu (St. Louis) and A. Verneuil (Pitié-Salpétrire). In 1894, he gained at the Paris Faculty of Medicine the title of professor of anatomy. In the same year he was selected by the professors Poirier, Charpy and Nicolas to be their collaborator in a treatise of anatomy, published in 1894. In 1895, he returned to Bucharest to lead the Institute of Topographic Anatomy and Experimental Surgery, especially created for him. He also accepted the Chair of the Clinical Surgery of Coltzea Hospital in Bucharest. In 1896 he founded in Paris the French periodical "Archives des Sciences Medicales'". Jonnesco was a prolific surgeon in the field of experimental surgery, especially cervical sympathectomy, general spinal anaesthesia but also in surgical oncology and ...

Altered states, alkaloids, and catatonia: Monoaminoxidase inhibitors and their role in the history of psychopharmacology

by Octavian Buda and Steluta Boroghina

Frontiers in Pharmacology

Monoamine oxidases are mitochondrial enzymes that catalyze the oxidative deamination of biogenic ... more Monoamine oxidases are mitochondrial enzymes that catalyze the oxidative deamination of biogenic amines (adrenaline, noradrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine), causing their inactivation and subsequently playing a fundamental role in the homeostasis of various neurotransmitters. As the regulation of these effects was deemed important in clinical practice, numerous modulators of these enzymes were tested for various clinical effects. The purpose of this paper is to present a few historical landmarks regarding monoaminoxidase inhibitors and their usefulness as psychopharmacological agents. We will be focusing on banisterine, iproniazid, selegiline, rasagiline, tranylcypromine, moclobemide, and their role in the history of psychopharmacology. An almost unknown fact is that harmine, an MAO-A alkaloid, was used as early as the latter half of the 1920s in Bucharest, to reduce catatonic symptoms in schizophrenia, thus ushering the dawn of psychopharmacology era which started with chlorpromaz...

Thoma Ionescu (1860-1926) şi destinul chirurgiei româneşti

STUDII ȘI COMUNICĂRI/DIS, 2010

"Legal highs" in Romania: historical and present facts

In the modern history of our country, the subject of psychoactive substances was banned as being ... more In the modern history of our country, the subject of psychoactive substances was banned as being against the socialist-communist political ideology, and consequently the research and knowledge on the historical evolution of the use of plants and substances for medical, hedonistic and/or ritual purposes in our country was not given any encouragement. In this context of a diluted and outdated knowledge on the psychoactive substances which had been maintained for decades, the explosion of the drug addiction phenomenon encountered an idealistic perception ("it is a problem of the Western world", "we are just a transit country", etc.), which lead to a fast increase in the number of young people who tried to consume illegal drugs. The political/administrative organisations, the civil society, the NGOs and particularly the scientific experts in Romania had all a very slow and laggard response, which has lead to the current situation when drug addiction is finally recognized as a very serious issue. Particular features of the Romanian phenomenon-surprisingly not due to the local tradition or spontaneous flora (as long as currently marketed products are imported)-are presented in this publication, giving examples from the criminal investigation experience. An alarming issue which has been highlighted by our research points to the fact that "classical drugs", such as opioids, methadone, ketamine, MDMA, are likely to be used in Romania for "spicing up" the so-called "legal" marketed products. In the following, we shall trace the historical evolution of the use of plants and substances for medical, hedonistic and/or ritual purposes in our country. We shall also reflect on the related legislative and medical issues, and the suggested measures.

Medicina Legală Și Criminalistică: Repere Istoriografice (Legal Medicine and Forensic Science: Historic Landmarks)

Romanian Abstract: In acest articol am căutat să punctez câteva argumente care să certifice legăt... more Romanian Abstract: In acest articol am căutat să punctez câteva argumente care să certifice legătura care există intre medicina legală și criminalistică. Ambele științe au drept scop să sprijine justiția in aflarea adevărului in numeroasele spețe ale dreptului penal și civil. Legătura strânsă dintre aceste două specialități o reprezintă identificarea, care reprezintă o metodă universală de stabilire a adevărului in procesul cunoașterii judiciare. Identificarea medico – legală și criminalistică sunt părți integrante ale identificării judiciare, cu mare valoare probantă. Inceputurile identificării criminalistice și medico – legale, s-au bazat inițial pe alte metode decât cele curente de azi. In acest sens amintim metoda portretului vorbit, care este o metodă științifică de descriere și comparare a trăsăturilor exterioare ale persoanelor. Portretul vorbit este legat de numele lui Alphonse Bertillon (1853 – 1914), care in anul 1879 a propus, in vederea recunoașteriirecidiviștilor, măsur...

Prvi eksplicitni opis unutarnjeg izlučivanja gušterače

Acta medico-historica Adriatica, 2017

Svrha je ovog članka opisati istraživanje Nicolaea Constantina Paulescua i istaknuti njegovu ulog... more Svrha je ovog članka opisati istraživanje Nicolaea Constantina Paulescua i istaknuti njegovu ulogu u otkriću inzulina. Metode: Temeljito smo pregledali literaturu i istraživanja u rumunjskoj akademskoj arhivi kako bismo pronašli odgovarajuće reference. Rezultati: N. C. Paulescu je 1912. analizirao kliničke i biokemijske promjene kod pacijenata s dijabetesom i kod pasa nakon izvođenja pankreatektomije, koji su osim hiperglikemije i glikozurije (metabolizam ugljikohidrata) zabilježili i promjene u metabolizmu lipida i proteina. Godine 1916. Paulescu je započeo eksperiment s ekstraktom gušterače dobivenim njegovom izvornom metodom, koji je intravenski ubrizgan u pse koji su bolovali od dijabetesa. Rezultati njegovih prvih eksperimenata pokazali su: “Ekstrakt gušterače ubrizgan u perifernu venu proizvodi: 1. smanjenje, pa čak i privremenu supresiju dijabetičke hiperglikemije, koja može biti zamijenjena hipoglikemijom; 2. smanjenje ili čak privremenu supresiju glikozurije; 3. smanjenje u...

Political abuse and forensic psychiatry in communist Romania

European Psychiatry, 2017

Psychiatry was often used for political reasons in the second half of the 20th century, especiall... more Psychiatry was often used for political reasons in the second half of the 20th century, especially in the former communist countries. According to the global initiative on psychiatry, political abuse of psychiatry is defined as the incorrect usage of diagnoses, treatments, or psychiatry admissions in order to limits fundamental rights of persons or population groups in certain countries. Most studies regarding political abuse as a repressive measure analysed it in either USSR or China. Romania is one of the countries from the former communist block in which psychiatry was proven to be used as a form of repression against political dissidents. One of the psychiatry “tools” used against political dissidents was the widespread usage of mandatory, non-voluntary admissions. They were seen as preventive measures, whose purpose was to prevent an individual to act antisocially. The purpose of this article is to analyse the characteristics of the patients that were non-voluntarily admitted i...

Thomas Jonnesco - A Nominee for Nobel Prize, 1924

Chirurgia (Bucharest, Romania : 1990)

Non-coding RNAs: the cancer genome dark matter that matters!

Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (CCLM), 2017

Protein-coding genes comprise only 3% of the human genome, while the genes that are transcribed i... more Protein-coding genes comprise only 3% of the human genome, while the genes that are transcribed into RNAs but do not code for proteins occupy majority of the genome. Once considered as biological darker matter, non-coding RNAs are now being recognized as critical regulators in cancer genome. Among the many types of non-coding RNAs, microRNAs approximately 20 nucleotides in length are best characterized and their mechanisms of action are well generalized. microRNA exerts oncogenic or tumor suppressor function by regulation of protein-coding genes via sequence complementarity. The expression of microRNA is aberrantly regulated in all cancer types, and both academia and biotech companies have been keenly pursuing the potential of microRNA as cancer biomarker for early detection, prognosis, and therapeutic response. The key involvement of microRNAs in cancer also prompted interest on exploration of therapeutic values of microRNAs as anticancer drugs and drug targets. MRX34, a liposome-f...

Medical Deontology in Psychiatry During the Early Communist Period in Romania

European Psychiatry, 2015