Karl Stern (1906-1975)

The forced migration process of German-speaking neurologists and psychiatrists under the Nazis during the 1930s and 40s is often preoccupied solely with "successful" concepts and therapeutic approaches. The case of German-Canadian neurologist Karl Stern (1906-1975) is very instructive, however, since the process of forced migration, for him, proved to be a transitionary process from his former cutting edge work in neuropathology and holist neurology in Germany to clinical psychiatry and the development of the new discipline of geriatric medicine in Canada.

A review of our roots: blacks in gerontology

The historical underpinnings in the field of gerontology rest on the contributions of scholars across a myriad of racial and ethnic backgrounds. With the increasing diversity of the adult population, there is a need to increase the number of researchers who study older adults from diverse racial and ethnic populations in general and Black elderly people in particular. Furthermore, it is important to document the participation of Black older adults in our earliest and continuing research efforts. Understanding the historical context and the foundational influence of Black scholars in this field is critical. To realize its humble beginnings, one must become aware of the contributions by Black scholars who have a vested interest in the aging process. With universal similarities and unique differences among older adults, there is a need to acknowledge the past and current scholarship of those who study the aging processes of Blacks while marveling over the future possibilities. The purpose of this review is to elucidate the legacy and current contributions, philosophies, and research of Black scholars in the field of gerontology. In addition, exploration of the theoretical and conceptual frameworks used to establish national and organizational initiatives is reviewed. The impetus in initiating and continuing this work requires a "knowledge of our roots" while moving into the future. It is important to learn the history and significance of Black scholars in gerontology, the contributions of older Blacks, and appreciate the resiliency and marveled life course of this unique population.

Dr Adolf Lukas Vischer (1884-1974) and 'barbed-wire disease'

The Swiss physician Adolf Lukas Vischer described a psychiatric syndrome among prisoners of war, the 'barbed-wire disease' that follows a long-term incarceration and which involved boredom, confusion, clouding of consciousness and amnesia. Vischer first identified this as an important clinical issue. Later in life, he became one of the first geriatricians and gerontologists.

[Geriatrics from the 19th to the 21st century. 150 years of geriatric medicine: from increasing life expectancy to improving quality of life for the very old]

With the world further aging, geriatric medicine clearly became a necessity: in the 21th century many more people reach older ages by means of continued medical success in expanding lifespan. 150 years ago life expectancy was between 30 to 40 years, but today close to 800 million people are 60 yeas old or more. During the last century aging has been associated with decline and decay, but gradually more people lived ably and healthily in older ages. The expansion in life expectancy has become a synchronism of quality of life: the average 65 year old today is much healthier, physically and mentally fitter, than the average 50 year old 150 years ago, when Alois Alzheimer war born, a period when most nowadays existing geriatric institutions were envisioned and progressively realized over time. Today we strongly believe that a healthy life and, equally, the quality of life of the very old people can be extended with presently existing medical knowledge, based on research, environmental and behavioural changes, by postponing the onset and progression of fatal and disabling diseases and disorders. But very soon ethical considerations concerning all kinds of medical and technological solutions available to maintain or even improve the mental and physical functioning of dependant elderly people will engage our society when deciding how and at what moment in time to make the best decisions and allocate resources. Geriatric medicine will be further challenged by competing and demanding medical and economic needs, when marshalling resources to meet the growing demands of our society for improving care for the very old and often demented adult.

[Age and aging in Friedrich Hoffmann's medical practice]

Our research uses medical case histories from the practice of Friedrich Hoffmann (1660-1742) in Halle (Saale) to explore the following key questions: what in Hoffmann's view constituted the beginning of 'old age', and what treatment he offered to these older patients. When examining the notion of what Hoffmann considered the start of 'old age' to be, it is apparent that in certain cases he deviated from his theoretical categorisation, when confronted with the disposition, or ill-health, of individual patients. It is also evident that Hoffmann pursued a differentiated approach to the treatment of those he viewed as older patients, avoiding the prescription of medication in favour of dietary measures to encourage blood circulation. Furthermore, whilst on the basis of Hoffmann's 'Iatromechanical Theory', the use of the intellect in 'old age' was considered detrimental to health, our findings suggest that Hoffmann did not advise his mainly upper class patients to avoid this entirely, as he appreciated that they had to conform to societal norms.

Biological aging and social characteristics: gerontology, the Baltimore city hospitals, and the National Institutes of Health

The intramural gerontological research program in the National Institutes of Health underwent a substantial growth after its creation within the precincts of the Baltimore City Hospitals in 1940. This paper analyzes its development and the associated problems of its early years. Gerontologists aimed at improving the social and economic life of the elderly through scientific research. With this aim in mind, they conducted various investigations using the indigent aged patients of the Baltimore City Hospitals. Yet the scientists of aging, who hoped to eliminate negative social factors that might bias their research and heighten the confusion between pathology and aging per se, eventually stopped using these patients in the hospital as human subjects. Instead they sought educated affluent subjects in order to eliminate the impact of poverty. By doing so, however, they introduced a new source of social bias to their work, especially within the novel project begun in 1958, the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. This article thus examines the context of the development of gerontologists' research by analyzing their agenda, institutional environment, and research subjects in the 1940s and the 1950s.

[Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology: achievements and prospects (towards the 20th anniversary)]

The article presents the results of the 20-years' long activity of the Saint Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology founded to fulfill the basic and applied tasks in the sphere of gerontology and to integrate with medical practice new methods for preventing premature aging and age-related pathology by means of pharmaceuticals based on peptide bioregulators. Among the Institute main achievements are the scientific developments in the field of peptide regulation of aging, creation of a new medical domain--bioregulation therapy, and foundation of the Russian school of biogerontology. As a result of investigations, a key role of peptides in the regulation of aging process has been established, and a method of bioregulators complex application has been developed to increase organism resistance to various unfavorable factors and enhancement of human vital resource. At present 6 drugs and over 60 peptide bioregulators are widely used for prevention and treatment of many diseases. 9 new peptide preparations revealing geroprotective properties are submitted to the Russian Health Ministry to be registered as drugs.

[Gluttony, obesity and the metabolic syndrome in the context of the "seven deadly sins". Historical-theological, literary and art, mass media, political, philosophical, medical-psychological and geriatric aspects of the problem]

In this pape different aspects of problem of obesity are analysed.