| Abstract |
The great epidemics in the history of Medicine have always called the medical community to respond. This first medical response is of great interest since the steps of action, the challenges and the multiple choices at first place predispose the route of the epidemics. The Black Death, the plague epidemics that devastated Europe in the medieval times, and the HIV epidemics that emerged in America in the 20th century, are both significant examples of great challenge for the medical world. How did the doctors react in the emergence of the plague in the 14th century and how did so in the late 20th century? Is there any resemblance in the medical responses between these two distal epidemics despite of the differences in technological means, perceptions and social conditions of each era? The objective of this study is to research the first medical responses to these two epidemics, in a practical, clinical, ethical and ideological level. The purpose is to describe and analyze the way in which doctors reacted to a new, emerging disease that ended in epidemics, in two different time points in the history of Medicine. Differences and resemblances of this reaction are investigated. The methodology includes an overview of international bibliography, in English and Greek language. Relevant scientific journal articles, books, written interviews, reports, official recommendations and conference documents have been surveyed. Τhe conditions in which these diseases emerged, as well as the main characteristics of the medical world and the medical act in these two periods of time, are described at first place. The way in which medical response was organized, the strong and the weak parts of it and its impact in society are further discussed. Main differences arise, especially due to the different means, technology, scientific level and medical activity between these two distal points of time. It seems though, that the medical response to HIV emergence, even well-organized and utterly scientific, shares some common characteristics with the medieval response to the plague, as far as fear and prejudice are concerned. Additionally, the society seems to affect and form to a point the medical reaction to the epidemics. The analysis of the medical response in these two epidemic points of history reveals attitudes to imitate or to reject. In the investigated cases, problems seem to have arisen, not only medical but multifactor. The depiction of these problems could help to a better planning of medical reaction against a possible emerging epidemic. It could be even challenging to think of “the right way to act” in a subject that could always be up-to-date.
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Αντιδράσεις της ιατρικής κοινότητας στην εμφάνιση του HIV στον 20ο και στην επιδημία πανώλους στο 14ο αιώνα
