The Papyrus Ebers, and Egyptian manual of therapeutics from 1500 BC, describes a disease characterized by pallor, dyspnea and edema that may have been iron deficiency anemia. This ancient disease possibly was due to chronic hookworm infestation.
In 1554, a disorder called chlorosis – derived from the Greek word for green, was first described; this was probably a type of iron deficiency anemia. It was describe by 16th and 17th century physicians as a disorder most prevalent in adolescent girl who has inadequate dietary intake of iron and high requirement for iron due to increased loss from menses.
In 1825, the red coloring matter of blood was reported to have an iron content of 0.35% a value very close to that calculated by modern methods. About the same time, anemia was recognized as being due to low levels of iron in the blood and as reduction in the number of red cells.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s another form of iron deficiency anemia was recognized, ‘chronic hypochromic’ anemia.
Iron is incorporated into a large number of cellular proteins. Many are involved in enzyme catalysis and electron transport, whereas others are involved in carrying oxygen or storing and transporting iron itself.
It may also result from inadequate dietary iron intake, malabsorption, blood loss or rarely intravascular hemolysis with hemoglobinuria.
The clinical manifestations of chronic iron deficiency anemia include fatigue, anorexia, headache, lassitude, tachycardia, neurologic disorders, pallor of the skin and mucosae and koilonychia.
The value of dietary iron has been known for centuries It is said that Persian physician Melampus in 4000 BC gave iron supplements to sailors who led in battle.
Other account of iron as therapy date to ancient Egypt and Rome. Hippocrates, used iron to cure chlorosis. Iron continued to be used to treat various illness during the following centuries, but without any real understanding of its function.
The role of iron became apparent in the 17th century when iron therapy was used as a ‘cure’ for chlorosis, or ‘green sickness’, in France. Thomas Sydenham, recognized as the father do English medicine, recommended iron or steel fillings, steeped in cold Rhine wine.
There were a studies at that time that the presence of iron in blood and that blood iron levels could be increased by the feeding of iron-rich foods.
History of iron deficiency anemia
Learn history of medicine, learn how the medicine provide explanations for birth, death and disease. History of medicine shows how ideas have developed over the centuries, and medicine had arrived at its modern state through the course of history.
Friday, October 21, 2011
The most popular articles
-
Biography of Hippocrates Hippocrates is referred to ‘father of medicine’ in recognition of his lasting contributions to the field as the ...
-
Jean-Martin Charcot (29 November 1825 – 16 August 1893) was the son of a carriage-maker. He was the son and grandson of Parisian carriage ma...
-
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is important in a number of human metabolic pathways as well as being needed for nucleic acid synthesis, growth and ...
-
According to the CDC, arthritis accounts for 18% or nearly 9 million reports of disability, making it the number one cause of adult disabili...
-
In 1665 first scientific journals are published: the French Journal des scavans and the English Proceeding of the Royal Society , following ...
-
Free radicals are chemical species which have unpaired electrons on the boundary (atomic or molecular) orbitals. The term “radical” was firs...
-
Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a severe, often fatal disease in humans. Similar cases of hemorrhagic fever to Marbur...
-
In the early 1900s an Italian radiologist named Alessandro Vallebona invented tomography which used radiographic film to see a single slice ...