Poster presentations

Anna van Egmond (1533–1558), Countess of Buren and Wife of William of Orange, Treated by Lommius and Vesalius

Lommius (c. 1527–1572), born in Buren (Gelderland), later Latinized his name to Jodocus Lommius Buranus in his publications. He studied medicine in Leuven (1549) and became city doctor in Tournai in 1554. Lommius was acquainted with Jean Fernel, professor of medicine in Paris, and together with Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), he attended the deathbed of Anna van Buren in Breda in March 1558.

Lommius published three works, with his most famous being Medicinalium observationum libri tres on semiology. At the time, he was serving as city doctor in Brussels. He likely later moved to Vienna as court physician to Emperor Maximilian II, overseeing the care of the emperor’s children. Toward the end of his life, Lommius held a position at the imperial court in Madrid, where he passed away in 1572.

History of Care in Medical Education: Why It Matters

In 2024, fifteen medical master’s students at the University of Antwerp took the elective course History of Care. The experience proved highly enriching, yet the course remains optional—a situation both students and faculty find regrettable. They argue that historical knowledge belongs at the heart of medical education.

The course explored medicine from prehistory to the 19th century, non-Western medical systems, the role of women in healthcare, and experimental thinking. Students combined theory with hands-on learning, including research projects and a visit to the Museum Plantin Moretus, examining historic manuscripts and original printing plates.

Studying the past helps future doctors understand why practices evolved, recognize pivotal breakthroughs, and navigate ethical dilemmas with context and nuance. Historical insight fosters critical thinking, professional identity, empathy, and appreciation for medical progress.

As healthcare rapidly evolves—with AI, globalization, and complex patient care—this course bridges past and present, preparing students to be reflective, competent, and conscientious physicians.

A rare gift doubles the Incunabula Collection at the University of Antwerp

An extraordinary event has doubled the University of Antwerp’s incunabula collection: an anonymous donation.

In the summer of 2025, the Department of Library & Archives received five incunabula—books printed before 1501, from the early period of Western printing. In November 2025, a sixth work was added.

Among these treasures is the 1491 edition of Antonius Gazius’ Corona florida medicinae. Gazius titled his treatise “a wreath of flowers” because he carefully compiled it from older anthologies. Printed in Venice by Giovanni and Gregorio di Gregori of Forlì, Northern Italy, the work is a practical guide to healthy living.

Little is known about Gazius (also Gadius or Antonio Gazio). He was of Northern Italian origin—Padua or Cremona—and studied medicine at the University of Padua. He practiced across Europe, including at the courts of Hungary and Poland, and died in 1528.

The treatise contains over three hundred chapters on sleep, exercise, hygiene, sexual health, and nutrition, describing the qualities, preparation, and consumption of foods from saffron to meats and wines. It blends Jewish, Arabic, and Western sources, citing physicians (Galen, Hippocrates), philosophers (Maimonides, Aristotle), poets (Ovid, Virgil), and clergy (Paul, Augustine).

Of the 121 known copies, one resides in the Royal Library of Belgium, and the second now belongs to the University of Antwerp. Ownership marks, including the Feroldi family coat of arms, testify to the book’s journey across early modern Europe.

Books from the Special Collections that are classified under the subject code Human Medicine.

https://go.wander.be/query/uantwerpen/opacuantwerpen/ua-med

​VESALIUS. Official journal of the International Society for the History of Medicine (ISHM)

Vesalius is the official journal of the International Society for the History of Medicine (ISHM), publishing original research across all areas of medical history. Topics include medical biography, clinical biology, medical ethics and bioethics, surgical science, anatomical modelling, history of physiology and clinical medicine, social medicine, palaeopathology, and the history of behaviour and welfare.

The journal also features reviews, letters to the editor, and abstracts from ISHM meetings and congresses, subject to editorial approval. Articles are published in English or French, with abstracts provided in both languages.

Psychiatry in Tunisia: From Caelius Aurélianus’ Melancholy (Carthage School) to Ishaq Ibn Omrane (Kairouan School)

This presentation will cover two major periods in the history of medicine in Tunisia. The first focuses on the Latin period, represented by Caelius Aurélianus, a physician from El Kef (ancient Sicca Veneria) in the 5th century, considered a precursor to modern psychiatry. The second examines the Kairouan school, with Ishaq Ibn Omrane in the 10th century, author of the Arabic treatise on melancholy. The paper will highlight the continuity and transformation of ideas about melancholy and psychiatric approaches across these two historical periods.

Original text

La Psychiatrie en Tunisie : de la Mélancolie de Caelius Aurélianus (école de Carthage) à Ishaq Ibn Omrane (école de Kairouan)

Cette présentation couvrira deux périodes majeures de l’histoire de la médecine en Tunisie. La première concerne la période latine, avec Caelius Aurélianus, médecin du Kef (ancienne Sicca Veneria) au Ve siècle, considéré comme un précurseur de la psychiatrie moderne. La seconde se concentre sur l’école de Kairouan, avec Ishaq Ibn Omrane au Xe siècle, auteur du traité arabe sur la mélancolie. L’exposé mettra en lumière la continuité et les transformations des conceptions de la mélancolie et des approches psychiatriques à travers ces deux époques.

Biography

Hassene Hamouda, a member of the Tunisian Society for the History of Medicine and psychiatrist at Saint-Martin Hospital in Namur, Belgium, has participated in several major events dedicated to the history of medicine in Tunisia. The work presented is by Chemceddine Hamouda, psychiatrist and vice-president of the Tunisian Society for the History of Medicine.

The 50th International Congress of the History of Medicine will be held in Tunis from November 4–6, 2026.

Original text

Biographie

Hassene Hamouda, membre de la Société tunisienne d’Histoire de la Médecine et psychiatre à l’Hôpital Saint-Martin à Namur, Belgique, a participé à plusieurs événements majeurs consacrés à l’histoire de la médecine en Tunisie.Le travail présenté est celui de Chemceddine Hamouda, psychiatre et vice-président de la Société tunisienne d’Histoire de la Médecine.

Le 50e Congrès International d’Histoire de la Médecine se tiendra à Tunis du 4 au 6 novembre 2026.