Human Senses and Poetry (Workshop)

Varsou, O. (2019) Human Senses and Poetry (Workshop). Second International The Doctor as a Humanist Symposium, Moscow, Russia, 01-03 Apr 2019. (doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.35073.51048)

Abstract

Herophilus of Chalcedon recognised the human brain as an organ of the nervous system that he distinguished from the cardiovascular system by conducting systematic human and animal dissections (1). Most importantly, Herophilus of Chalcedon consolidated the view of the human brain as the seat of our intelligence responsible for thoughts, reasoning, and sensation (1,2). Herophilus of Chalcedon along with Erasistratus of Ceos introduced an encephalocentric school of thought that was very much in contrast to the prevailing Aristotelian cardiocentric theory that was holding the heart as the organ of intelligence (3). Erasistratus of Ceos also distinguished nerves into two types; those of movement and those of sensation (3). Although there were revolutionary breakthroughs, in relation to the human brain dating as far back as the antiquity, neurology and neuroscience are comparatively ‘young’ academic fields. Systematic clinical observations and interventions only started from the 16th century onwards. There are still many mysteries and perhaps myths associated with the structure and function of the human nervous system. This workshop will be split into three parts that will be discussed in the context of medical humanities: i) relevant historical introduction; ii) left brain versus right brain theory (4) and iii) synaesthesia that is characterised by pairing of stimuli with resultant, but perhaps unexpected, experiences (5). For the second part, we will attempt to debunk the dichotomous hemispheric dominance theory under the question ‘how can medical doctors become rounded and holistic in their approach?’. For the third and concluding part, we will discuss synaesthesia and how this could be linked to poetry. References 1. Klenerman, L., 2015. Human Anatomy: A Very Short Introduction. OUP Oxford. 2. Panegyres, K.P. and Panegyres, P.K., 2016. The ancient Greek discovery of the nervous system: Alcmaeon, Praxagoras and Herophilus. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 29, pp.21-24. 3. Pearce, J.M., 2016. Greek medicine: a new look. Brain, 139, pp.2322-2325. 4. Sperry, R.W., 1975. Left-brain, right-brain. Saturday Review, 2, pp.30-32. 5. Simner, J., 2012. Defining synaesthesia. British Journal of Psychology, 103, pp.1-15.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Varsou, Dr Ourania
• Authors: Varsou, O.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Life Sciences

Related URLs

• Organisation