Naum Efimovich Ischlondsky: a forgotten protagonist of the concept of reflexology

The present article reports on the life and work of a protagonist of the concept of reflexology. While the concept itself has its roots in Russia, in Ivan Petrovich Pavlov's research on conditioned reflexes, and was then shaped to a large extent by Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev, the contributions of Naum Efimovich Ischlondsky (Ishlondsky) have been largely forgotten. Moreover, he developed this concept throughout his life up to the 1960s, by which time he was living in the USA. In contrast, in the Soviet Union, the concepts of reflexology based on the work of Bechterev and his followers had already been abandoned by the 1930s for largely political reasons.

[In quest of objectivity - The concept of reflexology as an attempt towards a mechanistic doctrine of psychics]

The concept of reflexology had been mainly developed in Russia in the first three decades of the 20^th century. It could be regarded as a distinct and universal concept which was to explain both psychic diseases, healthy conditions, and psychology of masses. Moreover, it had been influenced behaviourism and, likewise, was an answer for the search of an objective method for investigation of the psyche. Main protagonists were Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev and Naum Efimovich Ishlondsky (Ischlondsky) whose works underwent international dissemination.

The Rise of Massage and Medical Gymnastics in London and Paris before the First World War

Massage and medical gymnastics experienced a rapid institutionalization across Europe and North America between 1850 and 1914. This article explores how this process took place in London and Paris. Physiotherapy developed many of the hallmarks of an independent discipline during this period, including an identified corpus of manipulations and exercises, some autonomous training courses and degrees for future practitioners, and even the creation of departments within several hospitals. The article analyzes all of the processes surrounding this rise, paying special attention to the influence of the ambassadors of Swedish gymnastics (which led to the re-invention of massage across Europe), to the installation of physiotherapy in hospitals in London and in Paris, and to the practical and institutional innovations driven by nurses in England and by doctors in France.

[The achievements of Therapeutic Institute of Eugenia Lewicka in Druskininkai]

The professional activity of Eugenia Lewicka (1896-1931), a Varsovian doctor, his thorough medical education in various European countries are presented first of all. Her significance for development of Main Institute of Physical Education in Warsaw is mentioned. She was a head of "Helio-, aero-, and kinesiotherapeutical infirmary" in Druskininkai. The achievements this well-known infirmary for development of Polish health resorts are recounted.

[Vojta's method as the early neurodevelopmental diagnosis and therapy concept]

Vaclav Vojta (1917-2000) developed an early diagnostic method of the neurodevelopmental disorder of infants and came up with therapeutic concept consisting in releasing of global motor complexes by means of the stimulation of proper areas on patients body. In the diagnostics apart from very careful observation of the spontaneous movement of the infant and examination of the reflexes that are characteristic for the first weeks of human's life, Vojta applied the examination of the 7 postural reactions. Presence of the trouble in patterns and dynamics of the postural reactions Vojta called Central Nervous Coordination Disorder--CNCD and regarded as work diagnosis or alarm signal indicating necessity of application of the therapy, especially when asymmetry of the muscle tone and primitive reflexes beyond their physiological appearance period are observed or the number of the abnormal reactions exceeds 5. Global motor complexes as reflex locomotion--crawling and rotation--consist of all the partial motion patterns, which are gradually used by healthy infant in the process of postural and motor ontogenesis. Providing the central nervous system with proper external stimulation allows to, using neuronal plasticity, recreate an access to the human's postural development program and gradually replace pathological motor patterns by those more regular. Exercises repeated several times a day rebuilt support, erectile and vertical mechanisms, improve automatic postural control and phase lower limb movement. Affecting especially on autochtonic muscles of the spine exercises balance synergic cooperation of muscle groups in the trunk and those surrounding key body joints. This way they correct body's posture and peripheral motion and pathology of the outlasted primitive reflexes gradually withdraws.

The classic: observations on pathogenesis and treatment of congenital clubfoot. 1972

This Classic article is a reprint of the original work by Ignacio V. Ponseti and Jeronimo Campos, Observations on Pathogenesis and Treatment of Congenital Clubfoot. An accompanying biographical sketch on Ignacio V. Ponseti, MD, is available at DOI 10.1007/s11999-009-0719-8 and a second Classic article is available at 10.1007/s11999-009-0720-2. This article is ©1972 by Lippincott Williams and Wilkins and is reprinted with permission from Ponseti IV, Campos J. Observations on Pathogenesis and Treatment of Congenital Clubfoot. Clin Orthop Relat Res . 1972;84:50–60.