Martin Araguz A, Bustamante Martinez C, Fernandez Armayor V
Hospital Central de la Defensa, Servicio de Neurología, Madrid, España.
Rev Neurol. 2003;36(12):1190-8.
In the 16th century, at the height of the Spanish Renaissance, Bachiller Miguel Sabuco revolutionised medical theories about brain physiology with the publication of his work Nueva Filosof a in 1587. This work, which is mysteriously attributed to his daughter Luisa Oliva, presents a surprisingly gynocentric ideology for its time and has been reprinted on numerous occasions since its first edition saw the light. Sabuco s ideas have been plagiarised by such renowned authors as Descartes, Willis and Glisson.
In stark contrast to the Arabized galenism based on the criterion of authority that predominated the medical practice of his time, Nueva Filosof a empirically promoted a modern approach to neurophysiology. This becomes even more worthy of merit if we bear in mind that Sabuco was not trained as a doctor but instead worked as an apothecary in Alcaraz (Albacete, Spain). The Bachiller granted the brain a commanding role over the organisation of the body for the first time in the history of medicine. He not only developed the surprising theory of succo nervoso (the nervous sap, or original neurotransmitting substance), but also an elegant digression on human nature that puts forward solid arguments about the dualist relation between mind and brain. He examined the association between emotional and physical health and explained how the emotions can impair health and lead to early death, which means he was also a pioneer in the development of psychosomatic medicine.
Besides constituting the most illustrious forerunner of modern day neurochemistry, Sabuco s work also encourages doctors to treat their patients in an integral manner, with equal attention being given to the body, mind and soul. It comes as no surprise, then, that many aspects of his work can still be compared to modern medical and philosophical thought.
在16世纪西班牙文艺复兴的鼎盛时期，学士米格尔·萨布科于1587年出版了他的著作《新哲学》，彻底改变了有关大脑生理学的医学理论。这部著作神秘地归功于他的女儿路易莎·奥利瓦，在当时呈现出令人惊讶的以女性为中心的意识形态，自第一版问世以来已多次重印。萨布科的思想被笛卡尔、威利斯和格利森等著名作家抄袭。
与当时主导医学实践的基于权威标准的阿拉伯化盖伦主义形成鲜明对比的是，《新哲学》以经验为依据推动了神经生理学的现代方法。如果我们考虑到萨布科并非接受过医生培训，而是在阿尔卡拉斯（西班牙阿尔巴塞特）担任药剂师，这就更值得称赞了。这位学士在医学史上首次赋予大脑对身体组织的主导作用。他不仅提出了令人惊讶的神经液理论（神经液，即原始神经传递物质），还对人性进行了精彩的离题论述，提出了关于心灵与大脑二元关系的有力论据。他研究了情绪与身体健康之间的关联，并解释了情绪如何损害健康并导致过早死亡，这意味着他也是身心医学发展的先驱。
除了构成现代神经化学最杰出的先驱之外，萨布科的著作还鼓励医生以整体方式治疗患者，对身体、心灵和灵魂给予同等关注。因此，毫不奇怪，他的著作的许多方面仍然可以与现代医学和哲学思想相比较。
