Abstract:
René Descartes (1596-1650) may be
considered the first scientist in pain physiology. In his famous book De Homine
(published posthumously in 1662) he
described the transmission of pain signals
via the nerves and spinal cord, terminating
in the brain ventricles and “pineal
organ”. The pain processing
(nociception) system was conceptualised
as a “hard-wired” pain pathway which
reproduces a pain sensation in direct
proportion to the extent and severity of
the painful (noxious) insult – this outdated
concept has been reinforced over years
(and even today!) by many text books and
healthcare professionals.
