[Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592): report of a case of not perceiving own blindness]. 1990

R Bernoulli
Augenarzt FMH, Ehrendozent für Geschichte der Medizin, Basel.

In the second book of the Essais towards the end of the twelfth chapter Montaigne mentions a nobleman who does not take note of his blindness. This case of not noticing his own blindness is presumably the first ever described. It belongs to the complex of anosognosia symptoms among which must be emphasized the Anton syndrome. The invalidity described by Montaigne means for him a crucial point of his critique of senses and thus of his doctrine of natural cognition.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008093 Literature, Modern Writings originating from the 15th century A.D. to the present Modern Literature
D008297 Male Males
D008513 Medicine in Literature Written or other literary works whose subject matter is medical or about the profession of medicine and related areas. Literature, Medicine in,in Literature, Medicine
D001766 Blindness The inability to see or the loss or absence of perception of visual stimuli. This condition may be the result of EYE DISEASES; OPTIC NERVE DISEASES; OPTIC CHIASM diseases; or BRAIN DISEASES affecting the VISUAL PATHWAYS or OCCIPITAL LOBE. Amaurosis,Bilateral Blindness,Blindness, Bilateral,Blindness, Legal,Blindness, Monocular,Blindness, Unilateral,Sudden Visual Loss,Unilateral Blindness,Blindness, Acquired,Blindness, Complete,Blindness, Hysterical,Blindness, Transient,Acquired Blindness,Amauroses,Bilateral Blindnesses,Complete Blindness,Hysterical Blindness,Legal Blindness,Monocular Blindness,Sudden Visual Losses,Transient Blindness,Visual Loss, Sudden
D005602 France A country in western Europe bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, the English Channel, the Mediterranean Sea, and the countries of Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the principalities of Andorra and Monaco, and by the duchy of Luxembourg. Its capital is Paris. Corsica,Saint Pierre and Miquelon,Miquelon and Saint Pierre,Miquelon and St. Pierre,St. Pierre and Miquelon
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000377 Agnosia Loss of the ability to comprehend the meaning or recognize the importance of various forms of stimulation that cannot be attributed to impairment of a primary sensory modality. Tactile agnosia is characterized by an inability to perceive the shape and nature of an object by touch alone, despite unimpaired sensation to light touch, position, and other primary sensory modalities. Auditory Agnosia,Finger Agnosia,Sensory Agnosia,Tactile Agnosia,Visual Agnosia,Agnosia for Pain,Agnosia for Smell,Agnosia for Taste,Agnosia for Temperature,Anosognosia,Auditory Agnosia, Congenital,Body-Image Agnosia,Congenital Auditory Agnosia,Developmental Agnosia,Gustatory Agnosia,Ideational Agnosia,Olfactory Agnosia,Position Agnosia,Somatosensory Agnosia,Time Agnosia,Topographical Agnosia,Visual Agnosia for Objects,Visual Disorientation Syndrome,Visuospatial Agnosia,Agnosia for Tastes,Agnosia, Auditory,Agnosia, Body-Image,Agnosia, Congenital Auditory,Agnosia, Developmental,Agnosia, Finger,Agnosia, Gustatory,Agnosia, Ideational,Agnosia, Olfactory,Agnosia, Position,Agnosia, Sensory,Agnosia, Somatosensory,Agnosia, Tactile,Agnosia, Time,Agnosia, Topographical,Agnosia, Visual,Agnosia, Visuospatial,Agnosias,Agnosias, Auditory,Agnosias, Body-Image,Agnosias, Congenital Auditory,Agnosias, Developmental,Agnosias, Finger,Agnosias, Ideational,Agnosias, Olfactory,Agnosias, Position,Agnosias, Sensory,Agnosias, Somatosensory,Agnosias, Tactile,Agnosias, Time,Agnosias, Topographical,Agnosias, Visual,Agnosias, Visuospatial,Anosognosias,Auditory Agnosias,Auditory Agnosias, Congenital,Body Image Agnosia,Body-Image Agnosias,Congenital Auditory Agnosias,Developmental Agnosias,Finger Agnosias,Ideational Agnosias,Olfactory Agnosias,Position Agnosias,Sensory Agnosias,Somatosensory Agnosias,Syndrome, Visual Disorientation,Syndromes, Visual Disorientation,Tactile Agnosias,Time Agnosias,Topographical Agnosias,Visual Agnosias,Visual Disorientation Syndromes,Visuospatial Agnosias
D049669 History, 16th Century Time period from 1501 through 1600 of the common era. 16th Century History,16th Cent. History (Medicine),16th Cent. History of Medicine,16th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 16th Century,History of Medicine, 16th Cent.,History, Sixteenth Century,Medical History, 16th Cent.,Medicine, 16th Cent.,16th Cent. Histories (Medicine),16th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 16th (Medicine),Cent. History, 16th (Medicine),Century Histories, 16th,Century Histories, Sixteenth,Century History, 16th,Century History, Sixteenth,Histories, 16th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 16th Century,Histories, Sixteenth Century,History, 16th Cent. (Medicine),Sixteenth Century Histories,Sixteenth Century History

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