The History of Gout, Part 1

ByAdam J. Brown, MD

Do you know the etymology of the word “gout,” or how a simple microscope aided in the identification of tophi? Join me as I explore the history of this inflammatory arthritis and highlight the important scientists who shaped the modern era of gout.

Intro :10
What to expect in Part 2 :48
A question: Which urate-lowering therapy was made for an expressly different reason than to treat gout?1:34
The first modern description of gout 1:54
Let’s go back to the Greeks 3:05
- Why is it called “gout?” 3:06
- An anecdote from medical school 4:13
- Hippocrates’ words of wisdom on gout 4:58
- First century AD: Gout is linked with excessive eating and drinking 6:01
Things get muddled 6:20
1683: The modern era of gout is described 6:42
“Gout Perspectives” published in The Lancet in 2018 7:06
Self-taught Dutch scientist, Antony van Leeuwenhoek, pioneers the microscope and identifies tophi 8:29
Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele discovers uric acid 11:38
William Hyde Wollaston tests tophi and discovers it’s full of uric acid 12:57
Emperor of uric acid, Alfred Baring Garrod, associates elevated serum uric acid with gout 13:48
- If anyone knows how the thread test works, please email me 14:58
- He theorized that uric acid causes gout 15:37
A look back at what we know 16:09
What we don’t know: What’s in the joints of patients with acute gout? 16:22
Stay tuned for The History of Gout, Part 2 16:34