Last update:
10-Sep-2020

In this Introduction to the Proceedings of the Larissa XIth International Congress of the International Association for the History of Nephrology, we present some general thoughts on the errors made by Archaeology and Nephrology and efforts to rectify them. Starting from the claim made by the Organising Committee about Larissa as the place where Hippocrates died, we elaborate on the validity of this claim and the discovery of his tomb there. We then proceed to presenting two other Medieval legendary discoveries of his tomb, the one connected with the Capsula Eburnea and the other with the Holy Grail. Similarities are traced between these tombs and those –equally legendary– of Plato and Hermes Trismegistus. Examples of Nephrology's historical errors presented are those connected with the treatments by bloodletting, cupping, mercury and arsenic administration, treating dialysis water with aluminium and the widespread use of plastic. All these methods and materials had been highly applauded when first introduced and it took many years –even millennia– for their detrimental effects on the kidneys and the environment to be accepted and steps to be taken to eliminate their use. In an apologetic manner, we tried to present some explanation of their proponents' faith in their beneficial effects and to suggest a cautious way when dealing with "miraculous" treatments of the past but also with some modern ones. Intelligence and science are not always infallible. Common sense, art, and in-depth knowledge should be the cornerstone on any Congress on the study of the History of its field.

Key words: Archaeology's errors, Capsula Eburnea, Hippocrates' tomb, Lunar library, Nephrology's errors, Plato's tomb, Smaragdina.