Epidemics and outbreaks of peripheral nervous system disorders: II. Toxic and nutritional causes
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Epidemics and outbreaks of peripheral nervous system disorders: II. Toxic and nutritional causes Stéphane Mathis1 · Antoine Soulages1 · Jean‑Michel Vallat2 · Gwendal Le Masson1,3,4 Received: 21 August 2020 / Revised: 28 August 2020 / Accepted: 2 September 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Peripheral neuropathies have various causes, both infectious and non-infectious. When we think of “epidemics”, we often refer to an infectious or even post-infectious origin. Nevertheless, the history of mankind is marked by episodes of epidemics of peripheral neuropathies of non-infectious nature, either of nutritional or toxic origin: we present here the main causes of such epidemics. Keywords Alcohol · Beriberi · Tropical ataxic neuropathy · Lead · Arsenic · Hexacarbons Abbreviations ARW American revolutionary war EMS Eosinophilia–myalgia syndrome FDA Food and drug administration JG Jamaica ginger L-TRP l-Tryptophan PN Peripheral neuropathy PNS Peripheral nervous system PP Pellagra preventis TAN Tropical ataxic neuropathy TOCP Tri-ortho-cresyl-phosphate WHO World Health Organization
of the main current causes of PN worldwide are diabetes mellitus and alcohol consumption, both being considered as real epidemics (or even endemics/pandemics) from an epidemiological point of view. Other frequent forms of PN are drug-induced PN (chemotherapy,.etc.). However, this paper will not deal with drug-induced and diabetic PN, but only focus on alcohol-induced PN and other lesser known causes of toxic and nutritional PN giving rise to epidemics in the past.
Alcohol consumption and peripheral neuropathy
Introduction
The history of alcoholism
Although many epidemics of peripheral neuropathy (PN) were due to infectious or post-infectious diseases, non-infectious disorders may also be incriminated. For example, two
Since ancient times, alcoholic beverages play an important social role across the globe. The first archaeologic evidence of production and consumption of fermented beverage may go back 13,000 years (Neolithic), cereal-based beer having been developed by the Natufians in the Near East (Israel) [1]. Fermented beverages such as beer and wine were an essential part of the gracious way of life in many ancient civilizations (Egypt, Greece, India, China, Roma, etc.) [2], and even today. Primitive forms of distillation were developed in ancient Mesopotamia (first millenium BC), and some forms of distilled alcohol were probably known to the ancient Indians and Chinese, as well as ancient Greeks [3]. There was also evidence of true alcohol distillation (and the discovery of the flammable properties of alcohol vapors) in the Arabian alchemical treatises of the Middle Ages [4]. It
* Stéphane Mathis Stephane.mathis@chu‑bordeaux.fr 1
Department of Neurology, Nerve‑Muscle Unit, CHU Bordeaux (Pellegrin University Hospital), Place Amélie Raba‑Léon, Bordeaux 33076, France
2
Department of Neurology, National Reference Center for ‘Rare Peripheral Neuropathies
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