In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García

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  In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García -  Photo © Facebook/National Museum of Natural History of Cuba In Memoriam: Giraldo Alayón García The arachnological community mourns the loss of Giraldo Alayón García, a Cuban zoologist whose work helped bring the spiders of Cuba and the wider Caribbean into clearer scientific view. As a researcher and curator at Cuba’s National Museum of Natural History, Dr. Alayón devoted decades to studying arachnids. His publications on spider taxonomy, evolution, and biogeography gave other researchers a stronger foundation for understanding the region’s biodiversity. He also shared that knowledge through teaching and scientific exchange far beyond Cuba. For those of us who care about taxonomy, his legacy is a reminder of the patient work behind every species description: examining specimens, recording differences, and preserving knowledge that others can build upon. His contributions will continue to guide the study of Caribbean spiders for years to ...

Scorpion Venom Peptides in Ophthalmology: Insights from the Babylonian Talmud

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Scorpion Venom Peptides in Ophthalmology: Insights from the Babylonian Talmud

Abstract

Historical medical texts can reveal overlooked therapeutic approaches relevant to modern ophthalmology. This perspective revisits a remedy from the Babylonian Talmud prescribing a mixture of scorpion and kohl for an eye condition called buruqti (also transliterated as beroketi), traditionally translated as cataract. Through philological, zoological, and pathological analysis, we argue that buruqti likely refers to a corneal or conjunctival lesion rather than a true lens opacity. The description within the remedy of the scorpion’s “seven-beaded tail” is interpreted symbolically within the cultural and mystical framework of Late Antiquity. This ancient preparation, while not adopted in later medical texts, raises intriguing possibilities for the use of arachnid venom peptides in ocular disease. These peptides possess antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and anti-angiogenic properties with emerging potential for treating inflammatory and degenerative eye disorders. This article highlights the intersection of historical scholarship and modern biomedical research, suggesting that ancient remedies can inspire novel pharmacological strategies. We thereby aim to expand the conceptual horizons of ophthalmic drug discovery and encourage exploration of venom-derived peptides as next-generation therapeutics.
In an era of renewed interest in immunomodulatory therapies, ophthalmology may find unexpected inspiration in ancient sources. A remedy in the Babylonian Talmud combining scorpion and kohl for an eye condition therefore invites biomedical analysis. This article explores its philology, zoology, pathology, and relevance to modern ocular drug discovery. No prior analysis has combined philological review with pharmacological feasibility assessment of arachnid venom in ophthalmology.
The Babylonian Talmud is a vast compilation of rabbinic debate and interpretation, spanning topics from Jewish law and ethics to theology and medicine. It comprises 37 tractates grouped into six divisions (or ‘orders’), each tractate examining a specific legal or ritual subject. Within a tractate named Gittin lies a self-contained book of remedies, thought to preserve earlier Akkadian medical material likely dating to the 3rd century AD.1 Consequently, the Talmud represents the most comprehensive medical corpus within ancient Judaism.2 One entry in Gittin 69a (Figure 1) prescribes treatment for a condition named buruqti (ברוקתי), alternatively transliterated as beroketi. This term is explained by the leading rabbinical commentator, Rashi, as an eye disease colloquially known in his native Old French as toile (טייל״א).3 He explains elsewhere this is a type of curtain fabric, hence a metaphor for a physical or visual membrane.4

Maskill, D., & Blizzard, R. M. (2025). Scorpion Venom Peptides in Ophthalmology: Insights from the Babylonian Talmud. American Journal of Ophthalmology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2025.08.054