[Gout in Valchiavenna in the XVII century: a case report].

Gout was a well known disease in antiquity, even if often confused with other arthritic conditions. In this paper the XVII century physicians' knowledge about gout is discussed. In particular the chapter about gout by Ludovico Settalain his book Animadversionum, & cautionum Medicarum (1652) is reported. A story is also reported, described in many reports of the time, about a man who died under the land-slide which destroyed the town of Piuro in 1618: he was awfully disfigured by the land-slide, but was easily recognized by the severe gout he suffered in his hands..