Medea's Nuptial Gifts: Myth and Biomedical Reality.

In all art forms, Medea is mainly represented as the tragic witch from Colchis (contemporary Georgia), who slaughtered her sons and killed her erotic rival Glauke and her father, King Creon of Corinth, by offering an elaborate poisonous nuptial garment. Euripides described the victims' symptoms as a sudden extreme inflammation, leading anyone coming into contact with the garment to death. In other version, the inflammation is described as pure fire. The symptoms resemble what current medical knowledge describes as an immune contact sensitivity reaction. The passages with medical interest from the opera based on this tragedy are presented in the original musical form as well as some similar film and theater scenes. Magnified images of harmful insect's Medea's nuptial gifts are shown and their action is discussed.