In an influential 1925 essay on the word eunuch and related terms, Ernst Maass suggested that Eustathiuss derivation "can or must be laid to rest", and he affirmed the derivation from eunē and ekhein ("guardian of the bed"), without mentioning the other derivation from eunoos and ekhein ("having a well-disposed state of mind"). In Latin, the words eunuchus, spado (Greek: σπάδων spadon), and castratus were used to denote eunuchs. By region and epoch
Ancient Middle East
The four-thousand-year-old Egyptian Execration Texts threaten enemies in Nubia and Asia, specifically referencing "all males, all eunuchs, all women. "Castration was sometimes punitive; under Assyrian law, homosexual acts were punishable by castration. Eunuchs were familiar figures in the Assyrian Empire (ca. 850 until 622 BCE) and in the court of the Egyptian Pharaohs (down to the Lagid dynasty known as Ptolemies, ending with Cleopatra VII, 30 BCE). Eunuchs sometimes were used as regents for underage heirs to the throne, as it seems to be the case for the Neo-Hittite state of Carchemish. Political eunuchism became a fully established institution among the Achamenide Persians. Eunuchs held powerful positions in the Achaemenide court. The eunuch Bagoas (not to be confused with Alexanders Bagoas) was the Vizier of Artaxerxes III and Artaxerxes IV, and was the primary power behind the throne during their reigns, until he was killed by Darius III.Marmon (1995) writes "Mamluk biographies of the eunuchs often praise their appearance with adjectives such as jamil (beautiful), wasim (handsome), and ahsan (the best, most beautiful) or akmal (the most perfect)."
Raloxifene, already proven effective against Mers and Sars in preclinical tests, has been indicated as effective against SARS-CoV-2 by the “in-silico” research conducted by the consortium which has shown efficacy in countering the replication of the virus in cells. The IP for its use against SARS-CoV-2 has already been protected on May 6 2020 in the name Dompé farmaceutici, Fraunhofer Institute and KU Leuven, to facilitate the largest possible access. Raloxifene would be used in mildly symptomatic COVID-19 patients to halt the spread of infection. This result emerged from the first virtual (in silico) screening conducted on the Consortium’s supercomputers of more than 400.000 molecules (safe-in-man drugs and natural products) made available by Dompé farmaceutici and the partner Fraunhofer (IME) to the Consortium. The molecules were prioritized if in clinical stage or already on the market. 7.000 molecules with certain promising characteristics were tested. References
Further reading
Barrett-Connor E (2001). "Raloxifene: risks and benefits". Ann N Y Acad Sci. 949 (1): 295–303. Bibcode:2001NYASA.949..295B. doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb04036.x. PMID 11795366. S2CID 41412601. Heringa M (2003). "Review on raloxifene: profile of a selective estrogen receptor modulator". Int J Clin Pharmacol Ther. 41 (8): 331–45. doi:10.5414/cpp41331. PMID 12940590. Sporn MB, Dowsett SA, Mershon J, Bryant HU (2004). "Role of raloxifene in breast cancer prevention in postmenopausal women: clinical evidence and potential mechanisms of action". Clin Ther. 26 (6): 830–40. doi:10.1016/s0149-2918(04)90127-0. PMID 15262454. Vogel VG (2009). "The NSABP Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) trial". Expert Rev Anticancer Ther. 9 (1): 51–60. doi:10.1586/14737140.9.1.51. PMC 2785111. PMID 19105706.