The Nasogenital Reflex: Imprudence of the Past as a Lesson for a Wiser Future

Abstract

The history of the nasogenital reflex, a theory that purports a bidirectional pathway between the nose and genitalia, reveals a complex and diverse record spanning back to antiquity and across the Eurasian continent. This article examines how an antiquated medical theory made its way into early contemporary medicine, and the lesson this account serves as otolaryngology-head and neck surgery continues to work toward making all its interventions based on a hierarchy of evidence.

Keywords: evidenced-based medicine; history of otolaryngology; nasogenital reflex.