11/19/2024 Spleen

The spleen is an organ located in the upper left part of the abdomen, playing a vital role in the body's immune system and blood filtration processes. It removes old or damaged red blood cells and helps fight infection by producing white blood cells. Historically, in French literature and culture, the term "spleen" gained poetic significance through the works of Charles Baudelaire, especially in his collection "Les Fleurs du mal" ("The Flowers of Evil"). Baudelaire used "spleen" to describe a profound sense of melancholy, ennui, and existential angst, reflecting a deep and often dark contemplation of life's fleeting nature. This literary usage has cemented "spleen" as a term synonymous with a brooding and pensive mood, extending its influence beyond the medical realm into the cultural lexicon of the Francophone world.