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1844LittreE

 

Quote in Greek from the treatise «Mochlicus» (Instruments of Reductions) by Hippocrates of Cos (born 460 BCE) mentioning ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF). The Greek text was edited and translated into French by Emile LittréÉ. In the original work, LCF is called «νεῦρον». The classical translation of this treatise into English was performed by the Francis Adams (1886AdamsF). Fragments from the book Littré É. Oeuvres complétes d'Hippocrate (1844):

Quote

[Grc]

ΜΟΧΛΙΚΟΣ. 1.

Ὀστέων φύσις· δακτύλων μὲν ἁπλᾶ καὶ ὀστέα καὶ ἄρθρα· χειρὸς δὲ καὶ ποδὸς πουλλὰἄλλα ἀλλοίως συνηρθρωμένα· μέγιστα δὲ τὰ ἀνωτάτω· πτέρνης δὲ ἓν οἷον ἔξω φαίνεταιπρὸς δὲ αὐτὴν οἱ ὀπίσθιοι τένοντες τείνουσινΚνήμης δὲ δύοἄνωθεν καὶ κάτωθεν ξυνεχόμενακατὰ μέσον δὲ διέχοντα σμικρόν· τὸ ἔξωθενκατὰ τὸν σμικρὸν δάκτυλον λεπτότερον βραχεῖπλεῖστον δὲ ταύτῃ διεχούσῃ καὶ σμικροτέρῃ ῥοπῇ κατὰ γόνυκαὶ ὁ τένων ἐξ αὐτοῦ πέφυκενὁ παρὰ τὴν ἰγγύην ἔξω· ἔχουσι δὲ κάτωθεν κοινὴν ἐπίφυσινπρὸς ἣν ὁ ποὺς κινέεται· ἄλλην δὲ ἄνωθεν ἔχουσιν ἐπίφυσινἐν ᾗ τὸ τοῦ μηροῦ ἄρθρον κινέεταιἁπλόον καὶ εὐσταλὲς ὡς ἐπὶ μήκει· εἶδος κονδυλῶδεςἔχον ἐπιμυλίδα· αὐτὸς δ᾿ ἔγκυρτος ἔξω καὶ ἔμπροσθεν·ἡ δὲ κεφαλὴ ἐπίφυσίς ἐστι στρογγύλη, ἐξ ἧς τὸ νεῦρον τὸ ἐν τῇ κοτύλῃ τοῦ ἰσχίου πέφυκεν ὑποπλάγιον δὲ καὶ τοῦτο προσήρτηταιἧσσον δὲ βραχίονοςΤὸ δ᾿ ἰσχίον προσίσχεται πρὸς τῷ μεγάλῳ σπονδύλῳ τῷ παρὰ τὸ ἱερὸν ὀστέονχονδρονευρώδει δεσμῷῬάχις δὲ ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ ἱεροῦ ὀστέου μέχρι τοῦ μεγάλου σπονδύλου κυφή· κύστις τε καὶ γονὴ καὶ ἀρχοῦ τὸ ἐγκεκλιμένονἐν τούτῳ· ἀπὸ δὲ τούτου ἄχρι φρενῶν ἦλθεν ἡ ἰθύλορδοςκαὶ αἱ ψόαι κατὰ τοῦτοἐντεῦθεν δὲ ἄχρι τοῦ μεγάλου σπονδύλουτοῦ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπωμίδωνἰθυκυφής· ἔτι δὲ μᾶλλον δοκέειἢ ἐστίν·αἱ γὰρ ὄπισθεν τῶν σπονδύλων ἀποφύσιες ταύτῃ ὑψηλόταται τὸ δὲ τοῦ αὐχένος ἄρθρονλορδόνΣπόνδυλοι δὲ ἔσωθεν ἄρτιοι πρὸς ἀλλήλουςἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἔξωθεν χόνδρων νεύρῳ συνεχόμενοι·ἡ δὲ ξυνάρθρωσις αὐτῶνἐν τῷ ὄπισθεν τοῦ νωτιαίου· ὄπισθεν δὲ ἔχουσιν ἔκφυσιν ὀξείηνἔχουσαν ἐπίφυσιν χονδρώδεαἔνθεν νεύρων ἀπόφυσις καταφερὴςὥσπερ καὶ οἱ μύες παραπεφύκασιν ἀπὸ αὐχένος ἐς ὀσφὺνπληρεῦντες δὲ πλευρέων καὶ ἀκάνθης τὸ μέσονΠλευραὶ δὲ κατὰ τὰς διαφύσιας τῶν σπονδύλων νευρίῳ προσπεφύκασιν ἀπ᾿ αὐχένος ἐς ὀσφὺν ἔσωθενἐπίπροσθεν δὲ κατὰ τὸ στῆθοςχαῦνον καὶ μαλθακὸν τὸ ἄκρον ἔχουσαι· εἶδος ῥαιβοειδέστατον τῶν ζώων· στενότατος γὰρ ταύτῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπ᾿ ὄγκον· ᾗ δὲ δὴ πλευρῇσιν ἔκφυσις πλαγίη βραχείη καὶ πλατείηἐφ᾿ ἑκάστῳ σπονδύλῳ νευρίῳ προσπεφύκασινΣτῆθος δὲ ξυνεχὲς αὐτὸ ἑωυτῷδιαφύσιας ἔχον πλαγίαςᾗ πλευραὶ προσήρτηνταιχαῦνον δὲ καὶ χονδρῶδεςΚληῗδες δὲ περιφερέες ἐς τοὔμπροσθενἔχουσαι πρὸς μὲν τὸ στῆθος βραχείας κινήσιαςπρὸς δὲ τὸ ἀκρώμιον συχνοτέραςἈκρώμιον δὲ ἐξ ὠμοπλατέων πέφυκενἀνομοίως τοῖσι πλείστοισινὨμοπλάτη δὲ χονδρώδης τὸ πρὸς ῥάχιντὸ δ᾿ ἄλλο χαύνητὸ ἀνώμαλον ἔξω ἔχουσααὐχένα δὲ καὶ κοτύλην ἔχουσα χονδρώδεαἐξ ἧς αἱ πλευραὶ κίνησιν ἔχουσινεὐαπόλυτος ἐοῦσα ὀστέωνπλὴν βραχίονοςΤούτου δὲ ἐκ τῆς κοτύλης νευρίῳ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἐξήρτηταιχόνδρου χαύνου περιφερῆ ἐπίφυσιν ἔχουσα· αὐτὸς δ᾿ ἔγκυρτος ἔξω καὶ ἔμπροσθενπλάγιοςοὐκ ὀρθὸς πρὸς κοτύληνΤὸ δὲ πρὸς ἀγκῶνα αὐτοῦπλατὺ καὶ κονδυλῶδες καὶ βαλβιδῶδες καὶ στερεὸνἔγκοιλον ὄπισθενἐν ᾧ ἡ κορώνη ἡ ἐκ τοῦ πήχεοςὅταν ἐκταθῇ ἡ χεὶρἔνεστιν· ἐς τοῦτο καὶ τὸ ναρκῶδες νεῦρονὃ ἐκ τῆς διαφύσιος τῶν τοῦ πήχεος ὀστέωνἐκ μέσωνἐκπέφυκε καὶ περαίνεται. (original source: 1844LittreE, pp. 340-344)


Translation

[Fra]

MOCHLIQUE. 1.

1. Disposition des os: Aux doigts les os et les articulations sont simples; la main et le pied en contiennent beaucoup, articulés les uns d'une façon, les autres d'une autre, les plus gros sont les plus rapprochés du tronc; le talon est constitué par un seul os, que l'on voit saillant en arrière, et qui donne attache aux tendons postérieurs. La jambe est composée de deux os, unis en haut et en bas, séparés un peu dans le milieu; l'os externe (''péroné''), est de peu plus petit que l'autre du côté du petit orteil, mais il l'est de beaucoup là où les deux os sont séparés, et du coté du genou. De cet os naît le tendon qui est en dehors du jarret; les deux os ont en bas une épiphyse commune dans laquelle le pied se meut, et en haut une autre épiphyse où se meut l'extrémité articulaire du fémur. Celle ci est simple et légère proportionnement à la longueur de l'os; elle est en forme de condyle et pourvue d'une rotule; le corps même de l'os est bombé en dehors et en avant; la tète en est une épiphyse ronde, de laquelle provient le ligament fixé dans la cavité cotyloïde. Le fémur aussi est articulé un peu obliquement, mais moins que l'humérus. L'ischion tient à la grande vertèbre, celle qui est contiguë à l'os sacré, par un ligament névro-cartilagineux (''ligament ilio-lombaire''). Le rachis, depuis [l'extrémité du] sacrum jusqu'à la grande vertèbre, est saillant en arrière; dans la concavité sont la vessie, les organes de la génération et la partie inclinée du rectum; de là jusqu'au diaphragme, il est dirigé en ligne droite et saillant en avant, les psoas sont là; de là jusqu'à la grande vertèbre, au-dessus des épaules, il est en ligne droite et saillant en arrière, mais il l'est encore plus en apparence qu'en réalité, car les apophyses postérieures des vertèbres sont, là, le plus élevées: au cou, le racbis est saillant en avant. Les vertèbres forment en avant un assemblage régulier; elles sont réunies par un ligament (''fibro-cartilage'') qui naît de la couche cartilagineuse extérieure; l'articulation synarthrodiale en est placée derrière la moelle épinière. En arrière, elles ont une apophyse aiguë, qui, à son tour, a une apophyse cartilagineuse; de là partent des ligaments qui se dirigent en bas, de même que les muscles qui s'étendent depuis le cou jusqu'aux lombes, et qui remplissent l'intervalle entre les côtes et l'épine. Les côtes sont jointes, en arrière aux entre-deux des vertèbres; par un petit ligament depuis le cou jusqu'aux lombes, en avant au sternum; l'extrémité en est molle, et non compacte; la forme n'en est aussi arquée chez aucun animal: l'homme, pour son volume, est celui qui a la poitrine la plus étroite d'avant en arrière; dans l'endroit où elles ont une tubérosilé oblique, courte et large, elles s'articulent avec chaque vertèbre par un petit ligament. Le sternum est continu avec lui-même, offrant des interstices latéraux qui reçoivent les côtes: il est spongieux et cartilagineux. Les clavicules sont arrondies en avant; elles ont des mouvements, très-courts au sternum, plus amples à l'acromion. L'acromion naît de l'omoplate, disposition différente de ce qui est chez la plupart des animaux. L'omoplate est cartilagineuse du côté du rat lus, spongieuse dans le reste, tournée en dehors par sa partie inégale, pourvue d'un col et d'une cavité cartilagineuse; elle n'empêche pas les côtes de se mouvoir, car elle se détache facilement des os, excepté de l'humérus. La tête de celui-ci est attachée à la cavité de l'omoplate par un ligament mince, et elle est revêtue d'une couche arrondie de cartilage non compacte; le corps même de l'os est bombé en dehors et en avant, oblique et non peipendiculaire à la cavité; l'extrémité cubitale en est large, avec des condyles et des enfoncements ; elle est solide et présente en arrière un creux où l'apophyse courbe du cubitus (''olecrane'') se loge quand le bras est dans l'extension; là aussi arrive le nerf engourdissant, qui naît du milieu de l'interstice des os de l'avant bras, et se tei mine. (original source: 1844LittreE, pp. 341-345)


[Eng]

MOCHLICUS. 1.

With regard to the construction of bones, the bones and joints of the fingers are simple, the bones of the hand and foot are numerous, and articulated in various ways ; the uppermost are the largest ; the heel consists of one bone which is seen to project outwards, and the back tendons are attached to it. The leg consists of two bones, united together above and below, but slightly separated in the middle; the external bone (fibula), where it comes into proximity with the little toe, is but slightly smaller than the other, more so where they are separated, and at the knee, the outer hamstring arises from it (The tendon of the biceps); these bones have a common epiphysis below, with which the foot is moved, and another epiphysis above, in which is moved the articular extremity of the femur, which is simple and light in proportion to its length, in the form of a condyle, and having the patella (connected with it ?), the femur itself bends outwards and forwards; its head is a round epiphysis which gives origin to the ligament inserted in the acetabulum of the hip-joint [translator's note: Allusion is evidently made to the ligamentum teres]. This bone is articulated somewhat obliquely, but less so than the humerus. The ischium is united to the great vertebra contiguous to the os sacrum by a cartilaginous ligament. The spine, from the os sacrum to the great vertebra, is curved backwards; in this quarter are situated the bladder, the organs of generation, and the inclined portion of the rectum; from this to the diaphragm it proceeds in a straight line inclining forwards, and the psoae are situated there; from this pointy to the great vertebra above the tops of the shoulders, it rises in a line that is curved backwards, and the curvature appears greater than it is in reality, for the posterior processes of the spine are there highest; the articulation of the neck inclines forwards. The vertebrae on the inside are regularly placed upon one another, but behind they are connected by a cartilaginous ligament; they are articulated in the form of synarthrosis at the back part of the spinal marrow; behind they have a sharp process having a cartilaginous epiphysis, whence proceeds the roots of nerves running downwards, as also muscles extending from the neck to the loins, and filling the space between the ribs and the spine. The ribs are connected to all the intervertebral spaces on the inside, from the neck to the lumbar region, by a small ligament, and before to the sternum, their extremities being spongy and soft; their form is the most arched in man of all animals; for in this part, man is, of all animals, the narrowest in proportion to his bulk. The ribs are united to each vertebra by a small ligament at the place from which the short and broad lateral processes (transverse processes?) arise. The sternum is one continuous bone, having lateral pits for the insertion of the ribs; it is of a spongy and cartilaginous structure. The clavicles are rounded in front, having some slight movements at the sternum, but more free at the acromion. The acromion, in man, arises from the scapula differently from most other animals. The scapula is cartilaginous towards the spine, and spongy elsewhere, having an irregular figure externally; its neck and articular cavity cartilaginous; it does not interfere with the movements of the ribs, and is free of all connexion with the other bones, except the humerus. The head of the humerus is articulated with its (glenoid?) cavity, by means of a small ligament, and it consists of a rounded epiphysis composed of spongy cartilage, the humerus itself is bent outwards and forwards, and it is articulated with its (glenoid?) cavity by its side, and not in a straight line. At the elbow it is broad, and has condyles and cavities, and is of a solid consistence; behind it is a cavity in which the coronoid process (olecranon?) of the ulna is lodged when the arm is extended; here, too, is inserted the benumbing nerve, which arises from between the two bones of the fore-arm at their junction, and terminates there. (original source: 1886AdamsF, pp. 161-163)  



References

Littré É. Oeuvres complétes d'Hippocrate / traduction nouvelle avec le texte grec en regard, collationne sur les manuscrits et toutes les editions; accompagnée d'une introduction, de commentaires médicaux, de variants et de notes philologiques; suivie d'une table générale des matières, par É. Littré T.IV. A Paris: chez J.-B.Baillière, 1844. [books.google]

Adams F. The genuine works of Hippocrates; tr. from the Greek, with a preliminary discourse and annotations by Francis Adams; in 2 vol., Vol.2. New York: William Wood & Company, 1886. [books.google] 

Authors & Affiliations

Émile Maximilien Paul Littré (1801-1881) was a French lexicographer, freemason and philosopher. [wikipedia.org]

Émile Maximilien Paul Littré (ca. 1865)
The author of the image is Jean-Baptiste-Adolphe Lafoss;
original in the wikipedia.org collection (CC0 – Public Domain, color correction)

Keywords

synonyms, ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, anatomy, Hippocrates

                                                                    

NB! Fair practice / use: copied for the purposes of criticism, review, comment, research and private study in accordance with Copyright Laws of the US: 17 U.S.C. §107; Copyright Law of the EU: Dir. 2001/29/EC, art.5/3a,d; Copyright Law of the RU: ГК РФ ст.1274/1.1-2,7

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