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300-100bcHeracleides Tarentinus

 

Fragment from the treatise Heracleides Tarentinus On External Therapy (Έν τῶ τετάρτω, ca. 300-100 BC). The author discusses the connective function of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF), as well as its damage in hip dislocation and pathological transformation. See our commentary at the link: 300-100bcHeracleides Tarentinus [Rus], and 2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV.

Quote.

[Grc]

Έν τῶ τετάρτω.  βιβλιον δʹ.

όσοι δε oίoνται μή μνι μηρν μβληθέντα δια το μη δισπάσθαι το σνέoν νεύρον προς ην κοτύλην ου ισχίου τον μηρόν αγνοούσ εν τώ καθόλου ρόπ την απόφασιν ποιούμενοι. ου γαρ αν Ιπποκράης και Διοκλής ανέγραψαν εμβολας, έτι δε Φιλότιμος, Ευήνω, Νηλεύ, Μόλπις, Νυμφόδωρος, άλλοι δέ τινες. ημείς δ επί δύο αιδίων εκρατήσαμεν της προθέσεως. πολλάκις τοί γε και μάλλον επί τών τελείων ολισθαίνει πάλιν το άρον. ουκ εκ λόγου δε δεί το πράγμα κρίνειν, αλλ επειδή ποτε και μένει, διαλαμβάνειν μη διά παντός αποσπασμόν γίνεσθαι του νεύρου, αλλά και αποαλάσθαι και συστρέφεσθαι πλιν επειδαν του ζητείν εστι χρήσιμον αλλ ου παντελώς κοινόν. (original source: 1829KühnCG, pp. 735-736)

Translation

[Eng]

On External Therapy. Book 4.

Those who believe that the hip does not remain set because the ligament (νεῦρον) connecting the femur to the acetabulum is torn, do not know things of general knowledge, when expressing their negation. For neither Hippocrates nor Diocles would have described the reductions, and neither would Phylotimus, Evenor, Nileus, Molpis, Nymphodorus and some others. And we have achieved this goal [reduction] in two children, although in adults the joint is dislocated again more often. This case should be judged not from hearsay, but since the thigh sometimes remains [set], it must be assumed that this ligament does not always rupture, but that it stretches and contracts again, for the study [of this question] is useful, but not in all cases. (original source: 2020ArkhipovSV_ProlyginaIV).




External links

Kühn CG. Clavdii Galeni Opera omnia. Editionem cvravit D. Carolvs Gottlob Kühn, professor physiologiae et pathologiae in literarvm vniversitate Lipsiensi pvblicvs ordinarivs etc. Vol. XVIII. Pars I. Lipsiae: Prostat in officina libraria Car. Cnoblochii, 1829. [archive.orgbabel.hathitrust.org]

Arkhipov SV, Prolygina IV. Ancient Textual Sources on Ligamentum Teres: Context and Transmission. MLTJ. 2020;10(3):536-546. [mltj.online , mltj.online(PDF) , researchgate.net]

Authors & Affiliations

Heracleides Tarentinus (Ἡράκλειτος ὁ Ταραντίνος, Heraclides of Tarentum; III-II cent. BC) was a Greek physician and medical writer, was a pupil of Mantias, one of the followers of Herophilus. [wikipedia.org]

Heracleides Tarentinus & Mantias 
Seven named physicians and botanists of the ancient Greek world. Engraving by J.M. Lohié after C. Bourguignon (after a painting in the «Anicia Juliana» manuscript of Dioscorides); original in the wellcomecollection.org collection (CC0 – Public Domain, fragment).

Keywords

ligamentum capitis femoris, ligamentum teres, ligament of head of femur, synonym, role, dislocation, treatment, pathology, damage, Heracleides Tarentinus

                                                                    

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