J. Antall szerk.: Medical history in Hungary. Presented to the XXII. International Congress for the History of Medicine / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 4. (Budapest, 1970)
ESSAYS-LECTURES - Gy. Regöly-Mérei: Paleopathological Examination of Skeletal Finds in the Roman Period and Description of Diseases in Greek and Roman Medical Texts (in English)
dissertation [26]. Rickets was demonstrated on paleopathological finds by Fürst from the Danish neolithicum, by Gáspárđÿ from the Hungarian aeneolithicum, from the Hungarian Middle Ages by Nemeskéri and Harsányi (XI. century) and Regöly-Mérei (XI—XII. century), Ruffer as well as Dawson recognized characteristic signs of rickets on Ancient Egyptian wall-paintings. b) Diseases of the joints and spine : According to Hippocrates (Peri topon ton kat'anthropon c. 7) [13] if an unclean fluid from the diseased flesh gets into the joints which normally contain mucous (ed. Kühn 570) pains and complaints appear and the joints become rigid. If the fluid is very abundant it flows from the joints if, however it thickens it lifts the tendon which connects the joints (probably the capsule and ligamentum G.R.M.) and the motion of the joints suffer. About the selection of the "disease-material" (Aposteseis) we can read elsewhere (Prorrheut . I.) According to Galenus (ed. Kühn. VI. H. 15, 814) diseases of joints are caused by too thick humors or those mixed in inadequate proportion. In his opinion sudden cooling off, excessive drinking of wine, over-exertion even sexual dissipation may play a role. A proof of his wonderful ability of observation is the way he describes the fact this disease accurs very frequently at the mouth of the Nile Ruffre and Rietti really found numerous cases of arthrosis or spondylosis in examining Egyptian mummies. Wood—Jones [27] observed how at the mouth of the Nile on effect of the "milieu humide" such phenomenon accumulate G. Elliot Smith Dawson [24] use the epithet "par excellence". Grimm also states the significance of circumstancial effects in a very certain way [12]. Alexandros (Lib. XII., peri podagras [5]) emphasizes that various reasons may cause diseases of the joints. So if blood flows too warmly to the joints it widens the hollows loosens the ligaments and by this causes pain. If the bile comes between the ligaments and nerves it can also play a role, but mucous ("phlegma") is also a pathological factor as it cools off the joints, these and the ligaments narrow, then widen which also causes severe pain. In accordance with the humoral pathological motion a surplus of black bile can also be taken into consideration. Hippocrates mentions that the number of occurences of joint diseases fluctuates seasonally. Especially in spring and autumn they increase (ed. Kühn. IV. 542 VI. 132, 144 and 242 [13]) and appear more frequently by males and juveniles (ibid). According to him in spring blood, in autumn black bile predominates (Peri trophes c. XXIII). In autumn and winter chiefly coxalgia, in spring other pains of the joints occur (Aphor. III.). Galenus [9] summarizes the signs and symptoms (acute and chronic inflammations) extremely well. Their description appears in numerous places: tormenting pain, which can increase to fainting, at the acme of pain fever develops, the joints become rigid, later on movement is limited and weakness sets in. Even before Galenus ' lasting description Celsus (8/c. XIX) emphasized that especially in cases of coxalgia pain is usually permanent, seldom decreases significantly and generally remains unaltered. He writes that the "disease material" wandering and damaging the already diseased parts. "Aretaeus : Peri aition kai semenion oxeon pathon; Chronion pathon semeidotikon : p. 168—174 59
