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)

Fig. 3. Spondylosis. Vörösmart No. 57, 115 (grave 7) hand it occured in Gáspárđÿ's 10 cases on 5 occasions in his material from Arrabona (Győr) although this cannot be regarded as "milieu humide" yet the vicinty of the Danube must be taken into account. In Gáspárđÿ's finds [10] on all six spines in good condition pathological alterations were to be observed. In my own material I could examine vertebrae in 25 cases (Adults) and even if the spines were not always complete I observed spondylosis, (fig. 3) in five cases. (Vörösmart 57, 115; 57, 116; 57, 119; 57 125; Fazekasboda 57, 157), different damages, so: rheumatics, increased demands on the spine, monotonous static labour, ageing. This latter can be excluded in the present case as not one of the finds belonged to the senium. Increased physical exertion and monotonous statical labour are the most propabable reasons. This can be in connection to the custom which prevails to this day of carrying loads on the head, Previously I have described [19] that spondylosis accurson the spine and cervical region of riding nomadic people due to the long time spent in the saddle. This population however, did not belong to the riding people. Ankylosis of vertebrae I observed in two cases, one of these as already mentioned was undoubtedly rheumatic aetiology (Vörösmart 57, 115), the other however because of its pathological change was of spondilosis origin (Fazekasboda 57, 157).—Bony ankylosis of the vertebrae (fig. 4.) could also be observed which does not occur frequently. Grimm [12] reports that sacrum bifidum is essentially more frequent than appearing in literature. Of the 25 cases I examined it occured on 8 occasions (Vörösmart 57, 114; 57, 115; 57, 121; 57, 125; Fazekasboda 57, 157; Kő 57, 143) It is striking that these cases accumulate in the population of Vörösmart. 62