Men with No Spleens and Carved-Out Feet: What Is the Meaning in the Words?
Authors: Matityahu Oren
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1998)

Medical Writings1 November 1998Men with No Spleens and Carved-Out Feet: What Is the Meaning in the Words?Matityahu Oren, MD, Joseph Herman, MD, and Jacob Elbaum, PhDMatityahu Oren, MDSafed, IsraelNetivot, IsraelJerusalem, IsraelSearch for more papers by this author, Joseph Herman, MDSafed, IsraelNetivot, IsraelJerusalem, IsraelSearch for more papers by this author, and Jacob Elbaum, PhDSafed, IsraelNetivot, IsraelJerusalem, IsraelSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-129-9-199811010-00044 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The assignment of priority in writings on the history of medicine is fraught with hazard. Not only may priority be overturned at any time by newly discovered material from medical libraries, but it is under constant threat from outside sources that usually have little to do with the physician's work. For example, Hua T'o (115-205), the great Chinese surgeon, is thought to have performed the first successful splenectomy [1]. This assumption is challenged, however, by a third-century Jewish source [2], Rav Yehuda (219-299), who comments on a passage from the Bible. Rav Yehuda makes the astonishing claim that in King ...References1. Bishop WJ. The Early History of Surgery. London: Hale; 1960:43. Google Scholar2. Steinsaltz A, ed. The Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Sanhedrin. Jerusalem: The Israel Institute for Talmudic Publications; 1974:22A. Google Scholar3. Rosner F. Medicine in the Bible and the Talmud: Selections from Classical Jewish Sources. New York: Ktav; 1977. Google Scholar4. Nathan Ben Yehiel of Rome. Kohut HY, ed. Aruch Completum. 2d ed. New York: Pardes; 1955. Google Scholar5. Khouly J. Yalkut Me'am Lo'ez. Jerusalem: H Vagshal; 1978. Google Scholar6. Preuss J, Rosner F. Julius Preuss' Biblical and Talmudic Medicine. New York: Sanhedrin; 1978. Google Scholar7. Henry PH, Longo DL. Enlargement of lymph nodes and spleen. In: Fauci AS, Braunwald E, Isselbacher KJ, Wilson JD, Martin JB, Kasper DL, et al, eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 14th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1998; 345-51. Google Scholar8. Spiro HM. Clinical Gastroenterology. 2d ed. New York: Macmillan; 1977:519. Google Scholar9. Buxton JT. Traumatic rupture of the spleen. Report of a case. Am J Surg. 1922; 36:312-14. Google Scholar10. Jastrow M, ed. A Dictionary of the Targumim, the Talmud Babli and Yerushalmi, and the Midrashic Literature. New York: The Judaica Press; 1971:497. Google Scholar11. English-Hebrew/Hebrew-English Dictionary. Jersualem: Keter; 1994. Google Scholar12. Avinery I. Heichal Rashi. Jerusalem: Mossad Harav Kook; 1985:100. Google Scholar13. Lyons AS, Petrucelli RJ. Medicine: An Illustrated History. New York: Abrams; 1978. Google Scholar14. Ethics of the Fathers. Goldin HE, ed. New York: Hebrew Publishing; 1962:9. Google Scholar15. Hyman A. Biographies of the Tannaim and the Amoraim. Jerusalem. Machon Pri Ha'aretz; 1987:542-52. Google Scholar16. Pugh HL. Splenectomy, with special reference to its historical background. Int Abstr Surg. 1946; 83:209-24. Google Scholar17. The World of Mathematics. Newman JR, ed. New York: Simon & Schuster; 1956:75. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Safed, IsraelNetivot, IsraelJerusalem, IsraelAcknowledgment: The authors thank the congregants of Sha'arei Tefila for their encouragement.Corresponding Author: Joseph Herman, MD, 24 Megadim Street, Y'fe Nof 96185, Jerusalem, Israel.Current Author Addresses: Dr. Oren: Department of Surgery, Rebecca Sieff Government Hospital, Safed, Israel. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByMiddle EastKnowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the spleen throughout Antiquity and the Early Middle AgesSurgery in early Jewish historyDevelopment and function of the mammalian spleenThe spleen 1 November 1998Volume 129, Issue 9Page: 756-758KeywordsAnalgesicsArmed forcesDrugsJewish peopleRunningSpleenSplenectomySplenomegalySurgeonsSurgery Issue Published: 1 November 1998 CopyrightCopyright © 1998 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...