Copy 2

The principles and practice of obstetric medicine and surgery, in reference to the process of parturition / [Francis H. Ramsbotham].

  • Ramsbotham, Francis H. (Francis Henry), 1800-1868.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The principles and practice of obstetric medicine and surgery, in reference to the process of parturition / [Francis H. Ramsbotham]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of the vertebre becoming less evident, and dwindling away by degrees in the sacrum as they descend. Anterior to this series of processes, there is a hollow cavity extend- ing the whole length of the bone—a continuation of the spinal canal—for the reception of the Cauda equina, which is the inferior portion of the spinal marrow. Four pairs of holes are seen, one on the side of each spinous pro-— cess, communicating with this canal: these are for the in itself, and after the birth of the child to become again consolidated, “ miro quodam nature opificio.” Scheller, in giving the definition “ secret’ as well as “ sacred ” to sacer, quotes, as an instance of this employment of the term, Celius Aurelianus ; who states that the “ os sacrum” is so called: “ quod imum ventrem sus- tinet !” All these derivations appear to me to be too fanciful and improbable; and I think we may trace the term fepoy in connexion with this bone to an age even more remote than the earliest period of the Grecian empire. nw Heron, in the original scriptural language, signifies conception, gestation, and the process of parturition. (Genesis iii. 16; Ruth iv. 13; Hoseaix.11.) From that word it seems to me by no means improbable that the Greeks derived their appellative of Juno “Hpy, “ veluti preses nuptiarum,” who presided over marriage and childbirth ; which latter office, also, was the peculiar pro- vince of the Juno Lucina of the Romans. “Hpy has indeed usually been derived from paw, to love, “as epdrnv tia,” as being an amiable personage ; but, putting out of the question that the poets did not paint Juno’s character in the most amiable light, the very rare circumstance of an asperated word having for its root an unasperated one, would lead to the belief that such a derivation was incorrect. From the frequent and ‘intimate intercourse which was held from the re- motest time between the Jews and all the other civilised nations of the world, we may readily conclude that the Greeks were well acquainted not only with the Jewish superstitions, but also with their familiar phrases. If we grant this, we may as readily imagine that they were acquainted with the Hebrew word ny, Heron, as indeed I cénsider their own appellative “Hp proves. Thus, this bone would be called jjpov dcreov, as being the part where the pains of labour were principally felt ; and by a very slight change of prounciation, a most easy and natural transition, or by the ignorance of transcribers, the jjpov would be corrupted, and slide into fepov, especially as this latter word was one in very common use with them. In this manner it would acquire the name lepov doreov ; and the Latins translating it, would retain the Greek phrase,