Medical Terminology Daily (MTD) is a blog sponsored by Clinical Anatomy Associates, Inc. as a service to the medical community. We post anatomical, medical or surgical terms, their meaning and usage, as well as biographical notes on anatomists, surgeons, and researchers through the ages. Be warned that some of the images used depict human anatomical specimens.

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A Moment in History

Jean-Louis Petit

Jean Louis Petit
(1674 – 1750)

French surgeon and anatomist, Jean Louis Petit was born in Paris in on March 13, 1674.  His family rented an apartment at his house to Alexis Littre (1658 – 1726), a French anatomist. Petit became an apprentice of Littre at seven years of age, helping him in the dissections for his lectures and at an early age became the assistant in charge of the anatomic amphitheater.

Because of Petit’s dedication to anatomy and medicine, in 1690 at the age of sixteen, became a disciple of a famous Paris surgeon, Castel.

In 1692, Petit entered the French army and performed surgery in two military campaigns. By 1693 he started delivering lectures and was accepted as a great surgeon, being invited to the most difficult operations.  In 1700 he was appointed Chief Surgeon of the Military School in Paris and in the same year he received the degree of Master of Surgery from the Faculty of Paris.

In 1715 he was made a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences and an honorary member of the Royal Society of London. He was appointed by the King as the first Director General of the Royal Academy of Surgery when it was founded in 1731.

Petit’s written works are of historical importance.  “Traite des Maladies des Os” ( A Treatise on Bone Diseases);  “Traite des Maladies Chirurgicales et des Operation” (A Treatise on Surgical Diseases and their Operations” This last book was published posthumously in 1774. He also published a monograph on hemorrhage, another on lachrymal fistula, and others.

He was one of the first to perform choIecystotomy and mastoidotomy. His original tourniquet design for amputations saved many in the battlefield and the design of the same surgical instrument today has not changed much since its invention by him.

His name is remembered in the lumbar triangle, also called the "triangle of Petit", and the abdominal hernia that can ensue through that area of weakness, the lumbar hernia or "Petit's hernia".

Sources:
1. “Jean Louis Petit – A Sketch of his Life, Character, and Writings” Hayne, AP San Fran Western Lancet 1875 4: 446-454
2. “Oeuvres compl?tes de Jean-Louis Petit” 1837 Imprimerie de F. Chapoulaud
3. Extraits de l'eloge de Jean-Louis Petit Ius dans Ia seance publique de I' Academie royale de chirurgie du 26 mai 1750” Louis A. Chirurgie 2001: 126 : 475- 81

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Lorenz Heister

Published: Monday, August 26, 2013 07:00 | Written by: Efrain A. Miranda, Ph.D. | Hits: 9445
This article is part of the series "A Moment in History" where we honor those who have contributed to the growth of medical knowledge in the areas of anatomy, medicine, surgery, and medical research.To search all the articles in this series, click here.

Lorenz Heister (1683-1758) A German surgeon, physician, anatomist, and botanist, Lorenz Heister [also known as Laurentius Heisterus] was born at Frankfurt-am-Main in 1683. As a result of his early studies, he became proficient in Latin, French, English and Dutch. He started medical studies at the University of Giessen, later continuing in Amsterdam, and Leyden, where he obtained his MD degree in 1708.

For a short time Heister became an army surgeon. In 1710 he was appointed Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at the University of Altfdorf. Although he lectured in Latin, Heister published his anatomical treatise “Compendium Anatomicum” in German in 1718. Later, Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish translations were created and published. Heister’s book became the main anatomical and surgical textbook in Europe. The English version was first published in 1743.

Heister is considered the “Father of German Surgery”, including in his books the management of hemorrhage, wounds, fractures, bandaging, instrumentation, and surgery. Heister described the surgical treatment of breast cancer, hemothoraces, spinal fractures, trepanation, oral surgery, and even obstetrical emergencies. He introduced the term “tracheotomy.” Heister also studied the eye, confirming that cataracts are formed within the lens.

 Ruggero Oddi
Original image courtesy of "Images from the History of Medicine" at  www.nih.gov
His name is remembered eponymically in two structures:

•. Heister’s valve (plica spiralis) a spiral fold of mucosa found in the cystic duct
•. Heister’s diverticulum (bulbus superius venae jugularis interna), a dilation of the internal jugular vein found at its origin from the jugular foramen of the base of the cranium

Heister's name is spelled Heisters, in his "Compendium Anatomicum" published in 1756.

Sources:
1. "Heister of the spiral valve of Heister - Lorenz Heister" Gastroenter Hepat News (2006): 131 (3) 696. 
2. “Lorenz Heister: Surgeon (1683-1758)” Stewart, J. Can Med Assoc J. 1929 20(4): 418–419. 
3. "Lorenz Heister (1683-1758). Eighteenth century surgeon" JAMA 202 (11), 1048-1049
4. "Lorenz Heister and oral disease with the original text from his papers". Shklar , G. J Hist Dent (2007); 55:2 68-74
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