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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Acetabulum

The word acetabulum is formed by the combination of the Latin root [acetum], meaning "vinegar", and the Latin suffix [-abulum] a diminutive of [abrum], meaning a "cup", "holder", or "receptacle". Thus formed, the word acetabulum means "a small vinegar cup".

Roman soldiers liked to drink their water mixed with a small quantity of vinegar, so as to reduce the sensation of thirst. This mix was called "Posca". An acetabulum was used to add specific quantities of vinegar to the water, so over time the acetabula (plural form of acetabulum) were considered measuring devices. It is said that they measured one cup, or 2 1/2 oz. of wine.

The anatomical acetabula are bilateral cup-like depressions in the os coxae which serve as a component of the coxofemoral joint (hip joint). They are found at the intersection of the three bony components of the os coxae, the ilium, ischium, and pubic bone and look anteroinferiorly.

Acetabulum
Image property of: CAA.Inc. 
Photographer:
David M. Klein
The acetabulum has several components:

• Acetabular margin: An incomplete circular bony edge or border that marks the edge of the acetabulum

• Acetabular notch: The area where the acetabular margin is incomplete

• Acetabular labrum: Labrum (Lat. :lip). The acetabular labrum is a complete circular ring of fibrocartilage found on the acetabular margin that helps maintain the head of the femur in place. It is not shown in the accompanying image

• Lunate surface: A smooth, half-moon shaped area on the floor of the acetabulum. It is covered with hyaline cartilage and allows for articulation with the head of the femur

• Acetabular fossa: The non-articular region of the floor of the acetabulum. It contains fat, vessels, and the ligament of the head of the femur

Interesting fact:  You may find that in older English anatomy books the acetabulum is referred to as the cotyloid cavity. The word cotyloid arises from the Greek [κοτυλοειδές] and means "similar to a cup". This separation in terms still exists when studying anatomy in other languages. For example, in Spanish the acetabulum is called "cavidad cotiloídea" or "cotilo", and in French it is called "cavité cotyloïde" or "cotyle". I guess the Greek soldiers did not drink vinegar with their water...

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