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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Torus

Published: Monday, April 02, 2018 07:00 | Written by: Efrain A. Miranda, Ph.D. | Hits: 4088

The word [torus] is of Latin origin and refers to “a rounded protuberance or swelling”. In science, it refers to a doughnut-shaped structure (see image). It also refers to the rounded, bulging, and circular base component of a pillar, found between the square plinth and the main body of the pillar. The torus can be seen in Egyptian, Greek, and Roman style pillars.

The term is used in anatomy and medicine to denote normal or abnormal circular or semicircular protuberances, as in the case of the “torus tubarius”, a normal semicircular elevation found at the ostium of the auditory tube (of Eustachius) in the lateral walls of the rhinopharynx. The torus tubarius elevation is due to the presence of lymphoid tissue which can get inflamed.

Torus - By LucasVB [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Click on the image for a larger view
Torus mandibularis. An exostosis that develops on the inner side of the mandible
Torus palatinus: a benign, small exostosis that appears in the midline of the hard palate

In orthopedics it is used to denote a compression fracture where the cortex of a long bone close to one of its epiphyses buckles under longitudinal (axial) compression. The look of the fracture is similar to the location of the torus in a pillar. An example of this is the torus fracture (also known as buckle fractures) in children.

The term [torulus] is related to [torus], as it means a “small torus” and it refers to a small elevation, which is synonymous with the word “papilla”. An example of this is the term torulus tactiles palmaris, referring to small elevations on the palms of the hand. Another related term is [torulosis], referring to a large number of small elevations or pimples.

The following images are of a Greek pillar taken in 2014 in Athens showing the location of the torus. The next image shows a torus fracture. The image is from www.kidsfractures.com/forearm/ and we thank them for sharing the image with us. This is a great site for information on fractures in children.

Greek pillar - Personal picture Athens 2014
Click on the image for a larger view

Torus fracture - www.kidsfractures.com/forearm/
Click on the image for a larger view

Sources:
1. “Medical Meanings: A Glossary of Word Origins” Haubrich, WS. Am Coll Phys. Philadelphia 1997
2. “The Origin of Medical Terms” Skinner, HA 1970, New York. Hafner Publishing Company
3. “Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary” 16th Ed. 1989. Philadelphia. FA Davis Company
4.  www.kidsfractures.com/forearm/

Torus image: By LucasVB [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Thanks to Jackie Miranda-Klein for suggesting this post. Jackie is studying for the Physician Assistant Master's degree at Kettering College. Dr. Miranda.
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