Miserere colic (Miserere mei). Contribution on etymology and clinical features; hypothesis on its appearance in medical literature during centuries 17th-18th.
The definition of ileus has undergone deep changes over the last three millennia. The term ileus was originally used in Classic Greece to describe a common cause of intestinal obstruction, and subsequently the Romans would often translate it into the Latin word volvulus. During the Renaissance, ileus, volvulus and intussusception became synonymous with a vulgar term--Miserere Mei or Miserere colic--whose origin and evolution are still much of a mystery. This paper provides some historical investigation on the Miserere Mei or Miserere colic, with the aim of discussing its evolution within medical literature during the 17th and 18th centuries.
Acea Nebril
B
B
Department of General Surgery A, Hospital Juan Canalejo, La Coruña, Spain.
D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000266:history*; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D009626:Terminology as Topic