Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c3: Note

Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c3

Language: English

Note

c3.1

THE Talmudic osteological summary, referred to on p. v, is given in the *Jewish Encyclopedia*, s.v. Anatomy, as follows:

‘The Rabbis declared that there were 248 members (bones) in the human body; namely, 40 in the tarsal region and the foot (30 + 10 = 40); 2 in the leg (the tibia and fibula); 6 in the knee (including the head of the femur and the epiphyses of the tibia and fibula); 3 in the pelvis (ilium, ischium, and pubes); 11 ribs (the 12th rib, owing to its diminutive size, was not counted); 30 in the hand (the carpal bones and the phalanges); 2 in the forearm (radius and ulna); 2 in the elbow (the olecranon and the head of the radius); 1 in the arm (humerus); 4 in the shoulder (clavicle, scapula, caracoid process, and acromion)—which makes 101 for each side, or 202 for both; 18 vertebrae; 9 in the head (cranium and face); 8 in the neck (7 vertebral, and the os hyoides); 5 around the openings [*sic*] of the body (cartilaginous bones); and 6 in the key of the heart (the sternum).’ (Oh. I. 8.)

c3.3

The identifications within brackets appear to be those of the writer of the article on Anatomy. Dr. Bergel, in his *Studien über die naturwissenschaftlichen Kenntnisse der Talmudisten*, hesitatingly identifies the last two items as genitals and cardiac appendices (*Herzanhang*, appendix auricularis?). The identifications that I would suggest may be seen from the subjoined tabular statement.

c3.4

The Talmudic osteology does not, like the Indian, divide the body into three, but into two parts; namely, (1) the trunk, inclusive of the four extremities, and (2) the neck and head. The trunk, again, is divided, (1) sagittally, into the two sides, right and left; and (2) coronally, into the back and the front. Hence arises the subjoined scheme:

c3.5

I. TRUNK AND EXTREMITIES.

c3.6

A. The Two Sides

c3.7

1. Lower Limb *a.* phalanges . . . . . 15 *b.* metatarsals . . . . 5 *c.* tarsals . . . . . 8 } 40 (foot, tarsals) *d.* malleoli . . . . . 2 *e.* unidentified . . . . 10 *f.* leg (tibia, fibula) . . . 2 (leg) *g.* patella . . . . . 1 *h.* inner and outer tuberosities . 4 } 6 (knee) *i.* femur . . . . . 1 *k.* ilium . . . . . 1 *l.* ischium . . . . . 1 } 3 (pelvis) *m.* pubes . . . . . 1

c3.8

2. Middle ribs . . . . . . 11 (ribs)

c3.9

3. Upper Limb *a.* scapula . . . . . 1 *b.* clavicle . . . . . 1 *c.* acromion process . . . 1 } 4 (shoulder) *d.* caracoid process . . . 1 *e.* humerus . . . . . 1 (humerus) *f.* olecranon process . . . 1 *g.* capitellum of humerus . . 1 } 2 (elbow) *h.* radius and ulna . . . 2 (forearm) *i.* styloid processes . . . 2 *k.* carpals . . . . . 8 *l.* metacarpals . . . . 5 } 30 (hand) *m.* phalanges . . . . 15 Total . . . . . . 101 × 2 = 202

c3.10

B. Back, or spinal column (exc. cervix) *a.* dorsal vertebrae . . . 12 *b.* lumbar vertebrae . . . 5 } 18 (vertebrae) *c.* sacrum, coccyx . . . 1

c3.11

C. Front, or breast *a.* sternum and *b.* costal cartilages . . . : } 6 (key of heart)

c3.12

Total of Trunk and Extremities 226

c3.13

Brought forward . . . . 226

c3.14

II. HEAD AND NECK.

c3.15

A. Head
1. Cranium a. frontal bones . . . . 2 b. parietal bones . . . . 2 c. occipital bone . . . . 1 } 9 (head) d. temporal bones . . . . 2 e. malar bones . . . . 2

c3.16

2. Openings a. mouth (maxillaries) . . . 2 b. ear (pinna) . . . . 2 } 5 (openings) c. nose (cartilage) . . . 1

c3.17

B. Neck a. vertebrae . . . . . 7 } 8 (neck) b. windpipe . . . . . 1 Total of Head and Neck . . 22 Grand total of Skeleton . . 248