Lithyasis

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Lithyasis grece calculatio egritudo mala .s. a lapide in renibus vel vesica existente, Cassius felix greci inquit litinitos calculosos vocant.


Apparatus:

Lithyasis AC | Lithiasis (-asis f) B f | Liniasis? e

existẽte BC | exñte A ef {cf. Cappelli p.130}

litinitos AC | latinitas B f | limitas? e | lithiontas Cassius

calculosos (-cl'o- B) ABC e | calculossos f

{vocant} & cet. add. B


Translation:

Lithyasis is Greek for Latin calculatio {"calculus, gravel, stone", a disease}, a serious condition caused e.g. by a stone lodged in the kidneys or in the bladder. Cassius Felix says that they {the Greeks} call those afflicted with the stone litinitos.


Commentary:

Simon is referring to Cassius Felix De medicina, 45, 4 Ad renum dolorem {"On kidney pain"}, ed. Fraisse (2001: 127): Confectio conditi nefriticis conveniens et maxime calculosis, quos lithiontas {vvll.: litiuntas, lithiuitas, litruncas} vocant … - "Preparation of a spiced wine which is suitable for those with kidney afflictions and very good for those suffering from the stone, sufferers from which they call lithiontas ... ".

Greek λιθίασις /lithíasis/ denotes "the disease of the stone" (LSJ), derived from Greek λίθος /líthos/ "stone", just as Latin calculatio is derived from calculus "gravel, stone".

Greek λιθιῶντες /lithiôntes/ is derived from the verb λιθ(ι)άω /lith(i)áō/ "to suffer from the stone" and it is the nominative plural of the present active participle "those suffering from the stone". Cassius uses the accusative pl. λιθιῶντας /lithiôntas/ depending on vocant. In Simon's witnesses, even in Cassius itself, the word has suffered serious corruption in transmission; the expected form would have been *lit(h)iontes/-ontas.


The word lithiasis has survived into modern medical terminology cf. Martin (1989: 348), defined as the "formation of stones (see calculus) in an internal organ, such as the gall bladder (see gallstone), urinary system, pancreas, or appendix."

Wilf Gunther 24/07/13


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