The Contribution of Petrus Camper to the Anatomy and Aetiology of Inguinal Hernias
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Hellenic Journal of Surgery (2020) 92:3-4, 126-132
The Contribution of Petrus Camper to the Anatomy and Aetiology of Inguinal Hernias de Bree E1, Tsiaoussis J2, Schoretsanitis G1
Abstract One of the most intriguing eras in the evolution of hernia surgery is the second half of the 18th century, when surgeons interested, also, in anatomy, started to publish studies on the abdominal wall and the inguinal canal. Petrus Camper (1722-1789), a well-known “praelector anatomiae” of the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons and Professor of Anatomy and Surgery at the Universities of Franeker, Amsterdam, and Groningen, performed dissections on corpses of children and adults to study the anatomy and aetiology of inguinal hernias. He rejected the prevailing concept of that time that a hernia was caused by “a rupture of the peritoneum” and provided a clear description of the aetiology of hernias in both children and adults. His geometrical measurement of the pelvis and his acquired craftsmanship provided the basis for the development of an effective and reliable truss to treat inguinal hernia conservatively. His artistic and drawing talent rendered him great facility in presenting his anatomical observations of the inguinal canal in a marvelous way. Camper’s “Icones herniarum” include exceptional anatomical illustrations of inguinal hernias. His anatomic studies allowed the development of hernia surgery based on anatomy rather than barbaric castration by ancient “herniotomists”. Petrus Camper should be considered as a pioneer in anatomy and aetiology of inguinal hernias. Key words: Inguinal hernia; anatomy; Petrus Camper
Introduction Inguinal hernia has preoccupied humanity for thousands of years and its treatment has varied considerably in search of a remedy. The earliest descriptions of an inguinal hernia belong to the Egyptians (circa 1550 BC), the Phoenicians (circa 900 BC), and the Ancient Greeks (Hippocrates, circa 400 BC). While the possible description of a hernia in the Ebers Papyrus (circa 1550 BC) may have been the first documented reference to this entity, the mummies of the pharaohs Merneptah (1215 BC) and Rameses the 5th (1157 BC) suggested that both had been treated for an inguinal hernia [1,2]. Tightly fitting bandages as a treatment of inguinal hernia have been depicted on a Phoenician statue (circa 900 BC) and Hippocrates (460-370 BC) distinguished inguinal hernia from hydrocele, with the former being reducible and the latter transilluminable [1,2]. The Roman nobleman and 1
Department of Surgical Oncology, Medical School of Crete University Hospital, Heraklion, Greece 2 Laboratory of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Medical School of Crete, Heraklion, Greece Corresponding author: de Bree Eelco, MD, PhD Department of Surgical Oncology, University Hospital P.O. Box 1352, 71110 Heraklion, Greece Tel.: +30-2810-392056 / 392382, Fax: +30-2810-392382 e-mail: [email protected] Received Jun 29, 2020; Accepted Jul 13, 2020
Hellenic Journal of Surgery 92
encyclopaedist Aulus Cornelius Celsus (c. 25 BC-50 AD) was probably t
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