Congenital anomalies of the limbs in mythology and antiquity

Abstract

Congenital anomalies of the limbs have been observed since ancient human civilizations, capturing the imagination of ancient physicians and people. The knowledge of the era could not possibly theorize on the biologic aspects of these anomalies; however, from the very beginning of civilization the spiritual status of people attempted to find a logical explanation for the existence of such cases. The next logical step of the spiritual and religious system of the ancients was to correlate these anomalies with the Gods and to attribute them to a different level of existence in order to rationalize their existence. In these settings, the mythology and religious beliefs of ancient civilizations comprised several creatures that were related to the observed congenital anomalies in humans. The purpose of this historic review is to summarize the depiction of congenital anomalies of the limbs in mythology and antiquity, to present several mythological creatures with resemblance to humans with congenital anomalies of the limbs, to present the atmosphere of the era concerning the congenital anomalies, and to theorize on the anomaly and medical explanation upon which such creatures were depicted. Our aim is to put historic information in one place, creating a comprehensive review that the curious reader would find interesting and enjoyable.

Mısır Mitolojisinde Tanrılardan Tıbba Yansıyanlar

“…Konjenital anormallikleri tanrılarla ilişkilendirmek ve varlıklarını rasyonelleştirmek için onlara farklı bir varoluş düzeyi atfeden antik çağ insanı cüce tanrıya, özellikle Bes ve Ptah'a saygı duymuştur. 34 Mısır tanrıçası Serquet, Selkıt ve Selket adlarıyla da tanınmaktadır. Akrep sokmalarında hayat veren bir tanrıça olarak kabul edilmiş, akrep şeklindeki bir kadın olarak betimlenmiştir.…”

Pharmacies for pain and trauma in ancient Greece

“…In antiquity, they used incandescent (burning) metal tools to treat wounds as haemostatic and as cutters to remove pathological tissue from the body and to amputate diseased limbs [10][11][12]. Metals have been also used for their antiseptic, wound healing and subsequently analgesic properties.…”

“…Humans have always suffered from diseases and trauma that were initially managed and healed by priests and magicians who enjoyed the respect and adulation of their community [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. In early Greek antiquity, precise terms for medicine that had roots in the community tradition were used; the term pharmacy was related to herbal inquiries and the occupants were charmers and pharmacists [2].…”

Ethnic and sociodemographic correlates of developmental dysplasia of the hip in newborns from Yucatan, Mexico

“…Thru human history, congenital limb anomalies have inspired artists, concerned physicians, and challenged religious specialists of diverse cultures from around the world to the point of being considered a burden or a grace of divine nature (Mavrogenis et al, 2018). As medicine evolved over time and across cultures, most efforts have been directed to assist and effectively treat them, but very few to explain its correlates, maternal or in utero determinants that may be involved with its incidence from a human biology perspective.…”