Болезни древних людей

For many kinds of weapons definite types of injury are most typical. The nature of multiple injuries inflicted with side-arms, in many cases, is a proof of the extraordinary cruelty of the invaders. It is obvious from the nature of wounds inflicted to Andrei Bogolyubsky, the massacre of the defenders and inhabitants of the right-bank Tsymlyansky fortress (early IX c.), the slaughter of women and children that inhabited Izyaslavl (1241), the nature of wounds of some Sarkel inhabitants (X–XII с. c.).

Sometimes extensive ossificating myositis developed due to heavy injuries of the locomotion apparatus. The newly-formed bony growths were greater in size than the adjacent tubular bones (Eski-Kermen, Crimea, V–XII с. c.; Tok-Kalah, near Nucus, VII–VIII с. c.).

Facts proving extreme antiquity of surgery are most convincing. Even in the remotest past, surgery of the bones might result in healing without any complications, no suppurative processes in particular. Such is the evidence of little finger amputation in a female hand of the mesolithic epoch (Crimea, Murzak-Kobah cave). The same is witnessed by complete healing of trepanation aperture in a mesolithic skull (Ukraine, Vasilyevka 3, Dniepropetrovsk district), and in two skulls of the neolithic epoch (same district). Successful issue has been observed following surgery for frost-bite, complicated by bone necrosis (Sarkel, X–XII с. c.).

Excessive physical strain, particularly in youth, frequently caused chondro-hernia in the vertebral bodies resulting in fixation of a considerable portion of the spine (Altai, early Bronze Age period and later Sarkel, X–XII с. c.; N. Caucasus, XIII–XIV с. c., etc.).

Tuberculous lesions of the spinal column and joints were not unfrequent (Western Manych, later Bronze Age period, I millennium В. C.; various regions of Siberia, I c. A. D. and later; Sarkel, X–XII c. c. showing a number of tuberculous lesions). Some individuals suffering from tuberculous spondylitis had lived for many years or even for decades.

There were many instances of osteomyelitis (Transbaikalia, Selenga region, I c. A. D.; nomads of the VIII–X с. c.; Sarkel, X–XII с. c.). An extremely grave case of osteomyelitis of the whole length of the humerus is of special interest, being characterized by central necrosis with multiple, sequesters partly still preserved, and multiple cloacas; the patient doubtlessly perished from amyloidosis (Eski-Kermen, VIII–X с. c.).

In 4 cases it has been possible to recognize typical changes due to Bech-terew’s disease, namely ankylopoietic spondyloarthritis (Sarkel, X–XII с. c.; Eski-Kermen, V–VIII с. c.). Some of the patients must have lived for many years, in spite of the gravest deformation in the spinal column.

Doubtless evidence of syphilitic lesions have been found in precolumbian days. The most ancient finds of the kind (syphilitic ostitis and periostitis of the tibia) are dated to the middle of the II millennium В. C. (Bronze Age in Transbaikalia, the Selenga region). In the same region 3 more cases of syphilis have been found in people that lived in the I c. A. D. A number of similar finds have been made in skulls and tubular human bones dated to X–XI c. c. (Sarkel). There are separate finds of the same nature made in lake Ladoga region, XI–XII с. c., in Eski-Kermen, V–XII с. c.). One instance of lesions resulting from tabes dorsalis, i. e. postsyphilitic lesions (arthropathia tabica) has been observed in Sarkel in barrows of the X–XII c. c. However, those were individual and not mass syphilitic cases, the latter remaining typical for Western Europe of the postcolumbian epoch; similar lesions have also been found in a great number of skeletons in burials of old Vyatka (XVII–XVIII с. c.).

Deformation in the bodies of the lower thoracic vertebra, due to continuous pressure of aortic aneurysm has been found in nomads of VIII–X c. c. (Altai district).

The presence of typical groove-like depressions crossing several costal bones is worthy of note. It is the result of pressure exercised by strongly dilated arteries in congenital lesion of the great cardiac vessels, i. e. the coarctation of the aorta in a young girl in the adolescent period (Krasnoyarsk district, Karasuk culture, X–VIII с. с. В. C.).

There were several finds of partial aseptic bone necrosis (osteochondrolysis of the Koenig’s disease type) (Sarkel, X–XII с. c.; Eski-Kermen, V–XII с. c.).

It became possible to date the antiquity of the Urovsky disease (Kaschin — Beck disease). The area where this endemic condition had once raged was much greater than it is nowadays. Characteristic lesions have been observed in human bones pertaining to later neolithic epoch along the banks of the Selenga; also in the same region in the Bronze Age, V–VI с. с. В. С., I c. A. D. and up to VIII–X c. c. Typical Kashin — Beck lesion has been observed in a skeleton from a Kazakhstan barrow dated to XVI c. (3000 kms. away from the endemic centre of the present day).