C
American Journal of Transplantation 2014; 14: 494–495 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Copyright 2013 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons doi: 10.1111/ajt.12573
Letter to the Editor
A Closer Look at Depictions of Cosmas and Damian To the Editor: The miracle of the leg is known as the first pictorial representation of a transplant in history (1). The miracle was performed by Cosmas and Damian, two brothers who dedicated themselves to healing the sick, and who are now celebrated as the patron saints of physicians, surgeons and pharmacists. According to tradition, the saints amputated the leg of the Deacon Justin and successfully transplanted the leg of a black African who had just died. We collected 61 representations of this miracle (2) between the 13th and 19th centuries. We also reviewed a recently published collection of images (3). In 54 out of 61 images, the transplant is clearly visible: in 25 cases, the leg transplanted is the left and in 29 cases the right leg. In 20 cases, the transplant is performed below the knee and in 11 cases above the knee. In 23 cases, the whole lower limb was transplanted. In one case, the saints operated only on the patient’s thigh. However, one of these depictions reported for the first time in our previous book (2) attracted our attention. The picture is attributed to the Italian painter Bartolomeo Ramenghi (Bagnacavallo [Ravenna] 1484– Bologna 1542) named ‘‘Il Bagnacavallo.’’ The picture (Figure 1A) is displayed in the church of Pegola, a small town in Ferrara province in Northern Italy. We are not focused on any special technical features or artistic mastery, but on a curious graphic mistake. The painter indeed represented the transplantation of the ‘‘wrong’’ leg. This mistake was later repeated in an etching performed in 1750 by the Bolognese engraver Giuseppe Benedetti (1707–1782), who was inspired by Ramenghi’s picture, and is conserved in the library of the Archigymnasium in Bologna (Figure 1B). In both pictures we can see that the transplant has just concluded: Saint Cosmas is holding the right healthy transplanted leg of the patient (arrow in Figure 1A and B). The amputated leg was probably affected by cancer or gangrenous disease, but is not visible in the picture. Nevertheless as we can clearly see, the donor lying in the grave has had his left leg amputated for the donation (circled Figure 1A and B). After a careful examination of all the images collected in the previously mentioned books (2,3) we found a similar mistake. The painting was performed by a Spanish artist, Jaume Hughuet (Valls ca. 1412–Barcelona 1462). In 1460, he depicted the miracle in the church of S. Maria, Terassa, Spain. In the foreground, we can see that the left leg has been transplanted (Figure 1C); nevertheless, we can see the saints amputating the right leg of a black African donor through a little window in the background (Figure 1D). A more careful
494
Figure 1: The miracle of the leg: (A) by B. Ramenghi; (B) by G. Benedetti; (C,D) by J. Hughuet; (D) particular.
observation of a picture can sometimes highlight curious details as in these cases. F. Maggioni1 and G. Maggioni2 Department of Neurosciences, Neurologic Clinic, University of Padua, Padua, Italy 2 School of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy Corresponding author: Ferdinando Maggioni [email protected] 1
Disclosure The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to disclose as described by the American Journal of Transplantation.
References 1. Androutsos G, Diamantis A, Vladimiros L. The first leg transplant for the treatment of a cancer by Saints Cosmas and Damian. J BUON 2008; 13: 297–304.
American Journal of Transplantation 2014; 14: 494–495
2. Maggioni F, Talmelli D, Maggioni G. II miracolo della gamba. Padova: EDT, 2011. 3. Zimmerman K. One leg in the grave revisited. Groningen: Barkhuis, 2013.
495
American Journal of Transplantation 2014; 14: 494–495 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
Copyright 2013 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons doi: 10.1111/ajt.12573
Letter to the Editor
A Closer Look at Depictions of Cosmas and Damian To the Editor: The miracle of the leg is known as the first pictorial representation of a transplant in history (1). The miracle was performed by Cosmas and Damian, two brothers who dedicated themselves to healing the sick, and who are now celebrated as the patron saints of physicians, surgeons and pharmacists. According to tradition, the saints amputated the leg of the Deacon Justin and successfully transplanted the leg of a black African who had just died. We collected 61 representations of this miracle (2) between the 13th and 19th centuries. We also reviewed a recently published collection of images (3). In 54 out of 61 images, the transplant is clearly visible: in 25 cases, the leg transplanted is the left and in 29 cases the right leg. In 20 cases, the transplant is performed below the knee and in 11 cases above the knee. In 23 cases, the whole lower limb was transplanted. In one case, the saints operated only on the patient’s thigh. However, one of these depictions reported for the first time in our previous book (2) attracted our attention. The picture is attributed to the Italian painter Bartolomeo Ramenghi (Bagnacavallo [Ravenna] 1484– Bologna 1542) named ‘‘Il Bagnacavallo.’’ The picture (Figure 1A) is displayed in the church of Pegola, a small town in Ferrara province in Northern Italy. We are not focused on any special technical features or artistic mastery, but on a curious graphic mistake. The painter indeed represented the transplantation of the ‘‘wrong’’ leg. This mistake was later repeated in an etching performed in 1750 by the Bolognese engraver Giuseppe Benedetti (1707–1782), who was inspired by Ramenghi’s picture, and is conserved in the library of the Archigymnasium in Bologna (Figure 1B). In both pictures we can see that the transplant has just concluded: Saint Cosmas is holding the right healthy transplanted leg of the patient (arrow in Figure 1A and B). The amputated leg was probably affected by cancer or gangrenous disease, but is not visible in the picture. Nevertheless as we can clearly see, the donor lying in the grave has had his left leg amputated for the donation (circled Figure 1A and B). After a careful examination of all the images collected in the previously mentioned books (2,3) we found a similar mistake. The painting was performed by a Spanish artist, Jaume Hughuet (Valls ca. 1412–Barcelona 1462). In 1460, he depicted the miracle in the church of S. Maria, Terassa, Spain. In the foreground, we can see that the left leg has been transplanted (Figure 1C); nevertheless, we can see the saints amputating the right leg of a black African donor through a little window in the background (Figure 1D). A more careful
494
Figure 1: The miracle of the leg: (A) by B. Ramenghi; (B) by G. Benedetti; (C,D) by J. Hughuet; (D) particular.
observation of a picture can sometimes highlight curious details as in these cases. F. Maggioni1 and G. Maggioni2 Department of Neurosciences, Neurologic Clinic, University of Padua, Padua, Italy 2 School of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy Corresponding author: Ferdinando Maggioni [email protected] 1
Disclosure The authors of this manuscript have no conflicts of interest to disclose as described by the American Journal of Transplantation.
References 1. Androutsos G, Diamantis A, Vladimiros L. The first leg transplant for the treatment of a cancer by Saints Cosmas and Damian. J BUON 2008; 13: 297–304.
American Journal of Transplantation 2014; 14: 494–495
2. Maggioni F, Talmelli D, Maggioni G. II miracolo della gamba. Padova: EDT, 2011. 3. Zimmerman K. One leg in the grave revisited. Groningen: Barkhuis, 2013.
495
