Tetrarizus
Tetrarizus grece Cassius felix capitulo de egritudinibus dentium sic dicitur molaris dens quattuor radicibus herens.
Apparatus:
B jumped lines. This is the entry prior to Tetrarizus:
Tetracuron grece uocatur cucumer {et aliter vocatur om. B and adds from next entry}
{Tetrarizus grece om. B and adds} cas. fel' cap. de egritudinibus dẽtiũ sic dicitur molaris dẽs .iiii. radicibus herẽs > Tetracuron grece uocatur cucumer cas. fel' cap. de egritudinibus dẽtiũ sic dicitur molaris dẽs .iiii. radicibus herẽs.
Tetrarizus f | Tetrar|icus? e | Tetraizus AC {'r' missed out} | om. B
dentium AC | dẽtiũ B | dencium (-ciũ f) ef
sic (om. A) dicitur (dicitur f) AB ef | sicut dicitur C
dens AC f | dẽs B | dictis e
quattuor A | quattor C | quatuor e | iiijor f | .iiii. B
Translation:
Tetrarizus is a Greek term Cassius Felix mentions in his chapter De egritudinibus dentium {"On diseases of the teeth"}, and it is the molar tooth that is fixed by four roots which is labelled by this word.
Commentary:
Simon refers to Cassius Felix, De medicina, 32, ed. Fraisse (2001: 73) Ad dentium dolorem {"On toothache"}, where it says:. Efficiuntur dentium dolores sub aquoso et frigido flegmate reumatizantibus gingivis, ut etiam ipsi dentes cavernentur, maxime illi maiores vel molares qui quattuor radicibus fixi esse noscuntur, quos Graeci tetrarizus vocant - "Tooth-ache is brought on through a watery and cold phlegm when the gums discharge rheum, so that these teeth become hollowed out, mainly the bigger ones and molars which are known to have four roots, and these are called tetrarizus by the Greeks".
τετράρριζος /tetrárrhizos/ means "with four roots"; the word is a compound adjective consisting of τετρα- /tetra-/ the compound form of the numeral 4 + ῥίζα /rhíza/ meaning "root". Cassius's form tetrarizus most likely reflects the Greek accusative plural masc. τετραρρίζους /tetrarrhízous/.
The anatomy of the molar teeth is quite variable, with the premolars having one or two roots while the molars have usually two or three roots, but four or even five roots do occur.
WilfGunther 26/12/2012
