Literary notes about Intestine (AI summary)
The term "intestine" has been used diversely in literature, oscillating between a precise anatomical reference and a metaphor for internal conflict. In ancient scientific works, such as those by Galen, it denotes the actual organ involved in digestion and the transformation of food, as he discusses phenomena like fecal generation and food alteration in the small intestine [1, 2]. In contrast, classical historians and political theorists have employed the term metaphorically to represent internal disorders or strife, with Livy and Thucydides referring to "intestine wars" and dissensions to depict civil discord and the disruptive effects of internal feuds [3, 4, 5, 6]. Similarly, military thinkers like Jomini extend the metaphor further into the realm of political and religious conflict, using expressions such as "intestine wars" to symbolize the tumultuous clashes within a state [7, 8, 9, 10]. Even in literary works noted for their descriptive anatomy or playful footnotes, such as those by Stevenson or in encyclopedic entries [11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16], the word retains its literal sense while highlighting the organ’s complexity. This multifaceted usage underscores the evolution of the term from a strictly medical definition to a versatile symbol of internal strife and conflict in literature.
- And how could the faeces be generated right away in the small intestine?
— from Galen: On the Natural Faculties by Galen - This alteration cannot have taken place entirely in the small intestine: therefore alteration of food must take place in the stomach.
— from Galen: On the Natural Faculties by Galen - Nor did they finally succumb till they fell the victims of their own intestine disorders.
— from The History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides - Intestine dissensions, foreign wars, caused the republic to require such a magistrate.
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy - Will they repel a foreign war by an intestine one?
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy - In this state of military affairs an intestine disturbance broke out with greater violence than the wars were proceeded with.
— from The History of Rome, Books 01 to 08 by Livy - Intestine wars, when not connected with a foreign quarrel, are generally the result of a conflict of opinions, of political or religious sectarianism.
— from The Art of War by baron de Antoine Henri Jomini - Intestine wars, 35 .
— from The Art of War by baron de Antoine Henri Jomini - for conquest, instances of, 22 . intestine, 35 .
— from The Art of War by baron de Antoine Henri Jomini - In a national or intestine war the whole country is the scene of hostilities.
— from The Art of War by baron de Antoine Henri Jomini - See Œsophagus , Intestine , Stomach .
— from The New Gresham Encyclopedia. A to Amide by Various - [Footnote] [Footnote: A hernia may be truly congenital, and yet the intestine may not enter the tunica vaginalis.
— from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - The adjoining small intestine usually forms a loop, bends forward, and opens by an anus (Fig.
— from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie - The liver, stomach, spleen, colon, and small intestine form a series of single organs: each of these may be cleft symmetrically.
— from Roget's Thesaurus by Peter Mark Roget - 2, Plate 41; for when the intestine dilates the tube, 11, into the form of a sac, this latter assumes the exact shape of the sac, as noticed in Fig.
— from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson - sb branchial sac, v stomach, i small intestine, c heart, t testicle, vd sperm-duct, o ovary, o ′ ripe ova in the branchial cavity.
— from Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
