Miserere colic (Miserere mei). Contribution on etymology and clinical features; hypothesis on its appearance in medical literature during centuries 17th-18th.

The definition of ileus has undergone deep changes over the last three millennia. The term ileus was originally used in Classic Greece to describe a common cause of intestinal obstruction, and subsequently the Romans would often translate it into the Latin word volvulus. During the Renaissance, ileus, volvulus and intussusception became synonymous with a vulgar term--Miserere Mei or Miserere colic--whose origin and evolution are still much of a mystery. This paper provides some historical investigation on the Miserere Mei or Miserere colic, with the aim of discussing its evolution within medical literature during the 17th and 18th centuries.