Bezoar
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
A bezoar is a concretion found in the gastrointestinal tract of certain ruminants, most commonly goats, horses, and antelopes, and rarely in humans. It consists of tightly matted hair, food particles, and bacteria, sometimes with abundant plant fibers. While often harmless, it can cause gastric hypertrophy, ulcers, intestinal obstruction, or peritonitis. Historically, it was believed to have protective properties against poisons.
Encyclopedia article (1928–1936)
BEZOAR (bezoare), bezoar stone, observed mainly in the gastrointestinal tract of some ruminant animals, especially goats, horses, antelopes; very rarely encountered in humans. B. consists of tightly matted hair (trichobezoare, hair tumor, hair ball) as a basis, into which food particles and bacteria are embedded. Sometimes an abundance of plant fibers (phytobezoare) is noted in the composition of B. The size of B. varies, sometimes reaching the size of a child's head. In humans, B. was observed, primarily, in psychiatric patients, in hysterics, and in persons working with hair. B. can remain in the stomach for years without causing special changes, or lead to hypertrophy of the stomach wall, ulcerative processes, and sometimes to intestinal obstruction, peritonitis. In the history of medicine there are indications of the protective significance of the B. found in the stomach against poisons entering the stomach; and the very word B. denotes an antidote. B. was used in the East, for example, against epilepsy.
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“Bezoar.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/bezoar/