Hippocratic Nail
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Hippocratic nail refers to the curving and alteration of the nail plates, commonly known as clubbed fingers. The article from the 1928–1936 Soviet Medical Encyclopedia explains that this condition is not a disease in itself, but a symptom resulting from the bulbous enlargement of the terminal phalanges.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
HIPPOCRATIC NAIL (unguis Hippocraticus), curvature of the nails (in Hippocrates' expression, ungues aduncifiunt). The nail plates become wide, convex, softer, and more elastic; the lateral and posterior nail folds are elevated, and their coloration is bluish. In essence, the Hippocratic nail is not a disease, but merely a symptom. The Hippocratic nail arises as a consequence of club-like thickening of the terminal phalanges (see also Clubbed fingers).
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“Hippocratic Nail.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/hippocratic-nail/