HERNIA, in Medicine and Surgery, a descent of the intestines or omentum out of their natural place; or rather, the tumour formed by that descent, popularly called a rupture. The word is Latin, hernia, and originally signifies the same with tumor scroti, called also ramex. Priscian observes, that the ancient Maris gave the appellation hernia to rocks; whence some will have hernias thus called propter duritatem, on account of their hardness. Scaliger chooses rather to derive the word from the Greek ἴσος, ramus, branch. See SURGERY Index.