Tag: medical terminology
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The medspeak language: Modern Johnsonese?
George ChristopherMichigan, United States Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) was a prominent eighteenth-century writer whose compositions include literary reviews of the works of Shakespeare, Addison, Dryden, Milton, Pope, and other major authors; scathing commentaries on moral and political issues such as the institution of slavery and the mistreatment of indigenous Americans; brief biographies; poems; a tragic play;…
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Body language: The history of medical terminology
Eve ElliotDublin, Ireland “We don’t just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.“—James D. Nicoll As any student of life sciences will tell you, medical terminology can feel like a foreign language. Fossae and foramina, erythropoietin and encephalomalacia, atelectasis and…
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Ode to my stethoscope
Hilton KoppeLennox Head, Australia Poet’s note My Littman stethoscope has accompanied me on my journey in medicine across five decades into premature medical retirement. It was definitely more difficult to lay down my stethoscope than it had been for me to recommend medical retirement to many of my patients. This poem includes a liberal sprinkling…
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Sanderson’s Thumb and the end of an eponymous era?
Kit Green SandersonCanada If you are in the medical profession, you have likely heard of the Babinski reflex or McBurney’s point, but have you ever heard of Sanderson’s thumb? No? Let me explain . . . Sleep deprived, overworked, and two hours away from the end of your 24-hour shift in the emergency room, a…