The Words of Medicine: Sources, Meanings, and Delights

Springfield, Illinois, U.S.A.: Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd. New. 2001. Hardcover. 0398071322 .*** FREE UPGRADE to Courier/Priority Shipping Upon Request *** - *** IN STOCK AND IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE FOR SHIPMENT - BRAND NEW, FLAWLESS COPY, NEVER OPENED -- 434 pages -- TABLE OF CONTENTS: Acknowledgments * Tables * Ch. 1 Introduction 3 * Ch. 2 A Brief History of the English Medical Vocabulary 15 * Ch. 3 Living Pieces of Dead Languages: Prefixes 30 * Ch. 4 Living Pieces of Dead Languages: Suffixes 41 * Ch. 5 Medicine in Action: Latin and Greek Verbs 54 * Ch. 6 Flowering Roots: Latin and Greek ADJectives 67 * Ch. 7 The Imagery of Medicine: The Natural Order 79 * Ch. 8 The Imagery of Medicine: The Carnival of the Animals 92 * Ch. 9 The Imagery of Medicine: This Green Earth 110 * Ch. 10 The Imagery of Medicine: Home and Hearth 124 * Ch. 11 The Imagery of Medicine: Life as It is Lived 141 * Ch. 12 The Imagery of Medicine: Passions and Preoccupations 157 * Ch. 13 Latin Redivivus et Vivens: Medical Latin Then and Now 172 * Ch. 14 Different Words, Different Times: Medical Words of Yesteryear 187 Ch. 15 Herbs, Simples, and Potions: Yesterday's Pharmacopeia 200 * Ch. 16 The French Connection: The Gallic Legacy 211 * Ch. 17 The Wide World of Words: Borrowings from Hither and Yon 222 * Ch. 18 Eponyms: Myth, Religion, and Worship 236 * Ch. 19 Eponyms; People, Patients, Protagonists, and Places 252 * Ch. 20 Eponyms: Anatomy, the Visual Science 268 * Ch. 21 Eponyms: The Physician's Art 283 * Ch. 22 Eponyms: Some Ills that Man is Heir to 298 * Ch. 23 Modern Materia Medica: The Drugs of Today 312 * Ch. 24 Long Phrases to Short: Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Mnemonics 326 * Ch. 25 Some Practical Pointers 344 * Ch. 26 Quo Vadis? 357 * Epilogue 373 * Bibliography 377 * Index 385. -- Booknews: "Neither encyclopedia nor dictionary, but rather, a narrative journey through the medical vocabulary from its origins in the writings of classical Greek and Roman physicians to the almost daily coinage of new words today, revealing the revolutionary changes in medicine through the millennia. Practical tips on usage and avoiding common errors make the work more than simply of historical interest." -- This book is a history of the medical vocabulary presented in topical (rather than dictionary) form. While most other books on medical words are arranged as dictionaries, rather than topically, and are much more selective in their presentation, this book entertains a comprehensive and historical approach to the subject. It is written primarily for physicians, biomedical scientists, and medical students, but should also appeal to anyone in the health professions or biological sciences with a “feel” for medical history and the English language. It will also be useful to some teachers of English or linguistics. The idea of the book developed over at least a decade, and brings together for the author a lifelong interest in words, classical and modern languages, and the history of medicine. The purpose is not only to foster the more precise use of the language of medicine by doctors and biomedical scientists, but also to enhance their enjoyment of the vocabulary they use professionally on a daily basis. Readers will find that the book contains a wealth of knowledge and provides for some very pleasurable reading. -- with a bonus offer-- .