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Off topic - original meanings of physician, doctor, surgery, healing, hygiene, panacea, etc.

Medicine in Ancient Greece

Blog post by Dr. Grimes, UK, April 2017

Snipps

  • The term “physician” was introduced, meaning “healer”, and physician is a term that remains in use today. The term “doctor” is a later term, Roman and meaning “teacher” ( docere = to teach).
  • The term “surgeon” comes from old French “serurgien”, originally from the Latin “chirurgia”. This is why the usual form of the UK medical degree is MB ChB, Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.
  • Sacrifice has gone out of fashion in our society but prayer is still used extensively, in an attempt to save lives as well as souls.
  • Asclepius and Epione had five children. Their daughter Hygieia became the goddess of good health, cleanliness, and sanitation.
    Her name lives on as “hygiene” in our present day.
    The Bowl of Hygieia remains in use today as a symbol of the pharmacy profession, and there are several forms of it in use in Europe.
  • Asclepius and Epione had a second daughter who continued the family tradition. She was Panacea, the goddess of universal health. We use the term “panacea” today as meaning a medicine that treats everything, a cure-all. It is usually an illusion but a sign of medical optimism, or possibly now the sign of a charlatan.


Dr. Grimes in 2013 wrote VITAMIN D Evolution and actions   VITAMIN D What it can do for your baby
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