Comments on: Verbiterrhorage

By: Charles

Charles — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 06:58:03 +0000

I know. When they told me I had “degenerative disk disease,” I felt like I was going to have a myocardial infarction and myalgic encephalomyelitis. I already had erectile dysfunction, seborrheic dermatitis/dandruff worsened by hypertrichosis. Psoriasis is next week. I’m hypertense about it.

By: Bill Brohaugh

Bill Brohaugh — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 17:21:59 +0000

Karen: You caught me. To use the lovely h in terrhor, I had to steal it from encephalomyelitis. So I bought a new letter from Vanna and corrected the spelling. Fritinancy: Delightful bit of history that crystallizes the point of the study. Indeed, they could have asked you and paid you the grant money.

By: Fritinancy

Fritinancy — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:44:46 +0000

One of the most notorious “scientific” terms was coined not by doctors but by advertisers. “Halitosis” was the invention, in 1921, of Listerine’s internal ad group. Before Listerine rebranded bad breath, the product had been used mostly as a surgical antiseptic and occasional floor cleaner. The authors of Freakonomics quote advertising scholar James B. Twitchell: “Listerine did not make mouthwash as much as it made halitosis.” The company’s annual revenues rose from $115,000 to more than $8 million in just seven years.

By: The Ridger

The Ridger — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:10:24 +0000

Really? People are more worried by myocardial infarction than by heart attack? I wouldn’t have thought that.

By: SoupAddict Karen

SoupAddict Karen — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:02:13 +0000

Oh my gosh … don’t get me started on this topic. Well, too late. I found an interesting opposite effect in the use of medical terminology. When I was immersed into the world of chronic diseases, doctors threw out those terms left and right and littered my medical records with long latin terms I couldn’t even pronounce (er, pronounciate), much less decipher. So, I studied like crazy. I learned what the word parts meant (e.g., “-algia” vs. “-itis”). I learned all the terms for the body’s systems (it’s “encephalomyelitis, btw; “enceph” refering to brain and spinal cord. Sad that I can remember that from 8 years ago, but I can’t remember where I left my gloves (the ones I wore just last night)).

Anyway, at my first drs appt after my intensive course in medical terminology, when the dr asked how I was doing, I let fly my new vocabulary. To my surprise, he was offended. Not taken aback or annoyed. Offended. My appt ended quickly after that, without the usual pointless, small-talk banter he clearly rehearses each morning before seeing patients. I guess he was upset that he lost the intimidation factor of verbomedicyclical terrhor (lovely use of the “h” there).

Thereafter, I went back to, “my legs hurt; my fingers tingle.” He seems to have gotten over it.