Medical Terminology Daily (MTD) is a blog sponsored by Clinical Anatomy Associates, Inc. as a service to the medical community. We post anatomical, medical or surgical terms, their meaning and usage, as well as biographical notes on anatomists, surgeons, and researchers through the ages. Be warned that some of the images used depict human anatomical specimens.
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Georg Eduard Von Rindfleisch
(1836 – 1908)
German pathologist and histologist of Bavarian nobility ancestry. Rindfleisch studied medicine in Würzburg, Berlin, and Heidelberg, earning his MD in 1859 with the thesis “De Vasorum Genesi” (on the generation of vessels) under the tutelage of Rudolf Virchow (1821 - 1902). He then continued as a assistant to Virchow in a newly founded institute in Berlin. He then moved to Breslau in 1861 as an assistant to Rudolf Heidenhain (1834–1897), becoming a professor of pathological anatomy. In 1865 he became full professor in Bonn and in 1874 in Würzburg, where a new pathological institute was built according to his design (completed in 1878), where he worked until his retirement in 1906.
He was the first to describe the inflammatory background of multiple sclerosis in 1863, when he noted that demyelinated lesions have in their center small vessels that are surrounded by a leukocyte inflammatory infiltrate.
After extensive investigations, he suspected an infectious origin of tuberculosis - even before Robert Koch's detection of the tuberculosis bacillus in 1892. Rindfleisch 's special achievement is the description of the morphologically conspicuous macrophages in typhoid inflammation. His distinction between myocardial infarction and myocarditis in 1890 is also of lasting importance.
Associated eponyms
"Rindfleisch's folds": Usually a single semilunar fold of the serous surface of the pericardium around the origin of the aorta. Also known as the plica semilunaris aortæ.
"Rindfleisch's cells": Historical (and obsolete) name for eosinophilic leukocytes.
Personal note: G. Rindfleisch’s book “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” 2nd edition (1873) is now part of my library. This book was translated from German to French by Dr. Frédéric Gross (1844-1927) , Associate Professor of the Medicine Faculty in Nancy, France. The book is dedicated to Dr. Theodore Billroth (1829-1894), an important surgeon whose pioneering work on subtotal gastrectomies paved the way for today’s robotic bariatric surgery. Dr. Miranda.
Sources:
1. "Stedmans Medical Eponyms" Forbis, P.; Bartolucci, SL; 1998 Williams and Wilkins
2. "Rindfleisch, Georg Eduard von (bayerischer Adel?)" Deutsche Biographie
3. "The pathology of multiple sclerosis and its evolution" Lassmann H. (1999) Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 354 (1390): 1635–40.
4. “Traité D' Histologie Pathologique” G.E.
Rindfleisch 2nd Ed (1873) Ballieres et Fils. Paris, Translated by F Gross
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This article is part of the series "A Moment in History" where we honor those who have contributed to the growth of medical knowledge in the areas of anatomy, medicine, surgery, and medical research.
Edward Jenner
Edward Jenner (1749 - 1823). English physician and surgeon, Edward Jenner was born in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. His training included a seven year apprenticeship to a surgeon. He then moved to London where he completed his training at the St. George’s Hospital with John Hunter. Jenner became Hunter’s assistant for anatomical dissection and research. After finishing his studies, he returned to Berkeley.
During Jenner’s time smallpox was a disease with high mortality and terrible complications that could leave a patient blind or scarred for life. Of most interest to him was local lore that related that farmers and milkmaids that contracted cowpox could not contract smallpox, even when in direct exposure to smallpox. Cowpox is a viral infection of cows causing only minor discomfort and complications when acquired by a human.
In 1796 Jenner was visited by Sarah Nelmes, a patient with smallpox-like signs on her hands. Jenner diagnosed cowpox instead of smallpox and discovered that she was a milkmaid. Sensing the need for additional research, he inoculated a young boy by scratching the boy’s skin and then rubbing some of the material exuding from Sarah’s pustules. The boy developed cowpox.
A month and a half later Jenner exposed the boy to smallpox. The boy did not develop any signs or symptoms of smallpox. The new era of vaccination had started.
In spite of his success, the spread of this new technique was slow and not easy, with many detractor and critics. In the end, Jenner was honored for his discovery. In 1980 the World Health Organization formally declared the erradication of smallpox from the world. Individuals are not vaccinated against smallpox anymore and only a few samples of the virus exist in restricted laboratories in the world.
In the pages of “Medical Terminology Daily” we explain why the process is called “vaccination” and also the role that Jenner’s discovery had in the “Royal Philanthropic Vaccination Expedition” to the New World.
Sources:
1. “Edward Jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination” Riedel, S Proc (Bayl Univ Med Cent). Jan 2005; 18(1): 21–25
2. “Edward Jenner and the eradication of smallpox” Willis NJ Scott Med J. 1997 Aug; 42(4):118-21.
3. "Smallpox; A Great and Terrible Scourge" U.S National Library of Medicine"
Image in the Public Domain. Courtesy of the National Library of Medicine, Digital Collections.
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The medical suffix [-(o)logy] originates from the Greek, although there is discussion as to the real meaning of the term in Ancient Greek. In modern Greek the word [λόγος] (logos) means "reason", while the word [λόγια] (logia) means "words". The fact is that over time the meaning of this suffix has evolved to mean "study of" and has been applied to most of the medical sciences. Some examples are:
- Biology: The study of life
- Histology: The study of tissues
- Anthropology: The study of man
- Physiology: The study of function
- Nephrology: The study of the kidney
- Gynecology: Study of women
Note: The links to Google Translate include an icon that will allow you to hear the Greek or Latin pronunciation of the word.
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The root term [antrhop-] is a derivate from the Greek word [άνθρωπος] (anthropos) meaning "man". [Andr(o)] is a similar root term with the same meaning. Applications of this root term include:
- Anthropoid: The suffix [-oid] originates from the Greek [oeides], meaning "similar to", "like", or "shaped like". Similar to a man
- Anthropogenic: The suffix [-(o)genic] means "pertaining to genesis, creation, or origin”. Something that creates a man
- Anthropologist: The suffix [-(o)logy] means "study of”. The study of man. If you are interested in forensic anthropology, click here for the Facebook page of my good friend Dr. Elizabeth Murray, PhD, DAFBA.
- Anthropometric: The suffix [-(o)metric] means "measurement”. The measurements of man. An example of this are the anthropometric studies of Peter Paul Broca (1824 - 1880) who named many of the craniometric points in the human skull
Note: The links to Google Translate include an icon that will allow you to hear the Greek or Latin pronunciation of the word.
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Open letter to friends and colleagues:
I started "Medical Terminology Daily" in October 2012, hosted at my own website, which has been online since 1998. The objective of "Medical Terminology Daily" is to be a service to the medical community, medical students, medical industry, and public in general. We post a workweek daily medical, anatomical, or surgical term, its meaning and usage, as well as biographical notes on anatomists, surgeons, and researchers through the ages. This last content stays for a week on the sidebar called "A Moment in History" and after a week, it is published as a main body article.
Each week we send a newsletter with a week's worth of articles to those who have subscribed. An example of the newsletter can be seen here.
Initially, I thought this site to be mostly about Clinical Anatomy and Medical Terminology, but the trends of the requests and conversations have created articles on Histology, Pathology, Surgical Procedures and Techniques, History of Surgery, etc. This has taxed me and the few contributors we have.
After almost two years the traffic is very good and now I am looking to expand the group of contributors to the site. I could not do it before because we lacked a good submission system for the articles. We are now in the final beta testing stage for the submission system.
We are looking to add ten new contributors to the website from different venues in Medical Sciences, including physicians, surgeons, anatomists, and university professors in Basic Medical Sciences. Preferably, all contributors should have graduate and postgraduate studies. Although we do appreciate the interest of students and the public in general, we want to maintain a very high level of professionalism and credibility. If you yourself cannot be a contributor, you may know someone who would qualify. Feel free to forward this letter as needed by clicking on the envelope icon at the top of this article.
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Each contributor can do as much or as little as they want, and we offer a page so that you can post a biography, or links to your website. We have one contributor (not listed yet) that is planning to present this website to his students and have them work on article ideas, so they learn to research as well as to write properly. His plan is to select the three best articles in his class and submit them for publication. The publication of the article with recognition to the author will be another item on the student's CV!
If you want to apply as a contributor, please send a message using the "Contact Us" page in this website with information on your studies, place of work, and how to contact you back. I promise to answer all of the requests. Those who are accepted as contributors will receive their login information as well as a manual to manage the back end of the website.
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The suffix [-emia] is a derivate from the Greek word [αίμα] (ema) meaning "blood". The same word and meaning applies to the root terms [-hem-] and [-hemat-]. In the case of the suffix [-emia] there is the connotation of a "condition related to the blood". Applications of this suffix include:
- Hyperemia: The prefix [hyper-] means "over", "above" or "excessive". Refers to a condition where there is too much blood flow to an area of the body
- Anemia: The prefix [a-] means "absence"or "without". Refers to a condition where there are dangerous levels of blood in a patient
- Polycythemia: The prefix [poly-] means "many".The root term [-cyt-] means "cell", and the suffix [-emia] means "blood". Many cells in the blood, the opposite of "anemia"
- Hypoglycemia: The prefix [hypo-] means "under", "deficient" or "below".The root term [-glyc-] means "sugar". Low levels of blood sugars
- Hypercholesterolemia: The prefix [hyper-] means "over", "above" or "excessive". The root term [-cholesterol-] is self-explanatory. High levels of cholesterol in the blood
Note: The links to Google Translate include an icon that will allow you to hear the Greek or Latin pronunciation of the word.
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The prefix [-poly-] arises from the Greek word [πολλοί] (poli/pola) meaning "many". This is a widely used prefix in medical terminology as well as in everyday English. Applications of this prefix include:
- Polymorphous: Many shapes or forms
- Polycystic: Many cysts
- Polymyalgia: Pain in many muscles
- Polycythemia: The root term [-cyt-] means "cell", and the suffix [-emia] means "blood". Many cells in the blood, the opposite of "anemia"
- Polydactyly: The root term [-dactyl-] means "fingers", polydactyly is a condition where the patient has more fingers than normal
Note: The links to Google Translate include an icon that will allow you to hear the Greek or Latin pronunciation of the word.