Karenberg A
Institut für Geschichte und Ethik der Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Köln, Joseph-Stelzmann-Straße 20, 50931, Köln, Deutschland.
Z Rheumatol. 2017 Sep;76(7):630-635. doi: 10.1007/s00393-017-0320-6.
A number of designations for diseases, medicines and human body structures derive from classical mythology. To date, these eponyms have not been systematically investigated.
This paper provides an overview of this fringe component of medical vocabulary, looks at the history of several terms and formulates hypotheses as to why such creative etymologies have come into being.
In addition to relevant texts on ancient mythology, a variety of medical textbooks from the early modern period were analyzed.
Between the 16th and the 20th centuries some 30 figures from Greek and Roman literature made their way into the terminology of medical sciences. A few of these expressions can be encountered in clinical use (e. g., Caput Medusae, Proteus, Oedipus complex) and remain official anatomical (atlas, Achilles tendon) or pharmaceutical nomenclature (atropine, morphine). The choice of these designations has often been similarity of form or analogies in function. Classical eponyms have gained acceptance on account of their succinctness, conciseness and scholarly veneer. Finally, this vocabulary shares its origin with other relevant terminology.
In clinical classes, mythological designations can serve as a point of departure for digressions into literary, art and medical history in order to provide an understanding of cultural traditions and enhance education.
许多疾病、药物和人体结构的命名都源自古典神话。迄今为止，这些以人名命名的术语尚未得到系统研究。
本文概述了医学词汇的这一边缘组成部分，考察了几个术语的历史，并就这些富有创意的词源为何会出现提出假设。
除了古代神话的相关文本外，还分析了近代早期的各种医学教科书。
在16世纪至20世纪期间，大约30位来自希腊和罗马文学的人物进入了医学科学术语。其中一些表述在临床应用中可以见到（例如，水母头、普罗透斯、俄狄浦斯情结），并且仍然是官方解剖学（地图集、跟腱）或药物命名法（阿托品、吗啡）。这些命名的选择通常是形式上的相似性或功能上的类比。古典以人名命名的术语因其简洁、精炼和学术外表而被接受。最后，这个词汇与其他相关术语有着共同的起源。
在临床课程中，神话命名可以作为一个切入点，展开对文学、艺术和医学史的讨论，以便理解文化传统并加强教育。
