Topic > The origin of medical terminology

Medical terminology comes mainly from the Latin and Greek languages. When the Romans conquered Greece, around 400, the knowledge and language of both cultures merged, giving rise to new medical concepts regarding the treatment and containment of disease. Medical records were written by hand. Much of the medical terminology we use today comes from Hippocrates, who is the "father of medicine", and Claudius Galen, one of the most legendary doctors of the Roman Empire. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Medical terminology was created to identify various anatomical structures, diagnoses, instruments, procedures, protocols, and medications. Medical terms and their roots go hand in hand with Greek and Latin entomology. Medical terminology is structured into three main parts: the root, the prefix and the suffix. The root of the word is generally found in the center of the word and indicates its basic meaning. The prefix precedes the root of the word and identifies its meaning by revealing additional information about the location and area of ​​the body. The suffix, at the end of a word, functions as an inflectional ending that conveys defined characteristics, including circumstances, development, and protocol related to the condition. Medical terminology also uses Greek and Latin adjectives and compounds to link nouns, verbs, or combine forms. Recognizing the origins of Greek and Latin words is critical to understanding medical terminology. Claudius Galen was a Greek physician who went to Rome and revived the ideas of Hippocrates and other Greek physicians. The Romans had shown little interest in Hippocrates' work and it took Galen to convince them to go with Hippocrates. Galen revived the methods favored by Hippocrates and other Greek physicians who lived in Hippocrates' time. He placed great emphasis on clinical observation; examine a patient very thoroughly and note his symptoms. Galen also accepted the idea that disease was the result of an imbalance between blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and biliary blood. Galen also believed in the healing power of nature and developed treatments to restore the balance of the four humors. Galen believed in the use of opposites, if a man seemed to have a fever, he would cure him with something cold; if a man appeared to have a cold, he was treated with heat. Weak people were given hard physical exercises to perform to strengthen their muscles. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay As most things change over time, the meanings of these words in the medical field have not changed. Even though our medical language is growing, we would not be where we are today in the field of medicine without the “father of medicine,” Hippocrates or Claudius Galen. Medical terminology would not have been as advanced nor would so many people have survived during all those difficult times in history. Works Cited Rosenthal, S. (2017). Medical Terminology: An Illustrated Guide. L. W. W. Chabner, D. E. (2020). The language of medicine. Elsevier.Stedman Medical Dictionary. (2016). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Taber's cyclopedic medical dictionary. (2021). F.A. Davis Company.Collins, C. (2015). Medical terminology for dummies. John Wiley & Sons. Wilkinson, J. M. (2015). The language of medicine: a written text that explains medical terms. Elsevier Health Sciences.Dale, H.H., & Miller, J.P. (2013). Medical terminology simplified: A programmed learning approach by body systems. Delmar Cengage Learning.Tortora, G. J., Derrickson, B., & Tortora, G. (2017). Principles of anatomy and.