Sessions 4–6
What is the title of the doctor who specializes in:
In this chapter we discuss ten medical specialists—what they do, how they do it, what they are called.
To find out what ails you and why, this specialist gives you a thorough physical examination, using an impressive array of tests: X ray, blood chemistry, urinalysis, cardiogram, and so on.
An internist
This specialist treats the female reproductive and sexual organs.
A gynecologist
This specialist delivers babies and takes care of the mother during and immediately after the period of her pregnancy.
An obstetrician
You know the common childhood maladies—mumps, whooping cough, chicken pox, measles. This specialist limits his practice to youngsters, taking care of babies directly after birth, supervising their diet and watching over their growth and development, giving them the series of inoculations that has done so much to decrease infant mortality, and soothing their anxious parents.
A pediatrician
You have heard the classic riddle: "What is the best use for pigskin?" Answer: "To keep the pig together." Human skin has a similar purpose: it is, if we get down to fundamentals, what keeps us all in one piece. And our outer covering, like so many of our internal organs, is subject to diseases and infections of various kinds, running the gamut from simple acne and eczemas through impetigo, psoriasis, and cancer. There is a specialist who treats all such skin diseases.
A dermatologist
The physician whose specialty is disorders of vision (myopia, astigmatism, cataracts, glaucoma, etc.) may prescribe glasses, administer drugs, or perform surgery.
An ophthalmologist
This specialist deals with the skeletal structure of the body, treating bone fractures, slipped discs, clubfoot, curvature of the spine, dislocations of the hip, etc., and may correct a condition either by surgery or by the use of braces or other appliances.
An orthopedist
This specialist treats diseases of the heart and circulatory system.
A cardiologist
This physician specializes in the treatment of disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the nervous system.
A neurologist
This specialist attempts to alleviate mental and emotional disturbances by means of various techniques, occasionally drugs or electroshock, more often private or group psychotherapy.
A psychiatrist
Words take on a new color if you hear them in your own voice; they begin to belong to you more personally, more intimately, than if you merely hear or read them. As always, therefore, say the words aloud to take the first, crucial step toward complete mastery.
Match each doctor to the field.
FIELDS
DOCTORS
1–j, 2–i, 3–e, 4–a, 5–d, 6–b, 7–f, 8–h, 9–c, 10–g
1–yes, 2–yes, 3–no, 4–no, 5–yes, 6–no, 7–yes, 8–no, 9–yes, 10–yes
Write the name of the specialist you might visit or be referred to:
1–neurologist, 2–internist, 3–dermatologist, 4–cardiologist, 5–psychiatrist, 6–obstetrician, 7–gynecologist, 8–pediatrician, 9–ophthalmologist, 10–orthopedist
(End of session 4)
Internist and internal derive from the same Latin root, internus, inside. The internist is a specialist in internal medicine, in the exploration of your insides. This physician determines the state of your internal organs in order to discover what's happening within your body to cause the troubles you're complaining of.
Do not confuse the internist with the intern (also spelled interne), who is a medical graduate serving an apprenticeship inside a hospital.
The word gynecologist is built on Greek gyne, woman, plus logos, science; etymologically, gynecology is the science (in actual use, the medical science) of women. Adjective: gynecological (gīn [or jin or jīn]-Ə-kƏ-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
Obstetrician derives from Latin obstetrix, midwife, which in turn has its source in a Latin verb meaning to stand—midwives stand in front of the woman in labor to aid in the delivery of the infant.
The suffix -ician, as in obstetrician, physician, musician, magician, electrician, etc., means expert.
Obstetrics (ob-STETʹ-riks) has only within the last 150 years become a respectable specialty. No further back than 1834, Professor William P. Dewees assumed the first chair of obstetrics at the University of Pennsylvania and had to brave considerable medical contempt and ridicule as a result—the delivery of children was then considered beneath the dignity of the medical profession. Adjective: obstetric (ob-STETʹ-rik) or obstetrical (ob-STETʹ-rƏ-kƏl).
Pediatrician is a combination of Greek paidos, child; iatreia, medical healing; and -ician, expert.
Pediatrics (pee-dee-ATʹ-riks), then, is by etymology the medical healing of a child. Adjective: pediatric (pee-dee-ATʹ-rik).
(The ped- you see in words like pedestal, pedal, and pedestrian is from the Latin pedis, foot, and despite the identical spelling in English has no relationship to Greek paidos.)
Pedagogy (PEDʹ-Ə-gōʹ-jee), which combines paidos with agogos, leading, is, etymologically, the leading of children. And to what do you lead them? To learning, to development, to growth, to maturity. From the moment of birth, infants are led by adults—they are taught, first by parents and then by teachers, to be self-sufficient, to fit into the culture in which they are born. Hence, pedagogy, which by derivation means the leading of a child, refers actually to the principles and methods of teaching. College students majoring in education take certain standard pedagogy courses—the history of education; educational psychology; the psychology of adolescents; principles of teaching; etc. Adjective: pedagogical (ped-Ə-GOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
A pedagogue (PEDʹ-Ə-gog) is versed in pedagogy. But pedagogue has an unhappy history. From its original, neutral meaning of teacher, it has deteriorated to the point where it refers, today, to a narrow-minded, strait-laced, old-fashioned, dogmatic teacher. It is a word of contempt and should be used with caution.
Like pedagogue, demagogue (DEMʹ-Ə-gog) has also deteriorated in meaning. By derivation a leader (agogos) of the people (demos), a demagogue today is actually one who attempts, in essence, to mislead the people, a politician who foments discontent among the masses, rousing them to fever pitch by wild oratory, in an attempt to be voted into office.
Once elected, demagogues use political power to further their own personal ambitions or fortunes.
Many "leaders" of the past and present, in countries around the world, have been accused of demagoguery (dem-Ə-GOGʹ-Ə-ree). Adjective: demagogic (dem-Ə-GOJʹ-ik).
The dermatologist, whose specialty is dermatology (dur-mƏ-TOLʹ-Ə-jee), is so named from Greek derma, skin. Adjective: dermatological (durʹ-mƏ-tƏ-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
See the syllables derma in any English word and you will know there is some reference to skin—for example, a hypodermic (hī-pƏ-DURʹ-mik) needle penetrates under (Greek, hypos) the skin; the epidermis (ep-Ə-DURʹ-mis) is the outermost layer of skin; a taxidermist (TAKSʹ-Ə-dur-mist), whose business is taxidermy (TAKSʹ-Ə-dur-mee), prepares, stuffs, and mounts the skins of animals; a pachyderm (PAKʹ-Ə-durm) is an animal with an unusually thick skin, like an elephant, hippopotamus, or rhinoceros; and dermatitis (dur-mƏ-TĪʹ-tis) is the general name for any skin inflammation, irritation, or infection.
Ophthalmologist—note the ph preceding th—is from Greek ophthalmos, eye, plus logos, science or study. The specialty is ophthalmology (offʹ-thal-MOLʹ-Ə-jee), the adjective ophthalmological (offʹ-thal-mƏ-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
An earlier title for this physician, still occasionally used, is oculist (OKʹ-yƏ-list), from Latin oculus, eye, a root on which the following English words are also built:
Do not confuse the ophthalmologist or oculist, a medical specialist, with two other practitioners who deal with the eye—the optometrist (op-TOMʹ-Ə-trist) and optician (op-TISHʹ-Ən).
Optometrists are not physicians, and do not perform surgery or administer drugs; they measure vision, test for glaucoma, and prescribe and fit glasses.
Opticians fill an optometrist's or ophthalmologist's prescription, grinding lenses according to specifications; they do not examine patients.
Optometrist combines Greek opsis, optikos, sight or vision, with metron, measurement—the optometrist, by etymology, is one who measures vision. The specialty is optometry (op-TOMʹ-Ə-tree).
Optician is built on opsis, optikos, plus -ician, expert. The specialty is optics (OPʹ-tiks).
Adjectives: optometric (op-tƏ-METʹ-rik) or optometrical (op-tƏ-METʹ-rƏ-kƏl), optical (OPʹ-tƏ-kƏl).
| Prefix, Root, Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| internus | inside | internist |
| gyne | woman | gynecologist |
| obstetrix | midwife | obstetrician |
| paidos | child | pediatrician |
| pedis | foot | pedestrian |
| agogos | leading, leader | pedagogue |
| demos | people | demagogue |
| derma | skin | dermatologist |
| hypos | under | hypodermic |
| ophthalmos | eye | ophthalmologist |
| oculus | eye | monocle |
| monos | one | monocle |
| bi- | two | binoculars |
| -ician | expert | obstetrician |
| opsis, optikos | vision, sight | optician |
| metron | measurement | optometrist |
1–f, 2–c, 3–g, 4–a, 5–d, 6–e, 7–b
1–c, 2–f, 3–a, 4–g, 5–b, 6–d, 7–e
1–yes, 2–yes, 3–no, 4–yes, 5–no, 6–no, 7–no, 8–yes, 9–no, 10–no, 11–yes, 12–no, 13–no
1–obstetrics, 2–epidermis, 3–pedagogy, 4–pachyderm, 5–dermatitis, 6–demagogue, 7–optician, 8–intern or interne, 9–pediatrics, 10–demagoguery, 11–taxidermist, 12–oculist, 13–gynecology, 14–ophthalmology, 15–monocle, 16–ocular, 17–optometrist
(End of Session 5)
The orthopedist is so called from the Greek roots orthos, straight or correct, and paidos, child. The orthopedist, by etymology, straightens children. The term was coined in 1741 by the author of a textbook on the prevention of childhood diseases—at that time the correction of spinal curvature in children was a main concern of practitioners of orthopedics (awr-thƏ-PEEʹ-diks).
Today the specialty treats deformities, injuries, and diseases of the bones and joints (of adults as well as children, of course), often by surgical procedures. Adjective: orthopedic (awr-thƏ-PEEʹ-dik).
Orthodontia (awr-thƏ-DONʹ-shƏ), the straightening of teeth, is built on orthos plus odontos, tooth. The orthodontist (awr-thƏ-DONʹ-tist) specializes in improving your "bite," retracting "buck teeth," and by means of braces and other techniques seeing to it that every molar, incisor, bicuspid, etc. is exactly where it belongs in your mouth. Adjective: orthodontic (awr-thƏ-DONʹ-tik).
Cardiologist combines Greek kardia, heart, and logos, science. The specialty is cardiology (kahr-dee-OLʹ-Ə-jee), the adjective cardiological (kahrʹ-dee-Ə-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
So a cardiac (KAHRʹ-dee-ak) condition refers to some malfunctioning of the heart; a cardiogram (KAHRʹ-dee-Ə-gramʹ) is an electrically produced record of the heartbeat. The instrument that produces this record is called a cardiograph (KAHRʹ-dee-Ə-grafʹ).
Neurologist derives from Greek neuron, nerve, plus logos, science. Specialty: neurology (nŏŏr-OLʹ-Ə-jee); adjective: neurological (nŏŏr-Ə-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
Neuralgia (nŏŏr-ALʹ-jƏ) is acute pain along the nerves and their branches; the word comes from neuron plus algos, pain.
Neuritis (nŏŏr-Īʹ-tis) is inflammation of the nerves.
Neurosis (nŏŏr-Ōʹ-sis), combining neuron with -osis, a suffix meaning abnormal or diseased condition, is not, despite its etymology, a disorder of the nerves, but rather, as described by the late Eric Berne, a psychiatrist, "… an illness characterized by excessive use of energy for unproductive purposes so that personality development is hindered or stopped. A man who spends most of his time worrying about his health, counting his money, plotting revenge, or washing his hands, can hope for little emotional growth."
Neurotic (nŏŏr-OTʹ-ik) is both the adjective form and the term for a person suffering from neurosis.
A neurosis is not a form of mental unbalance. A full-blown mental disorder is called a psychosis (sī-KŌʹ-sis), a word built on Greek psyche, spirit, soul, or mind, plus -osis.
A true psychotic (sī-KOTʹ-ik) has lost contact with reality—at least with reality as most of us perceive it, though no doubt psychotic (note that this word, like neurotic, is both a noun and an adjective) people have their own form of reality.
Built on psyche plus iatreia, medical healing, a psychiatrist by etymology is a mind-healer. The specialty is psychiatry (sī- or sƏ-KĪʹ-Ə-tree); the adjective is psychiatric (sī-kee-ATʹ-rik).
Pediatrics, as you know, is also built on iatreia, as is podiatry (pƏ-DĪʹ-Ə-tree), discussed in the next chapter, and geriatrics (jairʹ-ee-ATʹ-riks), the specialty dealing with the particular medical needs of the elderly. (This word combines iatreia with Greek geras, old age.) The specialist is a geriatrician (jairʹ-ee-Ə-TRISHʹ-Ən), the adjective is geriatric (jairʹ-ee-ATʹ-rik).
| Root, Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| orthos | straight, correct | orthopedist |
| paidos (ped-) | child | pediatrician |
| odontos | tooth | orthodontist |
| kardia | heart | cardiologist |
| logos | science; study | cardiology |
| neuron | nerve | neurologist |
| algos | pain | neuralgia |
| -osis | abnormal or diseased condition | neurosis |
| -itis | inflammation | neuritis |
| psyche | spirit, soul, mind | psychiatrist |
| iatreia | medical healing | psychiatry |
| geras | old age | geriatrics |
1–e, 2–c, 3–a, 4–d, 5–b
1–a, 2–e, 3–c, 4–b, 5–d
1–F, 2–T, 3–T, 4–T, 5–T, 6–F, 7–F, 8–T, 9–T, 10–T, 11–T, 12–F, 13–F
1–orthodontist, 2–neuralgia, 3–orthopedics, 4–psychiatry, 5–neuritis, 6–neurosis, 7–psychotic, 8–cardiac, 9–geriatrics, 10–cardiograph, 11–cardiogram
(End of Session 6)
1–b, 2–b, 3–b, 4–c, 5–c, 6–a, 7–c, 8–b, 9–b
| Root | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| internus | inside | internist |
| paidos (ped-) | child | pediatrician |
| pedis | foot | pedestrian |
| agogos | leading | pedagogue |
| demos | people | demagogue |
| derma | skin | dermatologist |
| hypos | under | hypodermic |
| ophthalmos | eye | ophthalmologist |
| oculus | eye | monocle |
| opsis, optikos | view, vision, sight | optician |
| metron | measurement | optometrist |
| orthos | straight, correct | orthopedist |
| odontos | tooth | orthodontist |
| kardia | heart | cardiologist |
| logos | science, study | anthropologist |
| neuron | nerve | neurologist |
| algos | pain | neuralgia |
| psyche | mind | psychiatrist |
| iatreia | medical healing | psychiatry |
| geras | old age | geriatrics |
1–inside, 2–child, 3–foot, 4–leading, 5–people, 6–skin, 7–under, 8–eye, 9–eye, 10–view, vision, sight, 11–measurement, 12–straight, correct, 13–tooth, 14–heart, 15–science, study, 16–nerve, 17–pain, 18–mind, 19–medical healing, 20–old age
(Answers in Chapter 18)
You can achieve a superior vocabulary in a phenomenally short time—given self-discipline and persistence.
The greatest aid in building self-discipline is, as I have said, a matter of devising a practical and comfortable schedule for yourself and then keeping to that schedule.
Make sure to complete at least one session each time you pick up the book, and always decide exactly when you will continue with your work before you put the book down.
There may be periods of difficulty—then is the time to exert the greatest self-discipline, the most determined persistence.
For every page that you study will help you attain a mastery over words; every day that you work will add to your skill in understanding and using words.
Chapter 4 introduces 37 words organized across three sessions covering medical specialists, skin/eye terminology, and nervous system and mind vocabulary.
A physician specializing in internal medicine who diagnoses ailments through thorough examination and tests of the internal organs
A physician specializing in the female reproductive and sexual organs and their disorders
A physician who delivers babies and cares for the mother during and immediately after pregnancy
A physician specializing in the treatment and care of infants and young children, supervising their growth, diet, and development
A physician specializing in diseases and disorders of the skin, from acne and eczema to psoriasis and skin cancer
A physician specializing in diseases and disorders of the eye; may prescribe glasses, administer drugs, or perform surgery
A physician specializing in the skeletal structure of the body, treating bone fractures, dislocations, spinal curvature, and joint disorders
A physician specializing in diseases of the heart and circulatory system
A physician specializing in disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and nervous system
A physician specializing in mental and emotional disturbances, treating patients through psychotherapy, drugs, or other techniques
The art, science, and principles of teaching; the methods and practice of instruction
Originally a teacher; now used disparagingly for a narrow-minded, dogmatic, old-fashioned teacher
A political leader who stirs up discontent among the masses with wild oratory, seeking personal power rather than the public good
Pertaining to beneath the skin; used especially of a needle that penetrates under the skin to inject medication
The outermost layer of the skin
One who prepares, stuffs, and mounts the skins of animals for display
A large, thick-skinned animal such as an elephant, hippopotamus, or rhinoceros
Inflammation, irritation, or infection of the skin; a general term for any skin inflammatory condition
A non-physician eye-care practitioner who measures vision, tests for glaucoma, and prescribes and fits eyeglasses; does not perform surgery or administer drugs
One who fills prescriptions for eyeglasses by grinding lenses according to specifications; does not examine patients
The medical specialty dealing with the particular health needs and diseases of the elderly
A dental specialist who straightens teeth, corrects bite problems, and repositions teeth using braces and other techniques
Relating to or affecting the heart; as a noun, a person with a heart condition
An electrically produced record of the heartbeat; the output of a cardiograph
Acute pain along the course of a nerve and its branches
Inflammation of the nerves
An emotional or psychological disturbance characterized by excessive use of energy for unproductive purposes, hindering personality development; less severe than psychosis
A severe mental disorder in which the person has lost contact with reality; a full-blown mental unbalance, more serious than neurosis
The medical specialty dealing with mental, emotional, and personality disturbances
The science of the mind and human behavior
Pertaining to a physical illness or symptom caused or significantly influenced by the mind or emotional factors
What is the title of the doctor who specializes in:
In this chapter we discuss ten medical specialists—what they do, how they do it, what they are called.
To find out what ails you and why, this specialist gives you a thorough physical examination, using an impressive array of tests: X ray, blood chemistry, urinalysis, cardiogram, and so on.
An internist
This specialist treats the female reproductive and sexual organs.
A gynecologist
This specialist delivers babies and takes care of the mother during and immediately after the period of her pregnancy.
An obstetrician
You know the common childhood maladies—mumps, whooping cough, chicken pox, measles. This specialist limits his practice to youngsters, taking care of babies directly after birth, supervising their diet and watching over their growth and development, giving them the series of inoculations that has done so much to decrease infant mortality, and soothing their anxious parents.
A pediatrician
You have heard the classic riddle: "What is the best use for pigskin?" Answer: "To keep the pig together." Human skin has a similar purpose: it is, if we get down to fundamentals, what keeps us all in one piece. And our outer covering, like so many of our internal organs, is subject to diseases and infections of various kinds, running the gamut from simple acne and eczemas through impetigo, psoriasis, and cancer. There is a specialist who treats all such skin diseases.
A dermatologist
The physician whose specialty is disorders of vision (myopia, astigmatism, cataracts, glaucoma, etc.) may prescribe glasses, administer drugs, or perform surgery.
An ophthalmologist
This specialist deals with the skeletal structure of the body, treating bone fractures, slipped discs, clubfoot, curvature of the spine, dislocations of the hip, etc., and may correct a condition either by surgery or by the use of braces or other appliances.
An orthopedist
This specialist treats diseases of the heart and circulatory system.
A cardiologist
This physician specializes in the treatment of disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and the rest of the nervous system.
A neurologist
This specialist attempts to alleviate mental and emotional disturbances by means of various techniques, occasionally drugs or electroshock, more often private or group psychotherapy.
A psychiatrist
Words take on a new color if you hear them in your own voice; they begin to belong to you more personally, more intimately, than if you merely hear or read them. As always, therefore, say the words aloud to take the first, crucial step toward complete mastery.
Match each doctor to the field.
Click a word on the left, then click its matching definition on the right.
Matched: 0 / 10
1. Is an internist an expert in diagnosis?
2. Is a gynecologist familiar with the female reproductive organs?
3. Does an obstetrician specialize in diseases of childhood?
4. Does a pediatrician deliver babies?
5. If you had a skin disease, would you visit a dermatologist?
6. If you had trouble with your vision, would you visit an orthopedist?
7. Is an ophthalmologist an eye specialist?
8. Does a cardiologist treat bone fractures?
9. Is a neurologist a nerve specialist?
10. If you were nervous, tense, overly anxious, constantly fearful for no apparent reasons, would a psychiatrist be the specialist to see?
Write the name of the specialist you might visit or be referred to:
1. for a suspected brain disorder
2. for a thorough internal checkup
3. if you have a skin disease
4. if you have a heart problem
5. if you are tense, fearful, insecure
6. if you are pregnant
7. for some disorder of the female reproductive organs
8. for a checkup for your two-month-old child
9. for faulty vision
10. for curvature of the spine
Internist and internal derive from the same Latin root, internus, inside. The internist is a specialist in internal medicine, in the exploration of your insides. This physician determines the state of your internal organs in order to discover what's happening within your body to cause the troubles you're complaining of.
Do not confuse the internist with the intern (also spelled interne), who is a medical graduate serving an apprenticeship inside a hospital.
The word gynecologist is built on Greek gyne, woman, plus logos, science; etymologically, gynecology is the science (in actual use, the medical science) of women. Adjective: gynecological (gīn- [or jin- or jīn]-Ə-kƏ-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
Obstetrician derives from Latin obstetrix, midwife, which in turn has its source in a Latin verb meaning to stand—midwives stand in front of the woman in labor to aid in the delivery of the infant.
The suffix -ician, as in obstetrician, physician, musician, magician, electrician, etc., means expert.
Obstetrics (ob-STETʹ-riks) has only within the last 150 years become a respectable specialty. No further back than 1834, Professor William P. Dewees assumed the first chair of obstetrics at the University of Pennsylvania and had to brave considerable medical contempt and ridicule as a result—the delivery of children was then considered beneath the dignity of the medical profession. Adjective: obstetric (ob-STETʹ-rik) or obstetrical (ob-STETʹ-rƏ-kƏl).
Pediatrician is a combination of Greek paidos, child; iatreia, medical healing; and -ician, expert.
Pediatrics (pee-dee-ATʹ-riks), then, is by etymology the medical healing of a child. Adjective: pediatric (pee-dee-ATʹ-rik).
(The ped- you see in words like pedestal, pedal, and pedestrian is from the Latin pedis, foot, and despite the identical spelling in English has no relationship to Greek paidos.)
Pedagogy (PEDʹ-Ə-gōʹ-jee), which combines paidos with agogos, leading, is, etymologically, the leading of children. And to what do you lead them? To learning, to development, to growth, to maturity. From the moment of birth, infants are led by adults—they are taught, first by parents and then by teachers, to be self-sufficient, to fit into the culture in which they are born. Hence, pedagogy, which by derivation means the leading of a child, refers actually to the principles and methods of teaching. College students majoring in education take certain standard pedagogy courses—the history of education; educational psychology; the psychology of adolescents; principles of teaching; etc. Adjective: pedagogical (ped-Ə-GOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
A pedagogue (PEDʹ-Ə-gog) is versed in pedagogy. But pedagogue has an unhappy history. From its original, neutral meaning of teacher, it has deteriorated to the point where it refers, today, to a narrow-minded, strait-laced, old-fashioned, dogmatic teacher. It is a word of contempt and should be used with caution.
Like pedagogue, demagogue (DEMʹ-Ə-gog) has also deteriorated in meaning. By derivation a leader (agogos) of the people (demos), a demagogue today is actually one who attempts, in essence, to mislead the people, a politician who foments discontent among the masses, rousing them to fever pitch by wild oratory, in an attempt to be voted into office.
Once elected, demagogues use political power to further their own personal ambitions or fortunes.
Many "leaders" of the past and present, in countries around the world, have been accused of demagoguery (dem-Ə-GOGʹ-Ə-ree). Adjective: demagogic (dem-Ə-GOJʹ-ik).
The dermatologist, whose specialty is dermatology (dur-mƏ-TOLʹ-Ə-jee), is so named from Greek derma, skin. Adjective: dermatological (durʹ-mƏ-tƏ-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
See the syllables derma in any English word and you will know there is some reference to skin—for example, a hypodermic (hī-pƏ-DURMʹ-ik) needle penetrates under (Greek, hypos) the skin; the epidermis (ep-Ə-DURʹ-mis) is the outermost layer of skin; a taxidermist (TAKSʹ-Ə-dur-mist), whose business is taxidermy (TAKSʹ-Ə-dur-mee), prepares, stuffs, and mounts the skins of animals; a pachyderm (PAKʹ-Ə-durm) is an animal with an unusually thick skin, like an elephant, hippopotamus, or rhinoceros; and dermatitis (dur-mƏ-TĪʹ-tis) is the general name for any skin inflammation, irritation, or infection.
Ophthalmologist—note the ph preceding th—is from Greek ophthalmos, eye, plus logos, science or study. The specialty is ophthalmology (offʹ-thal-MOLʹ-Ə-jee), the adjective ophthalmological (offʹ-thal-mƏ-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
An earlier title for this physician, still occasionally used, is oculist (OKʹ-yƏ-list), from Latin oculus, eye, a root on which the following English words are also built:
Do not confuse the ophthalmologist or oculist, a medical specialist, with two other practitioners who deal with the eye—the optometrist (op-TOMʹ-Ə-trist) and optician (op-TISHʹ-Ən).
Optometrists are not physicians, and do not perform surgery or administer drugs; they measure vision, test for glaucoma, and prescribe and fit glasses.
Opticians fill an optometrist's or ophthalmologist's prescription, grinding lenses according to specifications; they do not examine patients.
Optometrist combines Greek opsis, optikos, sight or vision, with metron, measurement—the optometrist, by etymology, is one who measures vision. The specialty is optometry (op-TOMʹ-Ə-tree).
Optician is built on opsis, optikos, plus -ician, expert. The specialty is optics (OPʹ-tiks). Adjectives: optometric (op-tƏ-METʹ-rik) or optometrical (op-tƏ-METʹ-rƏ-kƏl), optical (OPʹ-tƏ-kƏl).
| Root | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| internus | inside | internist |
| gyne | woman | gynecologist |
| obstetrix | midwife | obstetrician |
| paidos | child | pediatrician |
| pedis | foot | pedestrian |
| agogos | leading, leader | pedagogue |
| demos | people | demagogue |
| derma | skin | dermatologist |
| hypos | under | hypodermic |
| ophthalmos | eye | ophthalmologist |
| oculus | eye | monocle |
| monos | one | monocle |
| bi- | two | binoculars |
| -ician | expert | obstetrician |
| opsis, optikos | vision, sight | optician |
| metron | measurement | optometrist |
Click a word on the left, then click its matching definition on the right.
Matched: 0 / 7
Click a word on the left, then click its matching definition on the right.
Matched: 0 / 7
1. Does a treatise on obstetrics deal with childbirth?
2. Does gynecology deal with the female reproductive organs?
3. Is pediatrics concerned with the diseases of old age?
4. Does pedagogy refer to teaching?
5. Is a pedagogue an expert teacher?
6. Is a demagogue interested in the welfare of the people?
7. Is a lion a pachyderm?
8. Is the epidermis one of the layers of the skin?
9. Is dermatitis an inflammation of one of the limbs?
10. Is a taxidermist a medical practitioner?
11. Is an ophthalmologist a medical doctor?
12. Is an optometrist a medical doctor?
13. Does an optician prescribe glasses?
1. specialty of child delivery
2. outer layer of skin
3. principles of teaching
4. thick-skinned animal
5. skin inflammation
6. one who foments political discontent
7. one who sells optical equipment
8. medical graduate serving his apprenticeship
9. treatment of childhood diseases
10. practice of stirring up political dissatisfaction for purely personal gain
11. one who stuffs the skins of animals
12. another title for ophthalmologist
13. treatment of female ailments
14. medical specialty relating to diseases of the eye
15. one-lens eyeglass
16. pertaining to the eye
17. one who measures vision
The orthopedist is so called from the Greek roots orthos, straight or correct, and paidos, child. The orthopedist, by etymology, straightens children. The term was coined in 1741 by the author of a textbook on the prevention of childhood diseases—at that time the correction of spinal curvature in children was a main concern of practitioners of orthopedics (awr-thƏ-PEEʹ-diks).
Today the specialty treats deformities, injuries, and diseases of the bones and joints (of adults as well as children, of course), often by surgical procedures. Adjective: orthopedic (awr-thƏ-PEEʹ-dik).
Orthodontia (awr-thƏ-DONʹ-shƏ), the straightening of teeth, is built on orthos plus odontos, tooth. The orthodontist (awr-thƏ-DONʹ-tist) specializes in improving your "bite," retracting "buck teeth," and by means of braces and other techniques seeing to it that every molar, incisor, bicuspid, etc. is exactly where it belongs in your mouth. Adjective: orthodontic (awr-thƏ-DONʹ-tik).
Cardiologist combines Greek kardia, heart, and logos, science. The specialty is cardiology (kahr-dee-OLʹ-Ə-jee), the adjective cardiological (kahrʹ-dee-Ə-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
So a cardiac (KAHRʹ-dee-ak) condition refers to some malfunctioning of the heart; a cardiogram (KAHRʹ-dee-Ə-gramʹ) is an electrically produced record of the heartbeat. The instrument that produces this record is called a cardiograph (KAHRʹ-dee-Ə-grafʹ).
Neurologist derives from Greek neuron, nerve, plus logos, science. Specialty: neurology (nŏŏr-OLʹ-Ə-jee); adjective: neurological (nŏŏr-Ə-LOJʹ-Ə-kƏl).
Neuralgia (nŏŏr-ALʹ-jƏ) is acute pain along the nerves and their branches; the word comes from neuron plus algos, pain.
Neuritis (nŏŏr-Ī-tis) is inflammation of the nerves.
Neurosis (nŏŏr-Ōʹ-sis), combining neuron with -osis, a suffix meaning abnormal or diseased condition, is not, despite its etymology, a disorder of the nerves, but rather, as described by the late Eric Berne, a psychiatrist, "… an illness characterized by excessive use of energy for unproductive purposes so that personality development is hindered or stopped. A man who spends most of his time worrying about his health, counting his money, plotting revenge, or washing his hands, can hope for little emotional growth."
Neurotic (nŏŏr-OTʹ-ik) is both the adjective form and the term for a person suffering from neurosis.
A neurosis is not a form of mental unbalance. A full-blown mental disorder is called a psychosis (sī-KŌʹ-sis), a word built on Greek psyche, spirit, soul, or mind, plus -osis.
A true psychotic (sī-KOTʹ-ik) has lost contact with reality—at least with reality as most of us perceive it, though no doubt psychotic (note that this word, like neurotic, is both a noun and an adjective) people have their own form of reality.
Built on psyche plus iatreia, medical healing, a psychiatrist by etymology is a mind-healer. The specialty is psychiatry (sī- or sƏ-KĪʹ-Ə-tree); the adjective is psychiatric (sī-kee-ATʹ-rik).
Pediatrics, as you know, is also built on iatreia, as is podiatry (pƏ-DĪʹ-Ə-tree), discussed in the next chapter, and geriatrics (jairʹ-ee-ATʹ-riks), the specialty dealing with the particular medical needs of the elderly. (This word combines iatreia with Greek geras, old age.) The specialist is a geriatrician (jairʹ-ee-Ə-TRISHʹ-Ən), the adjective is geriatric (jairʹ-ee-ATʹ-rik).
| Root | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| orthos | straight, correct | orthopedist |
| paidos (ped-) | child | pediatrician |
| odontos | tooth | orthodontist |
| kardia | heart | cardiologist |
| logos | science; study | anthropologist |
| neuron | nerve | neurologist |
| algos | pain | neuralgia |
| -osis | abnormal or diseased condition | neurosis |
| -itis | inflammation | neuritis |
| psyche | spirit, soul, mind | psychiatrist |
| iatreia | medical healing | psychiatry |
| geras | old age | geriatrics |
Click a word on the left, then click its matching definition on the right.
Matched: 0 / 5
Click a word on the left, then click its matching definition on the right.
Matched: 0 / 5
1. A gynecologist's patients are mostly men.
2. Ophthalmology is the study of eye diseases.
3. Orthopedics is the specialty dealing with the bones and joints.
4. A cardiac patient has a heart ailment.
5. A person with a bad "bite" may profit from orthodontia.
6. Neuralgia is a disease of the bones.
7. A neurosis is the same as a psychosis.
8. Neuritis is inflammation of the nerves.
9. Psychiatry is a medical specialty that deals with mental, emotional, and personality disturbances.
10. A cardiograph is a device for recording heartbeats.
11. Psychiatric treatment is designed to relieve tensions, fears, and insecurities.
12. A doctor who specializes in pediatrics has very old patients.
13. A geriatrician has very young patients.
1. specialist who straightens teeth
2. nerve pain
3. medical specialty dealing with bones and joints
4. medical specialty dealing with emotional disturbances and mental illness
5. inflammation of the nerves
6. emotional or personality disorder
7. mentally unbalanced
8. pertaining to the heart
9. specialty dealing with medical problems of the elderly
10. instrument that records heart action
11. record produced by such an instrument
12. specialist in diseases of the nervous system
13. one suffering from a neurosis (adj./n.)
14. full-blown mental disorder; loss of contact with reality
15. branch of dentistry dealing with straightening teeth
16. specialist in the medical problems of the elderly
17. medical specialty dealing with the heart
18. pertaining to the treatment of mental illness (adj.)
19. medical specialty dealing with the nervous system
20. pertaining to the correction of skeletal deformities (adj.)
1. Specialist in female ailments:
2. Specialist in children's diseases:
3. Specialist in eye diseases:
4. Specialist in emotional disorders:
5. Pertaining to medical treatment of the elderly:
6. Straightening of teeth:
7. Personality disorder:
8. Mentally unbalanced:
9. Principles of teaching:
1. internus (example: internist)
2. paidos (ped-) (example: pediatrician)
3. pedis (example: pedestrian)
4. agogos (example: pedagogue)
5. demos (example: demagogue)
6. derma (example: dermatologist)
7. hypos (example: hypodermic)
8. ophthalmos (example: ophthalmologist)
9. oculus (example: monocle)
10. opsis, optikos (example: optician)
11. metron (example: optometrist)
12. orthos (example: orthopedist)
13. odontos (example: orthodontist)
14. kardia (example: cardiologist)
15. logos (example: anthropologist)
16. neuron (example: neurologist)
17. algos (example: neuralgia)
18. psyche (example: psychiatrist)
19. iatreia (example: psychiatry)
20. geras (example: geriatrics)
Thinking about the roots you have learned in this chapter, can you figure out the meanings of these words?
The branch of dentistry dealing with children's teeth.
Heart pain; heartburn.
Toothache.
nostalgia
(Answers in Chapter 18.)