Internal medicine

Posted by Joe on January 02, 2009 at 00:43

In Reply to: Internal medicine posted by Kenneth J. Gallant, MD on December 01, 2008 at 09:17:

: I am an MD and have been practising for 25 years and have been keeping my ears open longer than that about the etymology of "internal medicine", the most common branch of medicine. It is the medical, not surgical, treatment of adults. But where does it come from?

Great query.

Worth me developing a brief with sources; as it is dating from the mid Victorian era or American Civil War. So it has dual roots in the UK and the USA.

The first international "Congress" of Internal Medicine was in 1881.
In the early 1800's there was surgery, internal medicine, external medicine even preventative medicine, homopathy, et al.

"internal medicine" was what one digested, drank,
external well all those heat cures, potions, lotions and such.

Sorry, that I cannot complete tis today.

But will post and do email me.

I do work for BBC Radio 4 "Quote Unquote" on such as this and was a Army medical historian in the 1980's and 1990's. I did get one item in JAMA.

My best

Joe Doc
external application