Latin in Medicine

On a doctor’s note, you may have seen odd abbreviations and letters scrawled onto the slip of paper describing your medications and when/how to take them. Most of those abbreviations stand for Latin phrases, which translated to English describe some common words and phrases. However, those aren’t the only examples of Latin in medicine; numerous body parts are named after Latin words. Therefore, any doctor will benefit from being well-versed in Latin; likewise, individuals proficient in Latin may easily understand several aspects of medicine.

Perhaps the biggest impact of Latin is through the doctor’s prescriptions. When one takes a medication through the mouth, it is said to be per ōs (PO); through the rectum, per rectum (PR). Intravenous (which comes from intra + vēna which literally means ‘within a vein’) medications are medications given directly into the veins. When a medication is described to be taken QD, it stands for quaque die, or ‘every day.’ Taken every hour, it is called quaque horas. In order for doctors to fully comprehend directions in Latin, they must have a working knowledge of Latin to succinctly describe to the patient what they require.

Another use of Latin in medicine is the naming of anatomical parts. One use of Latin is the word ramus, which means branch, and is used to describe the region of the jawbone connecting the jaw to the zygomatic bone. Another is the word acinus, which means ‘grapes.’ This word is used to describe one of the granular masses of the pancreas, which physically resemble grapes. Yet another word in Latin used in medicine is os (different from ōs), meaning ‘bone.’ A horde of medical vocabulary stems from this word, including: osteon, osteoblast, intraosseous, osteoarthritis, and osteoporosis. A related use in medicine is describing anatomical direction. Proximus, the Latin word for ‘near,’ is used to describe bones which are closer to the body. For example, the phalanges are divided into proximal, medial, and distal bones. Superior and inferior are literally used to relatively describe the ‘up’ and ‘down’ placement of anatomical parts and appear in many proper names, such as the superior and inferior vena cava. Likewise, anterior and posterior are used to relatively describe the ‘forward’ and ‘backward’ placement of anatomical parts.

Latin has an integral place in medicine and anyone who is in the healthcare profession should be required to learn Latin as part of their career because of the importance of Latin. Emergency settings in hospitals even regularly use Latin to convey orders, like statim, which is usually shortened to ‘stat,’ meaning ‘immediately.’ Although Latin may be complex grammatically, knowing at least the diverse vocabulary will greatly enhance anyone’s understanding of the world.

Submitted by Steven "Silvester" Ahn