Definitions of diseases in medical handbook by Józef Zmijewski from the 19 th century

Abstract

This article characterizes disease entities noted in medical handbook “Method of curing with the means not used before” […], written by Józef Zmijewski in 1888 in terms of semantics, genetic relationships and structural linguistics. These disease entities have been derived from the source text because of their general character meaning they can be used to define many diseases. The terms characterize diseases based on their place and method of origin, the course of the disease, impairment of psychological functions, tissues and internal organs. They also indicate patient characteristics like age and sex. Many of these terms are noted in Polish dictionary of medical terminology from 1881 (46.9%) and in Polish medical dictionary from 1905 (40.6%) but they gain medical meaning only when used with words such as: choroba [-y], cierpienie [-a], dolegliwość [-i] or with specific names of disease entities, e.g.: skórne choroby, cierpienia nerwowe, dolegliwości moczowe, febra zastarzała, tryper zastarzały, febra starcza. Most names are native units (84.4%). These are words inherited form pre-Slavic languages or created based on polish language, e.g.: dziedziczny, gorączkowy, piorunujący, sercowy, dziecięcy, kobiecy. Only 15.6% pf the terms are based on other linguistic roots, e.g. gastryczny, chroniczny, epidemiczny. Majority of these terms are one-word structures (93.75%) expressed by adjectives and adjectival participles (90.6%), ending with -ny, -owy, -ty. As an exception there is a noun in genitive: (choroby) skóry. Only 6.25% are pronominal expressions: (choroby) z ojca; z rodziców.