Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

1. In clinical medicine, the patient’s past and present which may contain relevant information bearing on their health past, present, and future. The medical history, being an account of all medical events and problems a person has experienced is an important tool in the management of the patient.2. The history of medicine.

An important “new” area of health research that is a hybrid between geography and medicine dealing with the geographic aspects of health and healthcare. Medical geography studies the effects of locale and climate upon health. It aims to improve the understanding of the various factors which affect the health of populations and hence individuals. It is also…

The origin of medical words and terms. Etymology is an account of the origins and the developments in the meaning of a word or term. Medical etymology brings us into contact with the “history of medicine, of human ideas, and of the human struggle to understand the forces of nature that determine human destiny and mortality,” as…

The branch of science that deals with insects that cause disease or that serve as vectors of organisms that cause disease in humans. In medical entomology, for example, research may pertain to the interactions of the arboviruses and their hosts and involve physiology, genetics, biology, and ecology.

1. Pertaining to the middle; in or toward the middle; nearer the middle of the body. Medial is as opposed to lateral. For example, the medial side of the knee is the side closest to the other knee whereas the lateral side of the knee is the outside of the knee.2. Within a multilayered structure, the center layer. The medial…

The meatus (opening) of the female urethra, the transport tube that leads from the bladder to discharge urine outside the body. The female urethral meatus is above the vaginal opening.

An opening or a passageway. For example, the meatus of the ear is the opening to the ear canal.

An acute and highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, and a spreading skin rash. Measles, also known as rubeola, is a potentially disastrous disease. It can be complicated by ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis (which can cause convulsions, mental retardation, and even death), the sudden onset of low blood platelet levels with severe bleeding (acute thrombocytopenic…

A standard part of the complete blood count, the mean cell volume (MCV) is the average volume of a red blood cell. This is a calculated value derived from the hematocrit and the red cell count (The hematocrit is the ratio of the volume of red cells to the volume of whole blood while the red cell count is the…

A drug that is structurally very similar to already known drugs, with only minor differences. The term “me-too” carries a negative connotation. However, me-too products may create competition and drive prices down.