The joys of reference books

There's nothing I like better than stumbling across a bit of personality in the dry writing that usually pervades any book of reference. Like Dr. Johnson's definition of oats, small turns of phrase tell us as much about the compiler of the information as an hour's conversation might.

Recently, I picked up (cheap) the Collins Dictionary of Medicine. (Borders had a variety of Collins Dictionaries of this and that on sale for five bucks apiece.) Flipping through looking for other things, I found this:

Laennec's cirrhosis a form of liver CIRRHOSIS known as micronodular cirrhosis and featuring widespread nodules of regeneration of about 1 mm in diameter. This type is characteristic of the damage caused by alcohol. Also known as portal cirrhosis. (Rene-Theophile-Hyacinthe Laennec, 1781-1826, French physician, who also invented, but, one hopes, did not so name, the STETHOSCOPE.)

Which of course sent me to:

Stethoscope a binaural or monoaural tube which conveys sounds conveniently from the body of a patient to the ears of the examining physician or other person. From the Greek stethos chest and skopien, to look at; from which it will be seen that the name of the instrument was carelessly chosen. The careful auscultator will often close his or her eyes, the better to hear all the subtleties of body sounds, especially heart murmurs.

*snicker*

The joys of reference books

There's nothing I like better than stumbling across a bit of personality in the dry writing that usually pervades any book of reference. Like Dr. Johnson's definition of oats, small turns of phrase tell us as much about the compiler of the information as an hour's conversation might.

Recently, I picked up (cheap) the Collins Dictionary of Medicine. (Borders had a variety of Collins Dictionaries of this and that on sale for five bucks apiece.) Flipping through looking for other things, I found this:

Laennec's cirrhosis a form of liver CIRRHOSIS known as micronodular cirrhosis and featuring widespread nodules of regeneration of about 1 mm in diameter. This type is characteristic of the damage caused by alcohol. Also known as portal cirrhosis. (Rene-Theophile-Hyacinthe Laennec, 1781-1826, French physician, who also invented, but, one hopes, did not so name, the STETHOSCOPE.)

Which of course sent me to:

Stethoscope a binaural or monoaural tube which conveys sounds conveniently from the body of a patient to the ears of the examining physician or other person. From the Greek stethos chest and skopien, to look at; from which it will be seen that the name of the instrument was carelessly chosen. The careful auscultator will often close his or her eyes, the better to hear all the subtleties of body sounds, especially heart murmurs.

*snicker*