[Sca-cooks] inaccurate books

Terry Decker t.d.decker at att.net
Mon Mar 8 20:36:40 PST 2010


> Suey said:
> <<< In reference to "Charlemagne and the doctors," there were no
> 'doctors' in medieval history. The correct word is physician in this
> case. Barbers, who bleed patients, were another matter. >>>
>
<clipped>
> Oh! okay. So is "doctor" a medieval term? If so, what did it refer to?
> Stefan

Doctor, in English, shows up in the 14th Century and it is used in reference 
to a learned individual, usually an instructor, in a branch of knowledge, 
such as theology, law or medicine.  The word derives from the Latin "doktre" 
to teach.  The usage is consistent with the rise of Universities.

Physician shows up in the 13th Century in reference to a practitioner of the 
healing arts and the 15th Century as related to licensed practitioners. 
This derives from the earlier term, "physick" meaning natural science,  A 
physician was a student of natural science which included medical science. 
Usage became more constrained over time.

A surgeon is a medical practitioner who uses physical means to treat 
patients.  Barber surgeons are practitioners who practiced surgery without 
qualification or license.

Over time, physician became related to the concept of learned qualification, 
while surgeon became related to experiential medicine (can you say, general 
practice).  With the advent of modern requirements for education and 
licensing of practitioners, the differences became moot.

Incidentally, Galen was an anatomist (learning about the body by dissecting 
monkeys and thus a surgeon) and a physician learned in Hippocratic theory. 
Part of his endeavor was to combine both theory and practice.

Bear 




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