J. H. AHRONHEIM, M.D.
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To the editor: Dr. Tashima's letter to the editor (ANNALS 75:323, 1971) in which he objected rightly to the term "penogram" in favor of the etymologically more correct term "phallogram," raises the issue of coining of medical terms in general, with particular reference to the combination of words of Latin and Greek origin.
Knowledge of classical Greek, while fairly common among scientists in Europe, is a rarity in this country. The classics-conscious European physicians would always stress the importance of a correct medical term and strongly object to terms that did not conform to their ideas of etymological purity. As
AHRONHEIM JH. Terminological Teratology. Ann Intern Med. ;75:811. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-75-5-811_2
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Published: Ann Intern Med. 1971;75(5):811.
DOI: 10.7326/0003-4819-75-5-811_2