The study of medicine: with a physiological system of nosology (Volume 5).
- John Mason Good
- Date:
- 1824
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The study of medicine: with a physiological system of nosology (Volume 5). Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
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![secondary sense, or when applied to quantity or quality, as in ecstacis, epiphora, hyperuresis, En is an initial of very extensive range as well as significa- tion ; and it has this peculiar property, that, in different senses, it becomes an antagonist to both the preceding groups in the one or other of their general meanings. In its primary sense, or as applied to place, it imports within, below; as in encepha- lon, emphysema; and consequently opposes the primary sense of ec, epi, hyper: while in its secondary sense, or as applied to quantity or quality, it exactly accords with these prepositions, and imports superiority or excess, and in like manner opposes the general idea conveyed by a, caco, and dys; of whicb we have examples in enthusiasma and enuresis. En appears there- fore to be as necessary an initial particle in the medical voca- bulary as a; and with these two we should seldom feel at a loss for any other: for as a is capable of supplying the fjlace of all the rest in the first set, so en is capable of performing the same office for those of the second. Hypo (J^&<) in its significa- tion of below or downwards, is sometimes called upon to act the part of an ally, as in hypogastrium, and hypocondrium, and their derivatives hypogastroeeie, and hypocondrias, or nypocon- driasis; but this is seldom the case, and at all times obtrudes an assistance, of which en is not in want : whence hyjio might easily share in the preceding proscription. In this general view of the subject, en seems at first sight to be untrue to itself: but it is not difficult to explain the apparent contradiction. En runs precisely parallel with the Latin alte. The leading idea of both is power or precedency; and this, whether the ori'er of ad- vance be from below upwards, or from above downwards. In measuring rank and station, we take the former scale, and speak of high posts and dignities; in measuring intellectual qualities we take the latter, and speak of profound]ud<rmen\. and wisdom. The Greek en and the Latin alte are equally applicable to both ; and hence it is that in our own tongue, and, indeed, in most of the dialects of Europe, high and deep occasionally become syno- nyms, and the same general meaning may be expressed by ei- ther. In one respect, indeed, the Greek and Latin terms differ; the former importing depth in its primary, and height in its se- condary sense; and the latter importing height in its primary, and depth in its secondary sense. In all these cases, however, the difference of the two meanings is easily understood by the con- text, and it would be hardly worth while to attempt to limit the Greek en to either sense if we were able. En is a short and](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2112307x_0058.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
