Comments on: Diseases and Apostrophes – A (Sort of) Poll http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/lawandbiosciences/2011/09/02/diseases-and-apostrophes-a-sort-of-poll/ Sat, 15 Jun 2013 08:19:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: hgreely http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/lawandbiosciences/2011/09/02/diseases-and-apostrophes-a-sort-of-poll/comment-page-1/#comment-13440 hgreely Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:32:50 +0000 http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/lawandbiosciences/?p=1915#comment-13440 A close friend of mine was diagnosed earlier this year with a lymphoma, known either as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma or as Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, after the Swedish MD who first described it in 1944. I sent him this post and here's the relevant part of his response: "Personally, I don't care if there is an apostrophe or not. He may have identified it but I got it. Having his name on it doesn't change the feeling that this is my condition. It just has a name, like bald . . . I also like having a human name attached to it,with or without the apostrophe. Makes it more memorable, less daunting than macroglobula anemia . . . I certainly don't like a name like "Marrow killing wasting disease" or something equally gruesome. Since there are about a hundred types of lymphoma, or so I read, I like having one that is distinguishable." I believe his overall answer is b, edging into c. A close friend of mine was diagnosed earlier this year with a lymphoma, known either as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma or as Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia, after the Swedish MD who first described it in 1944. I sent him this post and here’s the relevant part of his response:

“Personally, I don’t care if there is an apostrophe or not. He may have identified it but I got it. Having his name on it doesn’t change the feeling that this is my condition. It just has a name, like bald . . . I also like having a human name attached to it,with or without the apostrophe. Makes it more memorable, less daunting than macroglobula anemia . . . I certainly don’t like a name like “Marrow killing wasting disease” or something equally gruesome. Since there are about a hundred types of lymphoma, or so I read, I like having one that is distinguishable.”

I believe his overall answer is b, edging into c.

]]> By: pete http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/lawandbiosciences/2011/09/02/diseases-and-apostrophes-a-sort-of-poll/comment-page-1/#comment-13416 pete Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:21:24 +0000 http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/lawandbiosciences/?p=1915#comment-13416 Personally, I miss "chorea" as in Huntington's; and I rather enjoy the history implied (sometimes confusingly) by the names. But it seems that usage is evolving away from the apostrophe, just as many hyphens are melting away, and the old names may eventually go with them. So it goes. Personally, I miss “chorea” as in Huntington’s; and I rather enjoy the history implied (sometimes confusingly) by the names. But it seems that usage is evolving away from the apostrophe, just as many hyphens are melting away, and the old names may eventually go with them. So it goes.

]]> By: brad http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/lawandbiosciences/2011/09/02/diseases-and-apostrophes-a-sort-of-poll/comment-page-1/#comment-13346 brad Sun, 04 Sep 2011 05:47:08 +0000 http://blogs.law.stanford.edu/lawandbiosciences/?p=1915#comment-13346 In England they keep the apostrophe on DS, which may be the genesis of seeing some of them in pub med? Well that although with using outdated American English. Actually it is e) none of the above. It is more like proper grammar. These doctors discovered but do not own the disease. There is no apostrophe in MLK Drive or any other street or building named after a person. In England they keep the apostrophe on DS, which may be the genesis of seeing some of them in pub med? Well that although with using outdated American English. Actually it is e) none of the above. It is more like proper grammar. These doctors discovered but do not own the disease. There is no apostrophe in MLK Drive or any other street or building named after a person.

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