What is the connection between malignant neoplasms and crabs?

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The more common term for malignant neoplasms, cancer, is Latin for crab, and the word "carcinogen," meaning a cancer-causing agent, comes from the Greek word for crab, "karkinos." What is the connection between these two seemingly unrelated things?
Cancer, both the disease and the astronomical constellation, derive from the Latin cancer or cancrum, meaning crab. The astrological sign, of course, is said to resemble a crab and the disease was so named by the ancient Greek physician Galen (129-200 A.D.) who noted the similarity between a certain type of tumor with a crab as well—the swollen veins around the tumor resembling the legs of a crab.

Old English adopted cancer directly from Latin and used it for a variety of spreading sores and ulcers. This early sense survives in the modern word canker. From c.1000 in a manuscript called Læce Boc (Leech Book), collected in Oswald Cockayne’s Leechdoms, Wortcunning, and Starcraft of Early England, Vol. II, 1865:

Gemeng wið þam dustum, clæm on ðone cancer.
(Mix with the dust, smear on the cancer.)

And from Wyclif’s 2 Timothy, 1382:

The word of hem crepith as a kankir

The word was being applied specifically to the disease we today call cancer by the beginning of the 17th century. From Philemon Holland’s translation of Pliny’s Historie of the World:

Cancer is a swelling or sore comming of melancholy bloud, about which the veins appeare of a blacke or swert colour, spread in manner of a Creifish clees.

The astronomical sense of cancer is from the Latin name for the constellation of the crab. The name was known to the Anglo-Saxons, but only as a Latin name and was not assimilated into English until the Middle English period. It appears in Ælfric’s De Temporibus Anni, written c.993, in a list of the constellations of the Zodiac:

Feorða • Cancer • þæt is Crabba
(Fourth, Cancer, that is the crab.)

The Anglicized name appears c.1391 in Chaucer’s Treatise on the Astrolabe:

In this heved of cancer is the grettist declinacioun northward of the sonne...this signe of cancre is clepid the tropik of Somer.
(At this first point (head) of cancer is the greatest declination northward of the sun…this sign of cancer is named the tropic of summer.)

(Source: Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd Edition)  (+ info)

Where can I find primary sources relating to lowering your cholesterol?

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So i'm writing this research paper for one of my high school courses. I'm suppose to find a PRIMARY article about my topic, lowering cholesterol. However, i can't find any primary articles about lowering cholesterol or any experiment including the results pertaing to lowering cholesetrol. so any ideas where to find primary articles. Also I tried googling it and search for about 30 minutes lookin on yahoo, google,etc. and couldn't find any primary sources.
Perhaps you might find what you are looking for in a web search for "high cholesterol" + "natural remedies".  (+ info)

How much a board certified primary care physician should charge for a first time visit?

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I run a medical clinic. Due to the poor economic conditions, we would like to know whats a fair price to charge first time patients without health insurance? So, assuming you have no health insurance, how much you would pay for the first visit to see a primary care physician? And what price you think would indicate a good deal?
Thanks for the help.
YOu are not the only one,I have met this type of problem before.I have good experience here
http://www.HealthInsuranceFreeTips.info/free-health-insurance.htm to solve the problem though.
  (+ info)

Easy ways to memorize the 12 primary Accupressure merdians in the body for a shiatsu class?

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I have final and need to know the 12 primary merdians. Any helpful tips would be great.
Depends on precisely what you need to memorize. If it's simply locations of points and important regional anatomy, drawing them on your own body (or a friend's) helps.

If you're memorizing actions, contraindications and impact on other organ systems, etc. (the whole shebang) flashcards can be really helpful. So can drawing/writing on a white board over and over again until you get every detail correct consistently.

But ultimately, it comes down to REPETITION REPETITION REPETITION. :)
Good luck on your final!  (+ info)

After primary fermentation of my homemade wine, does the second container need to let in oxygen?

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When I rack my wine after the primary fermentation, can I put it in a sealed container, or does it have to be in a container with an airlock? Isn't the only important thing that oxygen doesn't enter? Thanks in advance from this beginner.
Letting in Oxygen would be bad. The airlock is to let CO2 escape and prevent Oxygen from entering. If fermentation is complete a sealed container is fine, that is what a bottle is after all.  (+ info)

What are three primary ways a drug can affect humans?

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I'm working on some facts about health issues, and i came across this issue. Primary ways a drug can affect a human. And i pondered, but nothing came to mind. Care to give three primary answers?
there are definitely more than 3 ways...you need to be more specific as to what you are asking...but this is how a drug works, first is absorption (entrance) into the body/blood stream...then delivery to target receptor...then action on target receptor (depending on what organ system its affecting brain, liver, kidneys, heart, etc...there are many drugs and many receptors/ways a drug can affect the body)...then elimination of the drug and/or drug byproducts (via kidney/liver/lung/etc)  (+ info)

What is a realistic prognosis for stage 3 primary liver cancer?

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My brother, age 50, has advanced hepatitis C and liver cirrhosis. He has now been diagnosed with stage 3 primary liver cancer. Surgery is not an option. His abdominal cavity continues to fill with fluid which is removed about twice a week. What is a realistic life expectancy?
I’m sorry but it doesn’t really matter if the cancer metastasizes to a distant site nor will diet or exercise make a difference. When he feels like eating he should eat whatever he wants. Although treatment may prolong life in an individual patient it does not increase the median survival. What really matters is if there is vein involvement, he will last longer if there is not. A realistic range is about 3-7 months. At this point what is important is keeping him comfortable. You may want to talk to his doctor about hospice. Their main focus is supportive care to give him the best quality of life, pain management and to assist him and the family through this process. Best wishes to you both.  (+ info)

How many people a year are diagnosed with primary spinal cord tumors?

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I have to do research on it and on one site it tells me 400, another - 1,000, and another says 10,000 but this includes primary and metastatic tumors.
Thanks!
Every year, about 100,000 people in the United States and 10,000 people in Canada will be diagnosed with a metastatic or primary brain tumor. http://www.rfsafe.com/brain_tumors.htm

About 10,000 Americans develop primary or metastatic spinal cord tumors every year. Spinal cord tumors are most common in young and middle-aged adults. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/pubs/  (+ info)

What things should you consider when choosing a primary care doctor?

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Would you recommend a woman using a OBGYN as a primary care doctor (I am doing open enrollment selections for my health insurance at work). Why is this good? Why not?
This is good because OBGYN's are especially doctors for women and women problems. You should consider your own feelings too: do you want a male doctor, or a female doctor? Which gender would you feel more comfortable with?  (+ info)

How long can you leave homemade beer in the primary fermenter?

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On occasion I'm out of town for a week or two, what is the longest you should leave the beer in the primary fermenter?
If your primary is plastic, don't leave it for more than two weeks. If glass, you could go a little longer. Plastic gives off-tastes. So does leaving the wort on the spent yeast for too long.  (+ info)

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