Etymologically, “bulimia” comes from the Greek bous (meaning “ox”) and limos (meaning “hunger”).  One with bulimia is said to have the appetite of an ox. 

Wait… appetite of an ox?  Ohhhh, I get it.  People with bulimia have the desire to eat grass.

The word “stroke”, in the medical sense (as in apoplectic seizure), is a shortening of what was originally “The Stroke of God’s Hand.”  You would think the Stroke of God’s Hand would be a little less miserable than that.

Herpetology is the study of reptiles, coming from the Greek herpeton, literally meaning “creeping thing.”  This is also where herpes comes from.  I mean the word.  The actual viral disease comes in a much more informal way. 

Prosopagnosia is a disorder of face perception where the ability to recognize faces is hindered, even though the person can still recognize objects.  On the other hand, Capgras delusion is a disorder where a person holds that a spouse, friend, family member, or other familiar person has been replaced by an identical impostor, even if the face is recognizable.  I just thought of a great idea for a reality TV show.

“Schizophrenia” comes from the Greek roots, skhizein (split) and phren- (mind).  Although the literal translation seems to be “split mind,” schizophrenia is not the same as dissociative identity disorder (AKA multiple personality or split personality disorder).  I just watched A Beautiful Mind, that movie with Russell Crowe playing the brilliant, schizophrenic John Nash.  The story is based off the life of the actual innovative economist and mathematician, however many of the details in the film weren’t entirely true. The one that really jumped out at me was the fact that the real John Nash claims to have never had visual hallucinations, only auditory ones.  If the film chose to go with only auditory hallucinations, I suppose a few of the actors wouldn’t have had jobs.  The brilliant economist strikes again.

The epicanthic fold is a skin fold of the upper eyelid that gives a large percentage of the world, including many East Asians, almond shaped eyes, in comparison to Caucasians’ (although given the relatively minute percentage of Caucasians in the world, it may be better to note how many Caucasians lack epicanthic folds).  It is hypothesized that the epicanthic fold is evolutionary as it protects the eyes from harsh UV rays, strong wind, and frigid temperatures.  To compensate for the lack of epicanthic fold, I have to wear mirrored goggles around all the time. 

When someone is prevalent in the public sphere, he or she is said to be “in the limelight.”  This phrase comes from a type of stage lighting once used in theaters, which involves a flame directed at a cylinder of calcium oxide (lime).  In the late 19th century, limelight was replaced by electric lighting.  Another lime variation comes from Lyme, Connecticut, the namesake of the tick-borne illness Lyme Disease.  Typically, doctors will give you antibiotics for your Lyme Disease.  Apparently, you shouldn’t treat Lyme as you would treat lemons…  If life gives you Lyme, don’t just make limeade… or you will die.

If a person sick with the flu, God forbid, sneezes into my mouth, I know that I now have a chance of getting sick myself.  But people in the olden days didn’t always understand the infectious disease.  As we know, “flu” is short for influenza.  Influenza is Italian for “influence.”  This refers to the accepted cause of the disease at the time; they thought that the illness was caused by astrological influences.  People were so dumb.  I can say this without feeling bad, because I know that in 400 years people will look back and talk about how dumb our leading scientists and doctors were.  Science enables people to be condescending to their ancestors.

We’ve all been quarantined at least once in our lives…(that’s a lie)…but have you ever wondered where the word quarantine comes from? Well, it comes from the Italian word quaranta meaning “forty.”  In the 1660s, it was Venitian custom to keep ships arriving from diseased countries waiting off its port for 40 days.  In the 1500s, the word had a different meaning.  It referred to the period of 40 days in which a widow was allowed to stay in her dead husband’s house.   That is the saddest law ever.  However, it could be confusing.  If this said husband died of leprosy, would they still kick the widow out in 40 days.  Which quarantine would overrule the other quarantine?  I really hope I never have to find out.

Hypochondria refers to an unwarranted, excessive worry about having a serious illness.  Hypochondriacs often focus on one specific symptom such as stomach problems or muscle weakness.  They typically discredit the doctor’s healthy diagnosis, and resort to self-diagnosis, which often points them to serious, morbid illnesses.  The term hypochondria comes from the Greek hypo- below, and chondros referring to the cartilage of the breast bone.  When Hippocrates coined the term, mysterious illnesses were said to originate in the spleen, located in the upper abdomen below the breast bone (AKA the hypochondrium).  Next time I hear people publicly worrying about their spleen, I’m going to calmly tell them that they are hypochondriacs.  But they probably already figured that they were hypochondriacs.  Which raises an interesting question: do hypochondriacs embrace their hypochondria?

The US Army strongly advises against drinking your own urine as a means of hydration. According to them, you shouldn’t drink your own pee even when you feel the most dehydrated. At this point you’re going to die anyway. Don’t die knowing you just peed into your own mouth. That’s no way to go out.

The prevalence of lactose intolerance is extremely interesting…not extremely…but notable, anyhow.  Lactose intolerance is way more common in people of African descent that in people of European descent.  As babies, we all have the enzyme lactase that breaks down the lactose in breast milk.  But once we reach the age when our moms’ boobs don’t look so appetizing, our bodies gradually stop producing lactase.  Northern European culture incorporates more dairy farming, thus the ability for the population to sustain lactase production is greater.  So, remember—if you happen to stumble upon some back-alley, gambling contest between a white guy and a black guy of who can drink the most breast milk before getting sick—bet on the white guy.  Actually just run away.  That’s not a game you want to be part of.

Today, I used a hatchet to clear a hole in the ice of my frozen lake.  I lowered myself in, then immediately sprung back out of the icy water.  I think the pure force of my testicles instantaneously retracting into my body helped propel me out of the water.  According to the Mayo Clinic Online, hypothermia occurs when your body temperature drops below 95 degrees (F).  It is often accompanied by symptoms of “confusion or difficulty thinking,” “poor decision making, such as trying to remove warm clothes,” “a lack of concern about one’s condition,” “slurred speech or mumbling,” and “lack of coordination.”  Sounds like hypothermia could be a great social lubricant.  Creepy dudes need to stop trying to bring home drunk girls from bars, and instead set their sights on some hypothermic babes.