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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread erysipelas #70610 05/20/2002 11:46 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 771 Portland, Oregon Fiberbabe old hand Fiberbabe old hand Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 771 Portland, Oregon I found this one in a delightful little book of essays about books that should be required reading for *all* members of this forum () - Ex Libris - Confessions of a Common Reader by Anne Fadiman. Anyway, my dictionary defines this as: n. Pathol. an acute, febrile infectious disease, caused by a specific streptococcus, characterized by diffusely spreading deep-red inflammation of the skin or mucous membranes. [ME erisipila < L erysipelas < Gk = erysi- prob. akin to erythros red + -pelas prob. skin, akin to pelma sole of the foot; cf. L pellis skin] Two questions ~ is this actually cited as a diagnosis, or is the patient more typically told "You have a form of strep"? Also, is the erythros given in the eytmology relative somehow to the name of the penicillin alternative erythromycin? My dictionary gives no etymological justification for that one... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Re: erysipelas #70611 05/20/2002 1:42 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Erysipelas is indeed a medical diagnosis. Fortunately it is not common today. Better hand washing has helped. And it seems that there are changes in the genetic makeup of bacteria that explain changes in prevalence of various types of streptococcal infection. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Share Post on Reddit Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary Forum Statistics Forums16 Topics13,915 Posts230,281 Members9,208 Most Online4,606 Sep 17th, 2025 Newest Members JerryC, blvd, Tony Hood, Wood Delivery, Forix Richard 9,208 Registered Users Top Posters(30 Days) wofahulicodoc 25 A C Bowden 8 JerryC 1 Top Posters wwh 13,858 Faldage 13,803 Jackie 11,613 wofahulicodoc 11,136 tsuwm 10,542 LukeJavan8 9,974 Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210 AnnaStrophic 6,511 Wordwind 6,296 of troy 5,400

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