Thomas Hodgkin

Abstract

In the general field of medicine, more so than in any other occupation; we use eponyms in our everyday work. An eponym comes from the Greek word for a name. It is used, often, to commemorate the person or persons responsible for the first description of a disease, discoverer of cause of an illness, or the developer of an operation or intervention. Eponymous terms are used constantly in the operating suite area; we have already published in this journal a whole series of eponyms devoted to surgical instruments and appliances - Spencer Wells' forceps, Cushing's clips and so on.