deadly disease = delicious crustacean -- I dont get it

regnad kcin · #1 06-06-2002, 02:33 PM

Whats the relationship between the disease cancer and the animal crab? These are similar words in just about every European language. I dont understand the connection.

capybara · #2 06-06-2002, 02:45 PM

Perhaps it's because of the crabby shape of a bad tumor, with all the little tenril-y things.

toadspittle · #3 06-06-2002, 03:01 PM

That's always the explanation I've heard.

Nametag · #4 06-06-2002, 03:02 PM

It's all Hippocrates's fault: he named the disease "karkinos," which is Greek for crab. Latin adopted the word as "cancri," which leads to our modern word "cancer."

http://www.hoag.org/Cancer/CancerBasics.html

There is an old legend that Hercules was attacked by a crab (at Hera's direction) during his battle with the Hydra. This attack (and the tenaciousness of crabs) may also be responsible for the disease's name.

Jpeg Jones · #5 06-06-2002, 03:26 PM

It could have been worse.

Can you imagine being diagnosed with skin lobster?

kaylasdad99 · #6 06-06-2002, 03:55 PM

Maybe the seafood industry should take a hint from the astrology industry and change the name of the delicacy to "Moon Child".

'Course that might piss off all of the Neverending Story Fans.

ummm... yeahh... · #7 06-06-2002, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jpeg Jones
It could have been worse.

Can you imagine being diagnosed with skin lobster?

Or piling the kids in the car for a trip to eat at good ol' "Red Cancer"...

Smeghead · #8 06-06-2002, 06:26 PM

Whew. I was thinking this was going to be about a whole other disease...

Bob Scene · #9 06-06-2002, 07:51 PM

Here's a page that talks about the history of cancer:

http://www.chemheritage.org/Educatio...s/timeline.htm

It has this explanation of where the name came from:

Quote:

Hippocrates gave the name karkinos and karkinoma (the ancient Greek words for "crab") to a group of diseases that he studied, including cancers of the breast, uterus, stomach, and skin. The hard center and spiny projections of the tumors Hippocrates observed reminded him of the crustacean. "Cancer" means "crab" or “crayfish” in Latin.