An Overview of Sources on Lithuanian Medical Terminology and Its Terms at the End of the 19th Century

PALMIRA ŽEMLEVIČIŪTĖ

Institute of the Lithuanian Language

1. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

The last two decades of the 19th century were important in the history of the Lithuanian nation: the national revival movement grew and strengthened, and the creation of a standard written Lithuanian language began. Popular education developed. A particularly significant role was played by the national revival movement, which was initiated by “the intelligentsia that emerged from the Lithuanian nation’s own stock—the peasantry” (Palionis 1995: 224). The movement’s participants fought for Lithuanian-language schools, the lifting of the press ban, and the rights of the native language in public life (ibid., 225). This movement contributed greatly to the growth of the Lithuanian-language press. Although printing in the Latin alphabet was banned in 1864, the publication and distribution of Lithuanian-language non-periodical and periodical publications nevertheless intensified (ibid., 225).

Kazys Grinius (1866–1950) straipsnyje apie medicinos žinių populiarinimą Lietuvoje rašė, kad „tik nuo „Aušros“ laikų ir [medicinos] srityje pasirodo didesnis judėjimas“ (Grinius 1922: 4). Žymiai padaugėjo įvairių medicinos spaudinių: buvo leidžiamos lietuviškos medicinos knygelės, laikraščiuose ir kalendoriuose rašoma medicinos klausimais. Daugiausia tai buvo populiarinamieji, šviečiamieji spaudiniai. Jie svarbūs ne vien tik kaip to meto žmonėms naudingų sveikatos bei gydymo žinių ir patarimų rinkiniai, bet ir kaip lietuvių medicinos terminijos šaltiniai.

The article surveys a period of seventeen years (from 1883 to 1899). Sources were compiled from Vaclovas Biržiška’s bibliography and the bibliography of the Lithuanian SSR. In addition, lists of Lithuanian medical and hygiene books compiled by Kazys Grinius and Petras Avižonis were consulted.

2. BOOKLETS

At the end of the 19th century, 25 Lithuanian-language medical booklets of varying lengths were published (6 were reprinted). Most of them were published in Lithuania Minor. The largest share (17 booklets) was published in the most important book-

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…the center of publication was Tilsit. A few appeared in other towns of Lithuania Minor (Bitėnai, Priekulė). The booklets were also printed beyond the borders of Lithuania Minor (in Kraków and Leipzig); three of them were printed in America (in Shenandoah, New York, and Chicago).

The booklets were published using different styles of script. Writings intended for Lithuania Major were printed in Latin script, since the Polish language had greater influence there. In Lithuania Minor, the German language had greater influence, so texts intended for that region were printed in Gothic script. As Jonas Palionis has noted, in Lithuania Minor this script “was used in Lithuanian publications almost all the time (even until the Second World War)” (ibid., 24). Most of the medical booklets from the period under review were printed in Latin script, and only three were published in Gothic script.

The booklets can be divided into two groups. Some were original, that is, written by Lithuanian authors, while others were translations. Most were translated booklets: they were translated from Russian, Polish, and German.

Who wrote the medical booklets? First and foremost, of course, Lithuanian physicians. At the end of the 19th century, Jonas Šliūpas (1861–1944) published an original booklet (Keli žodžei apie auginimą [vaikų], 1886), as did Adomas Sketėris (1859–1916) together with Stasys Matulaitis (1866–1956) (Kaip atsiginti nū koleros ir kiti naudingi skaitymai, 1893). In 1893, A. Sketeris translated from Russian the booklet Pamokinimas, kaip nūg cholieros gintiesi. In 1895, Antanas Vileišis (1856–1919) published his first booklet translated from Polish, Ką daryti, kad sveiki butume ir ilgai gyventume, and in 1899, a translated booklet, Patar̃mės moterims, kurios nori būti sveikos. Jonas Basanavičius (1851–1927) paved the way for Lithuanian medical terminology. In 1898, his glossary of folk-medicine terms, Medega musu tautiškai vaistininkystai., was printed in Shenandoah.

Medical booklets were written not only by physicians but also by other Lithuanian intellectuals. Juozas Tumas-Vaižgantas (1869–1933) wrote two booklets, published in 1898. One was original, Gydymas nuo patrakimo ir nuo raupų įskiepiijimu, while the other was translated from German: Ką sako apie blaivystę L. N. Tolstoi ir vokiečių profesoriai?. Petras Vileišis (1851–1926), an engineer by profession and, moreover, a zealous organizer and supporter of book publishing, was also active in the medical field. No fewer than four medical booklets, mostly translations, came from his pen. In 1886, P. Vileišis published the booklet Svarbiausios žmonių ligos (reprinted in 1899). In 1898, his translated booklet Pirmutinė pašalpa umai susirgus teipogi Geralai alkoholiniai ir taboka, appeared.

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In 1899, a booklet translated from Polish, Džiova ir kaip tos ligos apsisaugoti, and in the same year one prepared by him, Pamokinimas kaip nuo pagedimo apsaugoti žmones, pagedusių šunų aprietus, were published. The publicist and cultural figure Juozas Adomaitis-Šernas (1859–1922), drawing on works by non-Lithuanian authors, prepared a substantial booklet (132 pages), Hygiena arba Mokslas apie užlaikyma sveikatos, published in Chicago in 1897. Martynas Jankus (1858–1946), a prominent public figure in Lithuania Minor, organizer and distributor of publications, and publicist (see Zinkevičius 1992: 25), published the booklet Apšvaiginantis Gerimas wjlų bėdu priešąltis in Bitėnai in 1899.

At that time, booklets also appeared that drew criticism from physicians in the press. These were booklets by Antanas Skinderis. In 1895, his Budai gydymo nekur(ių ligų appeared. For example, P. Avižonis wrote: “as in other fields of literature, so too in medicine there are, alongside good and worthwhile works, all kinds of rubbish” (Avižonis 1909: 14). In the author’s view, this booklet “belongs precisely among such rubbish fit to be thrown out” (ibid., 14). K. Grinius wrote of this work, which he called a “doctor’s book”: “those who, relying on their own understanding, having never studied medicine and knowing nothing of it, rush either to treat people or to write books about treatment, commit a grave offense and do something immoral, because they can only cause people harm and needless suffering” (Grinius 1895: 117). According to St. Matulaitis, the harm caused by this booklet is “purely bodily, physical” (Matulaitis 1895: 162). Clearly, P. Avižonis, K. Grinius, and St. Matulaitis, all experts in medical science, condemned the booklet on substantive grounds, since its author, being a priest, could not write competently on medical matters. On the other hand, when the booklet is assessed solely in terms of terminology, one can observe that its author used medical terms also found in the writings of the aforementioned physicians.

During this period, six booklets about alcohol were published in Tilsit (two of them reprinted). Opinions differed as to whether they could be classified as medical publications. P. Avižonis had included booklets about alcohol and tobacco in his list of medical and hygiene books, whereas K. Grinius did not consider them medical booklets: “anti-alcohol and anti-tobacco pamphlets were deliberately omitted, since their content is more moral than medical” (Grinius 1922: 6). A review of these booklets suggests that K. Grinius was right. Indeed, they promoted the idea of temperance, so drunkenness was discussed more from a moral standpoint and treated as a sin rather than as a disease. Nevertheless, these booklets do touch to some extent on medical matters. For example, the booklet Gir t ybė. baisybė ir sun k ybė to grieko (author not stat—

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rodytas, 1891) vienas skyrelis skirtas medicinai – Ką apie girtybę gydytojai sako, o G. Tiumelos knygelės Arieleka yra nuodai, paeinantis iš girtybės, ir kokiu būdu galima kiekvienam išsigydyti nuo girtybės (1893) pirmojoje dalyje apie alkoholį rašoma medicininiu požiūriu. Taigi šiame straipsnyje laikomasi P. Avižonio nuomonės.

At that time, a booklet by the German author Adolf Richter, Ligoniû Prietelius. Kelrodys wiljiems tiems, kurie prie atfirandancziû Ligû patys Jaw pirmąją Pagalbą prifiteikti nor ir tai Progai geras Namû Pryprowas įfitekti welyjas., was very popular and in great demand. It contained descriptions of medicines together with patients’ accounts of which medicines had helped them with particular diseases or ailments. Bibliographic data indicate that, between 1878 and 1898, this booklet, translated from German and published in Gothic script, went through no fewer than 21 editions. It is thought that the first edition was translated by Aleksandras Kuršaitis and appeared in Leipzig around 1878.

It should be added that, for reasons of secrecy, the booklets were signed with pseudonyms or initials, for example: Petras Neris, Vaistininkas, F. Antaniukas, Sveiklinkis, L., A. V.; the authors or compilers of some booklets were not identified at all. Incidentally, publication details were also concealed. The title page often gave a false place of publication (usually Vilnius, the printing house of Juozapas Zavadskis) and year. These were counterfeit publications.

Fig. 1. Instructions on how to protect people from rabies after being bitten by rabid dogs. 1899

Fig. 2. What to do to stay healthy and live long. 1895

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Fig. 3. Tuberculosis and how to protect oneself from the disease. 1899

Fig. 4. How to guard against cholera and other useful reading. 1893

3. MEDICAL ARTICLES IN NEWSPAPERS

A large body of medical articles and short pieces was published in newspapers at the end of the 19th century. More than 150 articles on medicine and related sciences were found in fifteen newspapers published in Lithuania Minor and America. Some articles ran in installments and were issued as separate booklets.

Medical articles in the newspapers Aušros (1883, 1885–1886), Varpo (1889–1891, 1895–1897), and Ūkininko (1890–1893, 1895–1899), published in Tilsit between 1883 and 1899, were written by prominent Lithuanian physicians and public figures—Jonas Basanavičius, Vincas Kudirka, Adomas Sketeris, Stasys Matulaitis, Kazys Grinius, Antanas Vileišis, and Petras Avižonis.

As early as the first year of publication of Aušros, J. Basanavičius published a medical article. In 1889 and 1895, V. Kudirka published lengthy serial articles in Varpe.

Worth noting is an article by Mikalojus Kuprevičius (1864–1932), published in Varpe in 1897, entitled Lietuviški ligų vardai. This article stands apart from all the others because it raised the question of the Lithuanian character of medical terminology. Its author urged physicians to use Lithuanian disease names instead of borrowed ones: “therefore this list will be useful for those physicians to know who do not want to give a place in medical science to gumbui, nikuliui, etc., but relying

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contrary to tradition, they destroy Lithuanian disease names, persuading people that there is no “gumbo” or “nikulio,” but only katars, zapalenija, parkos and other Slavicisms” (Kuprevičius 1897: 41), and he himself supplied about 60 Lithuanian disease names with Latin or Greek equivalents.

The newspaper Ūkininko, published by the Varpininkai in Tilsit, was particularly notable for the abundance of its articles and the variety of its topics. During the newspaper’s first ten years of publication (1890–1899), it printed more than 50 medical articles, for example, under such headings as: On consumption; On worms in children; On warts; On rabies; On scabies; On the treatment of sores (ulcers); On tobacco; Is there a disease called “kaltunas”?; Should blood be let?; Jaundice; What to do when a finger twists; What to do after a burn; How to manage eye diseases: How to manage typhus?; How to revive a drowning person; How to treat diseases of the stomach (abdomen) and intestines; How to stop bleeding; What is necessary for health?; What is the disease called “gumbas”?; The forest and health; A new medicine against diphtheria; Acute rheumatism.

Po žiupsnelį medicinos straipsnių aptikta Tilžėje ėjusiuose Šviesos (1887–1888, 1890), Žemaičių ir Lietuvos Apžvalgos (1890–1891, 1894) ir Tėvynės Sargo (1897–1898) laikraščiuose. Išsiskiria gotiškais rašmenimis spausdintas Kaimyno (1896–1899) laikraštis. Jame buvo skelbiami trumpučiai (kartais tik vieno sakinio) medicinos patarimai Naudingų pamokinių skyrelyje (išspausdinta per 100 įvairių patarimų).

Medicinos straipsniai spausdinti ir Amerikoje ėjusiuose Lietuviškojo Balso (1882, 1885), Vienybės Lietuvninkų (1890–1891, 1894–1895, 1897), Naujos Gadynės (1894–1895), Ryto (1896–1897), Lietuvos (1896–1897) ir Tėvynės (1896) laikraščiuose. Apimtimi išsiskiria 1890 m. Vienybėje Lietuvninkų skelbtas Daktaro slapyvardžiu pasirašiusio autoriaus net per 9 numerius ėjęs ilgas tęstinis straipsnis Medicina ir Valstija su paantraštėmis Moteris ir ligos, Vaikai, Liga ir piktadėjystė.

All the articles shared a common feature: like the booklets, they were signed with pseudonyms, for example: Hygienos Tarnas, Atgaivys, Draugaitis, Vaistininkas, Bendraitis, Gydytojas, Svirplys. Daktaras, or with abbreviated signatures, for example: A. D., K. Gr., G. K., B., Sl., D., P. A., A. V.; some had no signature at all.

4. MEDICAL TOPICS IN CALENDARS

During the press ban, calendars occupied an important place alongside Lithuanian books and newspapers published in Lithuania Minor. Most were printed in Tilsit. These included Lietuviszkas Auszros Kalendorius (1884–1885),

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Lietuviškos Kalendros (1884, 1892, 1894, 1896–1898), Lietuviszkas Kalendorius (1885, 1890–1891, 1893), Lietuvos Ūkininkų Kalendorius (1886–1887), „Tilžės Keleivio“ Kalendros (1886–1887, 1889, 1893–1894), Kalendorius, arba Metskaitlus, ukiškasis (1887), Lietuviškos kalendros su abrozais (1890, 1895–1899), Tikras tėvyniškas kalendorius (1896–1897), Ukiszkasis Kalendorius (1897, 1899). Kalendoriai taip pat dar leisti Priekulėje (Evangeliskos Kalendros, 1890, 1895, 1898), Klaipėdoje (Lietuviszkos Kalendros, 1884–1887, 1891, 1897; Lietuwiszkoſios kalendros, 1887–1888, 1899; Didžioſios lietuwiſkos kadagio kalendros, 1899) ir Bitėnuose (Kalendros, 1898). Amerikoje pasirodė Kalendorys del lietuvninku Ameryke (1898–1899). Iš 15 paminėtų kalendorių net 8 buvo išspausdinti gotiškais rašmenimis. Dėl cenzūros dažnai buvo klastojami jų leidimo duomenys, antraštiniame puslapyje nurodant klaidingą leidimo vietą ir metus.

In addition to works of literature, various kinds of scientific information, and useful advice for everyday life, the calendars also discussed health and medical treatment. In calendars published between 1884 and 1899, medical advice was mainly printed in designated sections, such as: Various Useful Instructions; Instructions; Useful Instructions; Home Healer; Health Exhibitions; Household Remedies. Several calendars also included medical articles. In 1885, J. Šliūpas published two articles in Lietuviszkame Auszros kalendoriuje, while in 1890, 13 diseases and their treatment were described in Lietuviszkame Kalendoriuje.

5. M E D I C A L P R O B L E M S

Lithuanian medical booklets and newspaper articles from the late nineteenth century dealt mainly with the most pressing health problems of the time: infectious diseases, their causes, characteristic symptoms, treatment, and prevention. They also wrote extensively about women’s diseases, protecting and maintaining health, raising and caring for infants, nursing the sick, alcohol and tobacco and the harm they cause, how to treat oneself when ill, which medicines to take, how to give first aid to an injured person until a doctor arrives, and so on.

The newspaper Kaimyno should be noted: in both its medical subject matter and its manner of presentation, it aligned more closely with the calendars. There were also cases of overlap—that is, the same advice appeared both in the newspaper and in one of the calendars. Thus, the newspaper wrote quite concisely about household “remedies” and medicinal plants for various diseases and ailments. In addition,

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Some of them were written about in more than one issue of the newspaper. However, in such cases one should follow the different remedies they proposed. Kaimyno readers could learn how, for example, to treat bladder spasms, dropsy, bed-wetting, pallor, headache, stomach congestion, itchy skin, loss of appetite, how to stop hiccups, strengthen weak eyes and prepare eyewash, and which illnesses are relieved by cranberries, alder leaves, bean blossoms, bird cherry bark, honey, and hare or sheep fat.

Medical matters were discussed more briefly and simply in calendars. They contained many practical tips on which home remedies to use for various illnesses and ailments, and how, for example, to treat aching bones and teeth, bloody diarrhea, cold feet, hair loss, burns, anemia, bee stings, as well as how to prepare such remedies.

6. MEDICAL TERMS

This article does not aim to examine the medical terms in the publications surveyed in greater depth; we will offer only some general observations. According to whether they have survived to the present day and become established in current medical terminology, they can be divided into two groups. The first group consists of terms that have survived and are still used as official medical terms. Terms that are no longer used officially, although they may occur in colloquial speech, make up the second group.

6. 1. Surviving terms

Lithuanian names for parts and organs of the human body, and for the fluids they produce, have survived to the present day, e.g.: eyes¹ LietB 1885 5 19, elbow Szv 1890 8 268, eyebrow V 1890 9 138, tears V 1889 4 60, ears LietB 1885 5 19, beard TS 1898 2 4, eyelashes Sžl 1886 32, shins Grm 1893 9, spleen LAK 1885 53, mouth Mtv 1898 7, teeth U 1895 6 45, head Kd I 1895 1, throat U 1895 6 45, uterus V 1897 1 9, palate Sžl 1886 17, veins Tvn 1896 1 8, kidneys A 1885 9/10 157, neck Sžl 1886 18, forehead V 1889 3 41, pancreas V 1889 8 120, bones U 1898 3 39, liver A 1885 9/10 156, spine U 1892 6/7 233, legs Kd I 1895 3, blood vessel Kak 1893 26, blood Szv 1887 1 32, cartilage U 1898 3 41, chest Kd I 1895 10, breast Grm 1893 13, respiratory tract V 1889 11 52, tongue A 1883 5 139, lips Kd I 1895 10, nail U 1898 3 39, back U 1898 3 39, backbone A 1885 10/11 320, armpit A 1885 10/11 322, breasts Szv 1890 8 267, stomach Kd

¹ The terms are given in their authentic forms. Some differ in spelling from the terms used today.

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I 1895 11, finger U 1898 3 40, small intestine U 1897 12 183, lungs A 1883 4 113, sweat V 1889 12 184, hands V 1889 1 9, muscle VienL 1890 24 5, joints U 1898 3 39, saliva U 1895 21 166, chin Mtv 1898 7, brain Hyg 1897 92, temples TS 1898 2 3, nape TS 1898 2 5, esophagus U 1890 3 39, large intestine Tvn 1896 1 7, lower back U 1897 12 182, heart Kd I 1895 10, ribs Szl 1886 22, breath A 1883 4 113, bile U 1897 12 183, intestines A 1885 9/10 156, eyelids U 1897 3 42, cheek V 1889 3 41, bowels Kd I 1895 11, upper arm A 1885 10/11 323, ring U 1892 4/5 141 (²ring 4. anat. ‘a round part of an organ’ LKŽ₍c₎). Most of these names were already used in Lithuanian writings of the 16th–17th centuries.

There are also many surviving Lithuanian names for illnesses or ailments still in use today, e.g.: scrofula V 1890 7 106, colic U 1892 1 18, ague V 1889 3 41, fever Džla 1899 22, shortness of breath LietB 1885 2 6, yellow fever U 1895 15 117, jaundice V 1897 1 10, sea sickness LigPr 1883 25, wart Kaim 1897 39 312, heatstroke Mtv 1898 11, cough U 1896 20 154, cramp Pm I 1899 15, stye V 1897 3 42, insomnia LietB 1885 2 6, scabies Szv 1888 3 78, edema U 1896 13 100, pneumonia V 1890 7 106, seizure Džla 1899 8, hernia V 1897 1 10, pus U 1896 17 131, smallpox Džla 1899 3, heartburn U 1896 4 30, intellectual disability V 1895 9/10 157, gout LKa 1890 28, mumps Rodm 1895 6, boils Szl 1886 12, vomiting Szv 1890 5 134, cancer V 1889 4 60, Diarrhea LigPr 1883 36, constipation V 1889 12 184, lupus V 1891 4 56, strabismus TKK 1887 90, boil U 1895 13 99, and terms denoting other medical concepts, e.g.: childbirth U 1892 4/5 140, breathing VienL 1894 46 554, illness A 1883 4 110, patient TKK 1887 92, pregnancy Szl 1886 54, infertility VienL 1890 24 5, wound U 1896 17 131, vaccination V 1890 9 138, health Hyg 1897 1, fertility VienL 1890 24 4, fetus U 1892 4/5 136, umbilical cord U 1892 4/5 140.

The publications contain many surviving i n t e r n a t i o n a l medical t e r m s². These include names of branches of medical science, e.g.: obstetrics V 1896 2 24, surgery V 1890 8 123, hygiene V 1889 1 8, pathology VienL 1890 36 7, psychijetr[?]ija V 1895 9/10 155; names of human organs and bodily fluids, e.g.: arteries LietB 1885 6 22, capillaries A 1885 10/11 321, lymph Gpri 1898 11, nerve VienL 1890 24 5, vein U 1891 9 417; names of diseases, e.g.: alcoholism VienL 1890 38 9, anaemia VienL 1890 28 5, apoplexy VienL 1890 28 5, cholera ŽLA 1894 11 82, dysentery U 1897 9 131, epilepsy U 1897 12

² Some international terms now also have Lithuanian equivalents.

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185, ergotism V 1890 2 20, gangrene LUK 1886 47, gonorrhea VienL 1890 38 8, hysteria U 1897 12 185, influenza LKal 1896 109, catarrh Kaim 1898 27 216, cretinism VienL 1890 28 4, migraine Zglkd 1885 12, neuralgia LigPr 1883 45, neurasthenia U 1897 12 185, nymphomania VienL 1890 24 5, paralysis TS 1897 8 3, gout TS 1897 8 2, pneumonia VienL 1890 30 5, rickets U 1897 12 183, scurvy V 1889 3 41, tapeworm U 1897 8 121, typhus V 1890 8 124; names of medicines and other means of treatment, for example: borax U 1897 8 121, quinine V 1889 12 184, chloroform VienL 1890 37 8, ether LKal 1898 88, glycerin TS 1898 5/6 51, iodine VienL 1891 52 621, iodoform U 1895 28 142, camphor Kak 1893 20, carbolic acid Kaim 1897 25 182, lanolin Kaim 1897 39 312, morphine V 1889 2 20, castor oil V 1890 2 21, tannin LAK 1885 64, thermometer U 1896 24 188, turpentine Džla 1899 14, cotton wool UK 1897 33, petroleum jelly Rodm 1895 4; names of examination methods, for example: auscultation LAK 1885 58, percussion LAK 1885 58; terms denoting other medical concepts, for example: amputation VienL 1890 27 4, anomalies V 1890 4 54, bacteria Džla 1899 6, bromism VienL 1890 28 4, disinfection Pchg 1893 15, diet VienL 1890 28 4, eclampsia VienL 1890 28 5, epidemics V 1889 12 184, phagocytes V 1890 9 138, hypertrophy VienL 1890 28 4, homeopathy V 1890 7 97, inoculation VienL 1890 27 5, cachexia VienL 1890 30 5, quarantine V 1890 8 123, convulsions V 1889 3 41, mania VienL 1890 37 9, melancholia ŽLA 1891 4 30, microorganisms V 1889 12 184, operation V 1889 2 21, organ V 1890 5 68, pulse V 1889 3 41, symptoms V 1891 4 57, therapy V 1889 10 153.

6. 2. Obsolete terms

The largest group is undoubtedly made up of medical terms that are no longer in use. They could be divided into 2 groups. The first group comprises terms recorded in the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language:

a) names of parts of the human body, organs, and the fluids they produce, for example: audos V 1889 2 22 (“auda 3. see audinys 2. anat. ‘a group of cells performing the same functions’ LKŽ), dirksnys A 1885 10/11 320 (“dirgsnis 2. ‘nerve’ LKŽ), gimtinė U 1892 4/5 147 (gimtinė 3. see gimtuvė 3. anat. ‘uterus’ LKŽ), gygyslė U 1891 9 417 (gygyslė ‘artery, vein’ LKŽ), grobai LietB 1885 2 6 (grobas 3. ‘intestine; rectum’ LKŽ), jaknos U 1897 12 184 (“jeknos anat. ‘liver’ LKŽ), koserė U 1896 20 154 (koserė 2. ‘throat; mouth’ LKŽ), krekenos (“Women’s breasts become engorged not with milk, but with a yellowish fluid called colostrum”) Grm 1893 14 (cf. krekenos

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see krekena 1. ‘milk of a cow that has just calved or is about to calve’ LKŽ), kryžius SžI 1886 3 (kryžius 8. ‘lower back; sacrum’ LKŽ), motė SžI 1886 52 (motė 6. anat. ‘uterus’ LKŽ), narys Mtv 1898 9 (¹narys 1. ‘joint’ LKŽ), perklodai U 1890 4 60 (perklodas ‘partition: chest partition (diaphragm)’ LKŽ), pilvaplone V 1895 9/10 156 (pilvaplone see pilvaplėvė anat. ‘abdominal membrane (peritoneum)’ LKŽ), skilvis LietB 1885 5 19 (skilvys 3. ‘stomach, belly’ LKŽ), šal iniai U 1896 20 154 (¹šalinis 2. ‘tonsil’ LKŽ), szarvai U 1892 4/5 146 (¹šarvai 1. ‘afterbirth, placental membranes (after childbirth)’ LKŽ), žabtai Mtv 1898 13 (žabtai 2. pejor. ‘mouth, lips’ LKŽ);

b) names of diseases, for example: baltieji žiedai Pm I 1899 4 (balti žiedai ‘menstruation’ LKŽ) (also cf. baltoji liga V 1897 3 41), blykszlė A 1885 10/11 321 (blyklė ‘pallor’ LKŽ), breinė Kaim 1899 7 55 (x breinė (German Bräune) ‘a kind of throat disease, diphtheria’ LKŽ), dygulys (lielisza) Szv 1888 1/2 60 (dyguly s 2. ‘stitching pain’ LKŽ; lielisza see lielėsa 2. ‘stitch in the side, usually from walking or running fast’ LKŽ), grįžas V 1897 3 41 (¹grįžas 1. ‘pain in a sprained and overtired joint, accompanied by creaking; crepitus, grinding’ LKŽ), gumbas V 1897 1 9 (gumbas 4. ‘abdominal flux or some other intestinal pain; severe abdominal ache’ LKŽ), gurklys V 1897 3 42 (gurklys 2. ‘dewlap (of a person or animal), throat’ LKŽ), irmedė V 1897 3 42 (irmedė ‘an illness caused by catching cold, overexertion, or fright’ LKŽ), kaulaėdis Szv 1888 1/2 62 (kaulaėdis ‘a certain bone disease’ LKŽ), kaulligė SžI 1886 36 (kaulligė ‘bone disease, bone ache, gout, paralysis’ LKŽ), kraujaligė Kd I 1895 22 (kraujaligė 2. ‘blood disease’ or 3. ‘dysentery’ (?) LKŽ), krūpos SžI 1886 15 (²kruopos ‘diphtheria’ LKŽ), landunė užnaginė ZgIkd 1885 34 (landūnė see landuonis 1. med. ‘boil at the tip of a finger (under the nail), whitlow, felon (Panaritium)’ LKŽ), nikulys V 1897 3 42 (¹nykulys 1. ‘wasting disease’ LKŽ), nosligė SžI 1886 35 (nosligė ‘nasal disease, nasal catarrh’ LKŽ), numirulys VienL 1890 36 8 (¹nuomirulis see nuomaras med. ‘a nervous disease, epilepsy’ LKŽ), pagedimas V 1897 3 42 (pagedimas 3. ‘frenzy, rabies’ LKŽ), papauszkai U 1892 6/7 234 (papauškas 1. ‘pimple, sore’ LKŽ), pilvavimai VienL 1891 52 620 (pilvavimas → pilvuoti 1. ‘to have diarrhea’ LKŽ), plautis LwKal 1887 70 (²plautis 1. ‘cold, catarrh’ LKŽ), raudonoji liga (žiedai, skalbiniai) V 1897 3 42 (žiedas 6. ‘menstruation’ LKŽ; skalbiniai 2. ‘menstruation’ LKŽ), rietenos V 1897 3 42 (²rietena 11. med. ‘thrush (soor)’ LKŽ), saldžioji votis Rodm 1895 15 (saldžioji votis ‘a very itchy rash, eczema’ LKŽ), sausgėla V 1890 2 21 (sausgėla

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1. ‘aching in the bones and joints, rheumatism’ LKŽ), silpnaregystė LietB 1885 2 6 (silpnaregystė ‘weakness of sight’ LKŽ), slapdrugys U 1895 25 117 (slapdrugys ‘latent fever (a disease)’ LKŽ), ftabas LKal 1896 109 (ftabas 6. ‘gout’ LKŽ), styris V 1889 1 9 (styris 2. med. ‘tetanus, lockjaw’ LKŽ), sunkenybė V 1897 3 42 (sunkenybė 5. ‘chest congestion, shortness of breath, asthma’ LKŽ), šamas U 1897 8 21 (³x šamas (German Schwamm) ‘a kind of infant oral disease, thrush’ LKŽ), szaszbaudžiai U 1892 6/7 233 (šašbaudžiai 1. see ¹šašbaudys 2. ‘scab, crust’ LKŽ), šokis švento Vito U 1897 12 184 (šventojo Vito šokis med. ‘a nervous disease involving involuntary muscle spasms, chorea’ LKŽ), tryda Rodm 1895 16 (tryda 1. ‘diarrhea, the runs’ LKŽ), vištalupys V 1897 34 2 (vištalupys see vištalaktis 4. ‘night blindness (hemeralopia)’ LKŽ);

c) terms denoting other medical concepts, for example: daktaravimas A 1885 10/11 325 (daktaravimas → daktarauti 1. ‘to be a doctor, physician’ LKŽ), daktarystė Gpri 1898 11 (daktarystė ‘medical practice, the profession of doctor or physician’ LKŽ), drapanės Pm I 1899 7 (drapanės ‘menstruation, menstrual bleeding’ LKŽ), galvasukėtis Pchg 1893 26 (galvasukėtis see galvasukis 2. ‘dizziness, vertigo’ LKŽ), gydykla Kd I 1895 32 (gydykla 1. ‘medical institution, hospital, sanatorium; spa’; at the time this word also had another meaning—that of a medicine: ‘You can get those medicines in foreign pharmacies’ (LKa 1890 29), cf. gydykla 2. ‘remedy, medicine’ LKŽ), gydūklės NGad 1894 21 11 (gyduoklė see gyduolė ‘medicinal herb, medicine’ LKŽ), gryžėlė (girgždėlė) Szv 1888 1/2 61 (girgždėlė 1. see girgžda 1. ‘creaking (of a joint), crepitus’ LKŽ), ligonbutis U 1892 6/7 236 (ligonbutis 1. ‘hospital’ LKŽ), sznairumas VienL 1890 28 5 (šnairumas → 1 šnairas 2. ‘with eyes turned inward or outward, cross-eyed’ LKŽ), tyniai U 1896 20 154 (²tynis ‘swelling, edema’ LKŽ), vaistymas VienL 1890 38 8 (vaistymas → vaistyti ‘to treat’ LKŽ), vaistytojas Pchg 1893 5 (vaistytojas 1. ‘physician’ LKŽ).

The second group comprises terms not recorded in the Dictionary of the Lithuanian Language. They could be divided into 2 subgroups. The first subgroup consists of terms whose meanings have been determined on the basis of the source text:

a) a term for a body part, for example, kurksztema Mtv 1898 19 (J. Basanavičius supplied the Latin equivalent brachium alongside this word (cf. brachium 1. ‘upper arm’ MTŽ);

b) names of diseases, for example: baltoji rožė Mtv 1898 24 (J. Basanavičius supplied the Latin equivalent phlegmone alongside this disease name (cf. phlegmone – phlegmon, suppuration MTŽ), mėlynoji liga VienL 1890 30 4 (alongside

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In parentheses, the Latin equivalent is given cyanosis (cf. cyanosis – cyanosis, bluish discoloration of the skin MTŽ), siutalīgė V 1891 4 56 (this word was a synonym of the term pasiutligės, now in use: “<...> the microorganisms of siutalīgė do not multiply rapidly in the human body; from the bite of, say, a rabid dog until the onset of the disease, two or three months or even more pass” V 1891 4 56–57), skaudligė (a synonym for rheumatism: “Further on, the patient’s leg and head bones begin to ache, especially at night, so severely that the patient can hardly keep from going mad with pain; but he consoles himself, thinking that this comes from skaudligė (rheumatism)”) SŽl 1886 30.

The second subgroup comprises terms whose meanings are unclear from the source text:

a) names of human organs, e.g.: plasnojanti gisla LAK 1885 62, žabenukai (“If the mother begins giving the child sugar and the like into its little mouth, the little mouth becomes overgrown, and the palate and žabenukai become coated as if with porridge; therefore the nursing child cannot swallow through these sores and begins to choke”) Mtv 1898 12;

b) names of diseases, e.g.: Bleeding Disease LigPr 1883 13 (this name could be a synonym for the currently used term anemia), white swellings (“And from diseases that arise from poverty, various bone inflammations often also follow, such as <...>, white swellings etc.”) VienL 1890 27 4, cutting of legs (a Latin equivalent, dermatitis, is given for this name, but with a question mark. J. Basanavičius described this disease as follows: “That disease affects shepherd boys in springtime, when they walk barefoot, in shirts with bare sleeves; from the wind and dampness, with their shirt hems and trouser legs, without noticing how, their shirts rub against them, and they become red, and after the redness the skin splits, and blood appears from it. If the shepherd cannot walk, they say that ‘cranes pecked your shirt as they flew by.’”) Mtv 1898 9, gruštis (M. Kuprevičius gave neither a Latin nor a Greek equivalent for this word, apparently not knowing them, and wrote a question mark. He describes this disease in just one sentence: “People say: gruštis—who knows how long ago it got into her.”) V 1897 3 42, fever disease (this word could be a synonym for fever, cf. “fever, fever disease, is, according to an old saying, the ‘little breeze of illness,’ its forerunner or companion, yet all this is an important matter for certain illnesses”) LKa 1890 27, fever aches (“All parts of the body can be affected by catarrh; that is, fever may be in the stomach, chest, intestines, and so on”) LKa 1890 28, pressure of the witches (“Another time, at night, while sleeping, such a pressure attacked him that he could neither get up, nor turn over in bed, nor call out, nor speak. He drew his breath with difficulty and had to lie

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like that until the trouble passed”) LKal 1892 127, Norwegian scabies (“If scabies mites multiply terribly, the pustules merge—the skin becomes scaly; such scabies were called ‘Norwegian scabies’ <...>”) Szv 1888 3 82, malignant fevers (“All doctors know how the deadliest diseases, such as Asiatic cholera, cholera infantum, dysentery, and malignant fevers, seek out parts of the city inhabited by the urban poor, and what terrible slaughter they wreak there”) VienL 1890 27 4, disease of the spine (“In some families we see disease of the spine (hip. disease), <...>”) VienL 1890 38 9, stomach fevers (“<...>, often in the evenings chills begin, and thus the picture of the disease comes close to that of stomach fevers, <...>”) LAK 1885 57, stiff-neck disease (“This is a disease of small children: whether while being rocked or carried, or if the child falls from the cradle, the neck gets twisted; then the child eats nothing, the whole body is seized by fever, the eyes are sunken, and there is nothing but crying. Then the mothers understand that it is stiff-neck disease, <...>”) Mtv 1898 27.

The terms presented show that most disease names have not survived, but there are also terms for other medical concepts that have not survived.

The reasons why the medical terms under discussion did not survive may have been various. First, it should be noted that in some cases it was not the terms themselves that disappeared, but only their specialized meanings, since those words continue to be used today with other meanings. These are such polysemous words as lump, groats, blossoms, laundry, quarrels, catfish, birthplace, cross, member, armor. Words used in the speech of a narrow dialect but not more widely disseminated also failed to survive (kurkštena). It should also be emphasized that quite a few medical terms that did not survive already had substitutes at the time, which displaced them from active usage. Sometimes, even in the same text, one can find names for parts of the human body, diseases, or their symptoms used synonymously. For instance, the terms nerves, artery, intestines, liver, uterus, twinge, pimple, diarrhea, medicine replaced dirgsnius, gyvyslę, grobus, jaknas, motę, dygulį, papaušką, pilvavimą, trydą, gydyklą. Some words were used only in the writings of individual authors; for example, V. Kudirka used the term pilvaplones. Words may have failed to take root in usage because of their archaic or derogatory connotations (grobai, žabtai). An important reason why a considerable number of terms did not survive is the indeterminacy or obscurity of their meaning. This applies especially to compounds containing the element disease, e.g.: kaulligė, kraujaligė, nosligė, skaudligė, kaitraliga, sprandoligė.

Also worth mentioning separately are obsolete barbarisms that did not enter the standard language, e.g.: aptieka Ppaž 1899 14 (x aptieka “pharmacy” LKŽ), čūma (this word denotes one of the types of fever: “I shall list the fevers: ču-

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… of smallpox, cholera, typhus, <...>”) V 1890 7 106 (LKŽ, this word is not recorded), jedra V 1890 8 123 (x jedra (< adra, cf. odra) “contagious skin disease, measles, drognės” LKŽ), motis Kaim 1896 2 15 (¹x mostis (Belarusian масть, Polish maść) Polish “soft medicinal mass with fats, used for treatment, ointment” LKŽ), palagas ŠŽl 1886 59 (²x palagas “childbirth” LKŽ), smertis V 1890 2 21 (x smertis (Belarusian смерть) Polish “death” LKŽ), zapalenija V 1897 3 41 (x zapalenija see x zapalenia (Polish zapalenie) “inflammation (usually of the lungs)” LKŽ), žyvatas V 1897 1 10 (x žyvatas 4. “diarrhea” LKŽ). Most of them already had Lithuanian equivalents at the time, e.g.: liekorius Kaim 1896 2 15 and gydytojas U 1895 28 143, liekarstva Kaim 1896 2 15 and vaistas A 1885 10/11 325, lisnikai^³ and kirmėlės U 1898 11 167, rona ir opa U 1896 27 131, rona ir žaizda Gpri 1898 4, truczyzna ir nuodas Gpri 1898 4.

The same thing is often called by several words (or phrases), one of which entered current usage while the other(s) did not, e.g.: aftma was called trumpa dvale LigPr 1883 40; difterija Hyg 1897 110 was still called by some people gierklės uždegimu puwancziu Zglkd 1886 13, difteritu, smauginýčia, kakline U 1892 8 293, krioklige U 1892 8 294, troškuliu, kriokle U 1896 13 99; dizenteriją was called negeru viduriavimu, kruvinąja trizna A 1883 5 141, kruvinąja, greitąja U 1890 3 39, raudonąja U 1891 3 131, kruvinu viduriavimu U 1897 9 131; džiova was also called džiuwes liga LigPr 1883 38, džiutimi LAK 1885 50, sauslige U 1897 9 131 (this disease is still called tuberkulioze today); karbunkulas was also called mėlynuoju spuogu U 1890 8 121 (the Lithuanian term piktuotės is now recommended); kataraktą was called by people viduriniu valkiu U 1897 3 42, akių apvilkimu Mtv 1898 5 (the Lithuanian equivalent is lęšiuko drumstis); sifilis V 1890 8 123 was called brantajs Zglkd 1885 9, prancuzais ŠŽl 1886 25, prancuzlige, piktąja liga U 1891 5 230, prancais Kd I 1895 5, “netikusia liga,” “blogąja liga,” “nedora liga” Rodm 1895 6, prasta liga (piktąja) V 1897 3 42; tymai were also called drognimis U 1892 6/7 233; trachomą was formerly called by people dykomis mėsomis U 1897 3 42.

7. CONCLUSIONS

1. At the end of the 19th century, the number of various Lithuanian publications, including those in the field of medicine, increased considerably. Original and translated Lithuanian medical booklets were published in Lithuania Minor and America, and newspapers published

^³ Elsewhere (e.g., in Suwałki Governorate), lisnikais was also a name for a remedy against worms (in Latin Flores Cinae): “But a much better and more reliable remedy is lisnykai” U 1897 8 121.

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medical articles, while calendars offered practical medical advice. These popularizing publications led to an increase in medical terminology.

2. Lithuanian physicians (P. Avižonis, J. Basanavičius, K. Grinius, V. Kudirka, St. Matulaitis, A. Sketeris, J. Šliūpas, A. Vileišis) and other intellectuals (J. Adomaitis-Šernas, M. Jankus, J. Tumas-Vaižgantas) began writing about medical matters. Consequently, Lithuanian medical terms were used more extensively in publications.

3. The subject matter of Lithuanian medical publications was broad and varied. They covered many branches of medical science, as well as fields closely related to medicine—obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, epidemiology, etiology, hygiene, sanitation, surgery, traumatology, and venereology; and questions of anatomy, bacteriology, physiology, and pharmacy.

4. The publications discussed made extensive use of terms from various branches of medicine and related sciences. Most of these are still used today as official medical terms. They include inherited words used widely in the living language, as well as international words. However, many medical terms did not persist in written usage. These include rare dialect words, words displaced from active usage by their substitutes, as well as archaic or pejorative words and words with vague or unclear meanings. Special mention should be made of polysemous words whose specialized meanings failed to take hold, although they are still used today in their original meanings. Needless to say, barbarisms also did not survive.

MAIN SOURCES

A – Auszra, 1883, 1885, 1886.

Džla – Consumption and How to Protect Oneself from This Disease, Tilsit, 1899.

Gpri – Treatment for Dropsy and Inoculation against Smallpox, Tilsit, 1898.

Grm – An Unheard-of Thing and Good Advice for Our Womenfolk, Tilsit, 1893.

Hyg – Hygiene, or the Science of Maintaining Health, Chicago, 1897.

Kaim – The Neighbor, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899.

Kak – How to Guard Against Cholera and Other Useful Readings, Tilsit, 1893.

Kd l – What to Do to Stay Healthy and Live Long, Tilsit, 1895.

LAK – Lithuanian Auszra Calendar, 1885.

LietB – Lithuanian Voice, 1885.

LigPr – The Patient's Friend, Leipzig, 1883.

LKa – Lithuanian Calendar, 1890.

LKal – Lithuanian Calendars, 1892, 1896, 1898.

LUK – Lithuanian Farmers' Calendar, 1886.

LwKal – Lithuanian Calendars, 1887.

Mtv – Medega mustaiškai vaistininkystai. Šenandoras, 1898.

NGad – New Era, 1894.

Pčhg – Instruction on how to protect oneself from cholera, Tilsit, 1893.

Pm l – Advice for women who wish to be healthy, Bitėnai, 1899.

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Ppaž – Instruction on how to protect people bitten by rabid dogs from rabies, Tilsit, 1899.

Rodm – Advice to mothers on raising breastfed infants, Tilsit, 1895.

Szv – Light, 1887, 1888, 1890.

Šzl – The Most Important Human Diseases, Tilsit, 1886.

Tvn – Homeland, 1896.

TKK – Tilsit Traveler’s Calendar, 1887.

TS – Guardian of the Homeland, 1897, 1898.

U – Farmer, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898.

UK – Agricultural Calendar, 1897.

V – The Bell, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1895, 1896, 1897.

Vienl. – Unity of Lithuanians, 1890, 1891, 1894.

Žglkd – A Treatise on the Treatment of Diseases of the Body and Soul, Kraków, 1885.

ŽLA – Review of Samogitia and Lithuania, 1891, 1894.

AUXILIARY SOURCES

LKŽ – Lietuvių kalbos žodynas, Vilnius, 2005. www.lkz.lt

MTŽ – Dictionary of Medical Terms, Vilnius, 1980.

LITERATŪRA

Avižonis P. 1909: Lietuvių Medicinos ir Hygienos Knygos, Vilnius.

Biržiška V. Lietuvių bibliografija. III d. Spaudos draudimo laikas (1865–1904 m.), Kaunas, 1929.

Grinius K. 1895: Apie vieną netikusią knygutę. – Ūkininkas 25, 116–117.

Grinius K. 1922: Medicinos žinių popularizacija ir Lietuvių medicinos knygų sąrašas, Kaunas.

Kuprevičius M. 1897: Lietuviški ligų vardai. – Varpas 3, 41–42.

Lietuvos TSR bibliografija: Knygos lietuvių kalba [1862–1904] 2 (1), Vilnius, 1985; [1862–1904] 2 (2), Vilnius, 1988.

Matulaitis St. 1895: Budai gydymo nekurų ligų [recenzija]. – Varpas 9/10, 162–163.

Palionis J. 1995: Lietuvių rašomosios kalbos istorija, Vilnius.

Zinkevičius Z. 1992: Lietuvių kalbos istorija 5: Bendrinės kalbos iškilimas, Vilnius.

REVIEW OF THE SOURCES OF LITHUANIAN MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY AND THEIR TERMS AT THE END OF 19TH CENTURY

Although at the end of the 19th century it was forbidden to print using Latin script, there was nevertheless a growth in the publishing and distribution of Lithuanian periodical and non periodical publications. Typical of this type of publishing was medical booklets, newspapers and calendars addressing medical questions.

At the end of the 19th century 25 medical booklets were published in Lithuanian. The majority of them were published in Lithuania Minor (in Tilžė). A few books were published in other towns in Lithuania Minor (Bitėnai, Priekulė) and also in America (Shenandoah, New York, Chicago). These booklets were published in two different types of script: Latin (designed for Lithuania Major) and Gothic (designed for Lithuania Minor). The majority of the books were in Latin script. Some booklets were original, others were translations (the majority). The translations were made from Russian, Polish and German languages. Booklets were written by Lithuanian doctors (Jonas Basanavičius, Stasys Matulaitis, Adomas Sketeris, Jonas Šliūpas, Antanas Vileišis) and other Lithuanian intellectuals (Juozas Adomaitis-Šernas, Martynas Jankus, Juozas Tu-

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mas-Važgantas, Petras Vileišis). Adolf Richter’s booklet Der Kranken-Freund (Ligonų prietelius) was very popular. This booklet was translated from German between 1878 and 1898 and went through 21 editions.

Fifteen newspapers published during the period 1883–1899 in Lithuania Minor and America (Aušra, Lietuviškasis Balsas, Tėvynės Sargas, Ūkininkas, Varpas, Vienybė Lietuvninkų, Žemaičių ir Lietuvos Apžvalga and others) contained more than 150 articles on the subject of medicine and related subjects. Articles were written by well known medical doctors and Lithuanian community leaders Petras Avižonis, Jonas Basanavičius, Kazys Grinius, Vincas Kudirka, Stasys Matulaitis, Adomas Sketeris, Jonas Šliūpas, Antanas Vileišis and others.

Fifteen almanacs published during the period 1883–1899 in Lithuanian Minor contained much about health and treatments.

Lithuanian medical publications covered a wide and varying range of topics. They explained in a popular way various issues of various fields of medical science (obstetrics, gynaecology, paediatrics, epidemiology, aetiology, hygiene, sanitation, surgery, traumatology and venereology) and related sciences (anatomy, bacteriology, physiology, pharmacology).

Medical terminology and terminology related to medicine was abundant in these publications. The majority of those terms are still used as official medical terms. They are inheritances universally used in the common language and international terms. Certain medical terms of this period – rare dialectisms and barbarisms – did not survive in written usage.

Gauta 2006-11-13

Palmira Zemlevičiūtė

Lietuvių kalbos institutas

P. Vileišio g. 5, LT-10308 Vilnius

E. paštas [email protected]

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