Wood
Wood (medicine)
Wood (pronounced /wʊd/) is a term used in various medical contexts. It is derived from the Old English word 'wudu', which refers to the hard fibrous material that forms the main substance of the trunk or branches of a tree or shrub.
Medical Uses
In medicine, wood has been used in various ways, including:
- Splint: Wood has been used to create splints for broken bones. A splint is a device used for support or immobilization of a limb or the spine.
- Charcoal: Wood can be converted into charcoal, which has various medicinal uses. For example, activated charcoal is used to treat poisonings and overdoses following oral ingestion.
- Wood's lamp: This is a diagnostic tool used in dermatology to detect certain skin conditions, such as fungal infections and bacterial infections. The lamp is named after Robert W. Wood, the American physicist who invented it.
Etymology
The term 'wood' comes from the Old English 'wudu', which has the same meaning. The Old English term is derived from the Proto-Germanic '*widuz', which is also the source of the Dutch 'woud', the German 'Wald', and the Swedish 'ved'.
Related Terms
- Wood's light: This is another name for a Wood's lamp. The term 'Wood's light' is derived from the name of the inventor, Robert W. Wood.
- Wood alcohol: This is a common name for methanol, a toxic substance that can cause blindness or death if ingested. The term 'wood alcohol' comes from the fact that methanol was once produced by the destructive distillation of wood.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Wood
- Wikipedia's article - Wood
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