Introduction to Medicine & Surgery

Medicine (Latin medicus, "physician"), the science and art of diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease and injury. Its goals are to help people livelonger, happier, more active lives with less suffering and disability. The term ‘Medicine’ contrasts with the term ‘Surgery’ as ‘Medicine’ is the study & treatment of general diseases or those affecting the internal parts of the body, those not requiring surgical intervention. Surgery on the other hand is the branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of disease, injury, and deformity by operation or manipulation. (Latin Chirurgiae. “hand work”)

Health

            The World Health Organization has defined ‘Health’ as a ‘State of complete physical, mental & social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease & infirmity’. This definition was, in turn, criticized as unquantifiable. In 1984, WHO advanced a revised statement that any measure of health must take into account “the extent to which an individual or a group is able to realize aspirations and satisfy needs, and to change or cope with the environment.”  Health in this sense is seen as a “resource for everyday life.” Health also involves an ability to perform within society, and to accommodate stresses, whether physical or mental. From an ecological viewpoint, the relative health of a group is evaluated according to whether that group might sustain its existence over time without major disruption to its own way of life or to the environment within which it functions.

            It is a state characterized by anatomical, physiological, and psychological integrity, ability to perform personally valued family, work, and community roles; ability to deal with physical, biological, psychological and social stress; a feeling of well-being; and freedom from the risk of disease and untimely death. The Officer of health Economics states, ‘A person should be regarded as healthy provided he can remain socially & economically active, even though he may have to suffer some health disability or discomfort.’

     Hygiene (Greek hygieinos, ’healthful’) is the science of health and its maintenance.
 i.e. Cleanliness that promotes health and well being, especially of a personal nature.

Disease

            Disease is an interruption, cessation or disorder of body functions, systems or organs. (Syn. Illness, Sickness, Morbus) A syndrome is the aggregate of signs and symptoms associated with any morbid process, and constituting together the picture of the disease. It is a morbid entity characterised usually by at least two of the following criteria:

·        Recognised Etiologic agents

·        Identifiable group of signs (Any abnormality indicative of disease, discoverable on examination of the patient; an objective symptom of disease, in contrast to a symptom which is a subjective sign of disease.) & symptoms (Any morbid phenomenon or departure from the normal in structure, function, or sensation, experienced by the patient and indicative of disease.)

·        Consistent anatomical alterations

Diseases have diverse causes, which can be classified into two broad groups: infectious and noninfectious. Infectious diseases can spread from one person to another and are caused by microscopic organisms that invade the body. Noninfectious diseases are not communicated from person to person and do not have, or are not known to involve, infectious agents. Some diseases, such as the common cold, are acute, coming on suddenly and lasting for no more than a few weeks. Other diseases, such as arthritis, are chronic, persisting for months or years, or recurring frequently.

Every disease has certain characteristic effects on the body. Some of these effects, called symptoms and signs, include fever, inflammation, pain, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and rashes, and are readily apparent to the patient. These symptoms offer important clues that help physicians and other health care professionals make a diagnosis. Many times, however, the symptoms point to several possible disorders. In those cases, doctors rely on medical tests, such as blood examinations and X rays, to confirm the diagnosis.

 The course of a disease—that is, the path it follows from onset to end—can vary tremendously, depending largely on the individual and the treatment he or she receives. For example, otherwise healthy people usually recover quickly from a bout of pneumonia if given proper treatment, whereas pneumonia often proves fatal to people with a weakened immune system and to those who do not receive prompt, effective treatment. Some diseases run a different course depending on the patient’s age. Chicken pox, for instance, is usually mild in childhood but severe in adults.

Scientists, public health officials, and other members of the medical community work diligently to try to prevent disease epidemics. The battle is constant and is fought on many fronts. There have been many victories. Once-devastating diseases such as smallpox and diphtheria have been virtually eradicated, and many other diseases that once conferred automatic death sentences can now be either cured or controlled. At the same time, however, new killers have emerged. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome are among at least 30 diseases that have been identified by scientists since the early 1970s. Other growing challenges, particularly in the affluent societies of industrialized nations, are so-called diseases of choice, such as alcohol abuse, drug abuse, or obesity, that result from addictive behaviour, poor eating habits, or insufficient exercise.

Complicating matters further are societal changes. Increased international travel accelerates the spread of both new and old diseases: A person infected with an unusual virus on one continent can arrive—with the virus—on another continent in a matter of hours. Ships, planes, and trucks can transport disease-carrying organisms just as easily.