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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

How Rheumatism Got its Name

  |  Issue: March 2014  |  

Needless to say, I was delighted to hear of the recent demise of the word rheumatism. For those of you who may be unaware, our lead journal, A&R, is now referred to as Arthritis & Rheumatology. I wish I could say that the word lived beyond its usefulness, but I doubt that it ever served any useful purpose. Rheumatology has replaced rheumatism. Hallelujah! Are we making progress? I need to ruminate on this development for a while.

Dr. Helfgott is physician editor of The Rheumatologist and associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology, immunology, and allergy at Harvard Medical School in Boston.

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References

  1. Helfgott SM. Pedal gangrene caused by giant cell arteritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1987;30:1078-1079.
  2. Parish LC. A historical approach to the nomenclature of rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 1963;6:138-158.
  3. Rodnan GP. Growth and development of rheumatology in the United States—a bicentennial report. Arthritis Rheum. 1977;20:1149-1168.
  4. Kahn MF. Landré-Beauvais. Joint Bone Spine. 2001;68:143.
  5. Smith CD, Cyr M. The history of lupus erythematosus. From Hippocrates to Osler. Rheum Dis Clin North Am. 1988;14:1-14.
  6. Savin, JA. Osler and the skin. Brit J Derm. 2000;143:1-8.
  7. McCarty D, O’Duffy D, Pearson L, Hunter J. Remitting seronegative symmetrical synovitis with pitting edema. RS3PE syndrome. JAMA. 1985;254:2763-2767.

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