Public Service Announcement!!!
Didja Know?
Influenza is shortened to Flu (pronounced floo)
Stomach Flux is shortened to Flux
(pronounced floo)
((In the past 50 years, we've dropped the silent X when writing about 99% of the time -darn spell check ;)- But in doing any historical or med research, you'll still find : the flux (any illness, typically gastroenteritis, with "fluid flowing violently from the body"), the bloody flux (dysentery), yellow flux (salmonella), body flux etc. TECHNICALLY we've also dropped the apostrophe. Influenza - Flu is supposed to read 'flu. But hey. Whether its 'flu or flux, I think feeling like one got hit by a truck, qualified for a little grammatical liberty. ;))
They're both pronounced "floo", and they're both correct.
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Bonus round:
And here's a fun one just because we're on the subject & how many times can THIS get put out there ???
: The Polish curse word for poop = Cholera
The first part I know from school & growing up with doctors in the fam who practiced during the turn of the century. The second bit is anthropology class. In going through human remains, one finds a LOT of cholera related death. I had a Polish student in my class that quarter, who was beside himself all term.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dysentery
There's lots of corroborating sources, of course, (just google flux with the X in it) but this one is in English instead of medicalese
well!
i knew it was called stomach flux but not that flux is pronounced floo!
no wonder everyone gets 'em mixed up.
cool nugget of info. thanks!
:) khairete
S.
Well, I wanted to click "Like" but there isn't one on this site. LOL
Well done.
There are a lot of old medical terms.
Some are still in use.
But I think it's more precise to use a modern term if one is available.
People say 'stomach flu' when they should say gastroenteritis.
The treatment for them is not the same because they are different conditions.
But people with 'stomach flu' sometimes think Tamiflu will help them and it can't - it's a medication for influenza flu not digestive ailments.
http://fentonhistsoc.tripod.com/id121.html
We don't use leeches much for bloodletting anymore.
But they (and maggots) are making a comeback.
http://web.ics.purdue.edu/~drkelly/RudavskyLeechesMaggots...
Cholera is less prevalent than it was since people now understand the need to keep sewage and drinking water separated.
But it still affects a lot of people in less developed parts of the world or where disasters (floods, hurricanes, etc) contaminate water supplies and people don't boil water before using it.
Good to know. I refuse to call it the stomach flu simply because so many people are so confused by that. I can't stand when I hear things like "My kid was throwing up all weekend. Stupid flu shot didn't work!"
Thumbs up for your post - I love this kind of info!
This is a wonderful post, R.! I love what you write!
Can you imagine getting angry and saying "Oh cholera!!"
Seriously, any fluid flowing irregulary from the body is bad news, though cholera sounds like THE WORST.
Thanks for the medical AND the history lesson!
Dawn
And...my house is carrying influenza. I haven't been hit yet (KNOCK ON WOOD!!!!), but my husband is doing a fairly awesome job of coughing all over every surface of the house so, really, it's sort of like dancing the polka with an elephant and hoping not to get stepped on.
Aaaaaanyway.
Seriously, I think you know everything! :) It's so fun to read your posts!
Funny! and veddy interesting!
So then, if you Google "flu flux" it is actually an urban dictionary word, meaning- "To upset, or get on someones nerves.
To irritate
This broken down car has been giving me the flu flux."
Then, there is a "Flux Hawaii" which is an underground online blog etc.
Bet they don't know it means Flu.
