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Possible definitions for iatrology
astrology
Divination that consists of interpreting the influence of stars and planets on earthly affairs and human destinies. In ancient times it was inseparable from astronomy. It originated in Mesopotamia (c.3rd millennium BC) and spread to India, but it developed its Western form in Greek civilization during the Hellenistic period. Astrology entered Islamic culture as part of the Greek tradition and was returned to European culture through Arabic learning during the Middle Ages. According to the Greek tradition, the heavens are divided according to the 12 constellations of the zodiac, and the bright stars that rise at intervals cast a spiritual influence over human affairs. Astrology was also important in ancient China, and in imperial times it became standard practice to have a horoscope cast for each newborn child and at all decisive junctures of life. Though the Copernican system shattered the geocentric worldview that astrology requires, interest in astrology has continued into modern times and astrological signs are still widely believed to influence personality.
metrology
Science of measurement. Measuring a quantity means establishing its ratio to another fixed quantity of the same kind, known as the unit of that kind of quantity. A unit is an abstract idea, defined either by reference to a randomly chosen material standard or to a natural phenomenon. For example, the meter, the standard of length in the metric system, was formerly defined (1889-1960) by the separation of two lines on a particular metal bar, but it is now defined as the distance traveled by light in a vacuum in 1/299,792,458 second. See also International System of Units.
pathology
Medical specialty dealing with causes of disease and structural and functional changes in abnormal conditions. As autopsies, initially prohibited for religious reasons, became more accepted in the late Middle Ages, people learned more about the causes of death. In 1761 Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682-1771) published the first book to locate disease in individual organs. In the mid-19th cent., the humoral theories of infection were replaced first by cell-based theories (see R. Virchow) and then by the bacteriologic theories of R. Koch and L. Pasteur. Today, pathologists work mostly in the laboratory and consult with a patient's physician after examining specimens incl. surgically removed body parts, blood and other fluids, urine, feces, and discharges. Culturing of infectious organisms, staining, fiber optic endoscopy, and electron microscopy have greatly expanded the information available to the pathologist.
petrology
Scientific study of rocks, incl. their composition, texture, and structure; occurrence and distribution; and conditions of origin. Petrology is concerned with all three major types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. The subdiscipline of experimental petrology involves synthesizing rocks in ...
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