Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Urology and nephrology: etymology of the terms

  • Urology - Review
  • Published:
International Urology and Nephrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Earlier than has been thought, multiple seventeenth- and eighteenth-century authors used the term urologia, perhaps independently, to cover the established science of “the urines”. Two early eighteenth-century authors, Schurig and Fezer, seemingly prepared manuscripts, both most probably lost, with the term in the very title. Mid-nineteenth-century uses reflected growing, especially Anglophone, interest in microscopic urinalysis. Only toward the end of the nineteenth century did urology take on the sense of genito-urinary medicine and surgery. This expanded sense of urology may be dated back to 1896, specifically the naming of the Association française d’urologie.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Leroy-d’Étiolles R (1845) Urologie: les angusties ou rétrécissements de l’urètre et de leur traitement rationel. J-B Baillière, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  2. Schultze-Seemann F (1981) Die Geschichte der Urologie in Berlin. In Verhandlungsbericht der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Urologie: 32. Tagung 10. bis 13. September 1980, in Berlin, 1–5. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  3. Konert J (2013) Von einer Familientradition zum anerkannten Spezialfach. Illustrierte Geschichte der Urologie. Springer, Berlin, pp 213–228

    Google Scholar 

  4. Konert J (2019) „Urologia“ - Johann Juncker (1679–1759) gab 1730 unserem Fachgebiet seinen Namen. Urologe 58:550–554. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00120-018-0666-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Juncker J (1736) Conspectus pathologiae ad dogmata Stahliana praecipue adornatae et semeiologiae potissimum Hippocratico-Galenicae in forma tabularum repraesentatus. Orphanotropheum, Halle

  6. Stolberg M (2016) Uroscopy in early modern Europe. Routledge, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. Neuburger M (1936) Aus der Vergangenheit der Urologie. Wien Klin Wochenschr 49:1117–1123

    Google Scholar 

  8. de Gordon B (1480) Practica, seu Lilium medicinæ […]. Francesco del Tuppo, for Bernardinus Gerardinus, Naples

  9. Zacharias J (1541) Compendium ex Actuarii Zachariae libris de differentiis urinarum iudiciis et praevidentiis, Universalis doctrina Claudii Galleni de compositione pharmacorum, Sylvula Galeni experimentorum. Froschoverus

  10. Rhenanus J (1614) Urocriterium chymiatricum: sive ratio chymiatrica exacte diiudicandi urinas ex tribus principiis activis & uno passivo hactenus neglectis aphoristice ostensa. Anton Humm, Frankfurt.

  11. Fludd R (1629) Sophiæ cum moria certamen: in quo lapis Lydius a falso structore, Fr. Marino Mersenno, Monacho, reprobatus, celeberrima voluminis sui Babylonici (in Genesin) figmenta accurate examinat

  12. Rodwell GF (1886) A dictionary of science. Franklin News Co., Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  13. Von Monau F (1622) Lanx satura rerum medicarum: disputatio gradualis. Theodor Werlin

  14. Stelzlin J (1669) Positiones et quæstiones ex universa medicina. Johann Ostermayer, Ingolstadt

  15. Knöckelman JN (1674) Disputatio urologica, sev [i.e., seu] de urinis. Michael Thurnmeyer, Vienna

  16. de Sorbait P (1678) Nova et aucta institutionum medicarum isagoge cum controversiis cuique capiti annexis. Hacque, Vienna

  17. de Sorbait P (1680) Commentaria & controversiæ in omnes libros Aphorismorum Hippocratis. Johan van Ghelen, Vienna

  18. Beckers NW (1674) Florilegium Hippocraticum et Galenicum: praecipua tam theorica, quam practica Hippocratis ac Galeni dogmata continens, lucubrationibus immensis ex eorum voluminibus sententiose concinnatum. Leopold Voigt, Vienna

  19. Hertel M (1700) Medicinæ theoricæ, generalis, ac compendiariæ veteris, et novæ coniunctio. Thomas Graß, Ingolstad

  20. Zeidler S-C (1692) Institutiones medicæ libris V. Philipp Fievet, Vienna

  21. Alberti M (1719) Introductio in medicinam, qua juxta propositum ordinem semiologia, hygiene, materia medica et chirurgia. Orphanotropheus, Halle an der Saale

  22. Schurig M (1720) Spermatologia historico-medica. Johann Beck, Frankfurt am Main

  23. Schurig M (1725) Chylologia historico-medica. Johann Christoph Zimmerman, Dresden

  24. Schurig M (1730) Muliebria historico-medica. Christopher Hekel, Dresden/Leipzig

  25. Schurig M (1744) Lithologia historico-medica. Christopher Hekel, Dresden/Leipzig

  26. Baader KA (1804) Das gelehrte Baiern, oder, Lexikon aller Schriftsteller, welche Baiern im achtzehnten Iahrhunderte erzeugte oder ernährte (Vol. 1). Johann Esaias von Seidel, Nuremberg & Sulzbach

  27. Van Leenhof TJ (1740) Enchiridium medico-practicum curationem omnium fere morborum, cum accuratis remediorum formulis, continens (2nd ed.). Jan Hendrik Louw, Zutphen

  28. Anon (1911) The urologists of the middle ages. Am. J. Urol. 7:121–124

    Google Scholar 

  29. Tarin P (1753) Dictionnaire anatomique, suivi d’une bibliotheque anatomique et physiologique. Briasson, Paris

  30. Lavoisien J-F (1764) Dictionnaire portatif de médecine, d'anatomie, de chirurgie, de pharmacie, de chymie, d’histoire naturelle, de botanique et de physique (Vol. 2). Didot jr, Paris

  31. Dufieu JF (1766) Dictionnaire raisonné d’anatomie et de physiologie (Vol. 2). Desaint, Paris

  32. Anon (1753) [Book review: Tarin 1753]. Göttingische gelehrte Anzeigen 2:812–3.

  33. Laveaux J-C (1828) Nouveau dictionnaire de la langue française (Vol. 2). Lachevardiere, Paris

  34. Chambers E et al (eds) (1753) A supplement to Mr. Chambers’s cyclopædia: or, universal dictionary of arts and sciences (Vol. 2). London: [for] W. Innys [etc.]

  35. Chambers E, Rees A (eds) (1786) Cyclopaedia: Or, An Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (Vol. 5). [for] Rivington [etc.], London

  36. Bährens F (1829) Die Harnlehre des Hippokrates, in ihrem wahren Werthe behauptet. Büschler, Elberfeld

    Google Scholar 

  37. Becquerel A (1841) Séméiotique des urines, ou traité des altérationes de l’urine dans les maladies. Fortin, Masson & co., Paris

    Google Scholar 

  38. Benoit J (1841) Book review: Becquerel 1841. Journal de la Société de médecine-pratique de Montpellier 4:224–234

    Google Scholar 

  39. Desnos E (ed) (1896) Première session de l’Association française d’urologie, Paris, 1896. Procès-verbaux, mémoires et discussions. Octave Doin, Paris

  40. Guiteras R (1905) The American Urological Association. Am J Urol 1(9):337–339

    Google Scholar 

  41. Dunglison R (1855) Medical lexicon, 12th edn. Blanchard & Lea, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  42. Willis R (1839) Urinary diseases and their treatment. Haswell, Harrington & Haswell, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  43. Tiling M (1709) Nephrologia nova et curiosa (ed. JH Jüngken). Johann Adolph Stock, Frankfurt am Main

  44. Tiling M (1672) De admiranda renum structura eorumque usu nobili, in sanguificatione, seminis præparatione, ac humoris serosi à sanguine segregatione consistente, exercitatio anatomica […]. W.R. Stock, Frankfurt

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maastricht University, Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences, Maastricht, The Netherlands

    Diederik F. Janssen

Authors
  1. Diederik F. Janssen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Diederik F. Janssen.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declares that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Janssen, D.F. Urology and nephrology: etymology of the terms. Int Urol Nephrol 53, 1047–1050 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-020-02765-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-020-02765-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation