“Diagnosis” is a fancy name given to the process of identifying diseases. It is a Greek name. Break it down; “dia” means “by” and “gnosis” means “knowledge”. How do I diagnose my illness? You don’t! Diagnosis is for doctors and physicians only. They determine your disease by the signs and symptoms that it gives you.
In the 1900’s, a man named William Osler began to “practice” medicine. He used the principles of diagnosis and treatment to reduce suffering and increase life expectancy. Osler decided that to practice medicine you must learn to identify diseases, understand where they come from and how they work, and then decide which is the best way to cure them. This is known today as “The Oslerian Ideal”. And we have this man to thank for medicine practice today. I suppose, however, we could also thank him for waiting rooms…
