Some examples of non-medical eponyms we use…
- Sandwich (John Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich 1718-1792)
- Consumed (if not invented) by the Fourth Earl of Sandwich. It is said that he ordered his valet to bring him meat tucked between two pieces of bread. Because Montagu also happened to be the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, others began to order “I’ll have the same as Sandwich!”.
- Ampere (Amp) (André Marie Ampère 1775-1836)
- The term for a unit of electric current was named after the French mathematician who’s credited with the discovery of electromagnetism
- Diesel (from Rudolf Diesel, 1858-1913)
- After surviving the explosion of his first internal combustion engine, German engineer Rudolf Diesel went on to achieve wealth and fame–until drowning when he went overboard while crossing the English Channel by steamer.
- Guppy (R.J. Lechmere Guppy 1836-1916)
- This small freshwater fish bears the name of the British-born naturalist who discovered it while he was living in Trinidad.
- Leotard (Jules Leotard 1830-1870)
- French aerialist Jules Leotard not only had a tight-fitting garment named after him but also had a popular song written about him–”The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze.”
- Pasteurization (Louis Pasteur 1822 – 1895)
About Mike Cadogan
