The medical term for jaundice, referring to the yellow discoloration of tissues due to bilirubin accumulation. Often used in more formal medical contexts than the common term 'jaundice.'
From Greek 'ikteros' meaning 'jaundice,' literally named after a yellow bird (the golden oriole) whose sight was believed to cure jaundice. Ancient Greeks thought seeing something yellow could cure the yellow disease - an early example of sympathetic magic in medicine.
The ancient Greeks named jaundice after a yellow bird because they believed looking at yellow things could cure yellow skin! While the cure was nonsense, their observational skills were spot-on - they accurately described the condition over 2000 years ago.
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