Words, words, words.

[Craig Werner]

> The earliest use I can find of "metaphysical" to mean something like
> "occult", "weird", "magical" is in 1590 or so, in Christopher Marlowe's
> _Tamburlaine_the_Great_, Part 2, Act 4, scene 3, beginning at line 59.
>
> Notice that "occult" has lost its meaning, too, in much the same way. It
> properly means "hidden" or "secret", and has come to mean "weird" or
> "strange". The eternal Gnosis has been replaced by the Bermuda Triangle!
> Fr. John Woolley

Of course, in the Medical parlance, "Occult" is the antonym of
"Gross" - as in occult blood and gross. In this case, gross is plainly
visible but probably not desired, which probably reflects the popular usage
of gross, completely distinct from its value of 144 (which we all know is
one hell of a joke.)
[This also is an occult hint to this week's puzzle in net.med.]

Let's face it. Humpty Dumpty was right. No one since has come up
with a clearer exposition of language.
--

Craig Werner
!philabs!aecom!werner
(1935-14E Eastchester Rd., Bronx NY 10461, 212-931-2517)
"Well, do you see the spaghetti?"