Metrodora diagnosed sythergy

Read this excerpt about Metrodora, a doctor of Greek origin who exercised the profession in the 1st century AD in Rome. Then answer the questions:

From the 2nd century AD, some Roman women began to rebel against forced marriages and the total lack of freedom. Thus the philosopher Favourite denounces in his writings the madness that has entered the women of his time: "Not only do they refuse to breastfeed their children, but they resort to a thousand tricks so as not to be mothers."  Metrodora, a Greek physician who practised in Rome in the 1st century of our era, wrote a treatise on women's diseases, describing in the chapter dedicated to young women the concept of "sythergy", a Greek word that means rejection of food. 

Our own translation from: Sáenz, Margarita (2003). “Cuerpo y género” in Norte de Salud Mental, 17, pp. 17-21, <https://dialnet.unirioja.es/descarga/articulo/4830408.pdf>

1.- How do you think marriage and imposed motherhood can influence eating disorders in young Roman women?

2.- Look at these roots and suffixes of Greek origin and form two current words related to the topic.

a/an< α/αν (deprivation), bu < βοῦς (ox), limia< λιμός (hunger), orexia < ὄρεξις (appetite).

3.- Next, you have a list of diseases, processes or interventions that are specific to women or that affect them more directly. Match the meaning of the Greek etymons and try to define the word. Then look in a dictionary and complete the definitions.

·         Amenorrhea: a/an < α/αν (deprivation) + men < μήν (month) + reo < ῥέω (flow).

·         Arthritis: artron < ἄρθρον (joint) + suffix –itis < -ῖτις (inflammation).

·         Headache (cefalalgia): cefale < κεφαλή (head) + algos < ἄλγος (pain).

·         Cystitis: cistis < κύστις (bladder) + suffix –it is < -ῖτις (inflammation).

·         Dysmenorrhea: dis < δυς- (mal) + men < μήν/μηνός (lunar month) + reo < ῥέω (flow).

·         Endometriosis: endo < ἔνδον (inside) + metra < μήτρα (matriz) + suffix –osis <

 -ωσις (pathological process).

·         Spondylitis: spondylo < σπόνδυλος + suffix –itis < –ῖτις (inflammation).

·         Fibromyalgia: fibra < Latin fiber + mio (muscle) + algos ἄλγος (pain).

·         Mastectomy: mastos < μαστός (breast) + ectome <  ἐκτομή (amputation).

·         Menopause: men < μήν (month) + pausis < παῦσις (cessation).

·         Myoma: mio < μῦς/μυός (muscle) + suffix –oma <– ωμα (tumor).

·         Osteoporosis: osteo < ὀστέον (bone) + poros < πόρος (pore) suffix –osis < –ωσις (pathological process).

 4.- The etymons metra < μήτρα (matrix) and histera < ὑστέρα) are synonyms and are very present in the medical lexicon.

a.- Match each term to its definition: metralgia, metroscopic, metrotomy, metrorthosis, metropathy.

-          Matrix-related condition:

-          Womb incision:

-          Correction of a deviation of the matrix:

-          Womb pain:

-          Matrix scan:

b.- What disease derived from the etymon histera has been considered throughout history a disease of women, especially when they did not comply with established social roles? What derived adjective is still applied in a pejorative sense to women?

5.- Do you think that medical science should take gender differences into account, when women's chronic problems are still considered inferior, their symptoms are confused or minimized, and their complaints are frequently attributed to psychological causes? Give reasons for your answer.