The Clinical Etymologist
The Clinical Etymologist is a podcast devoted to curiosity, lifelong learning, and the quiet joy of medicine. Hosted by Dr. Kim—a general internist and self-appointed Clinical Etymologist—each episode explores the words we use in medicine to diagnose, to heal, and to make sense of the human condition. With a blend of language, history, clinical insight, and his unique sense of humor, Dr. Kim uncovers the hidden roots of medical terms—from the eponyms we invoke to the metaphors we overlook. This is a space for curious souls who still believe learning can be meaningful and fun.
The Clinical Etymologist
Cranial Nerves Were All "Normal"
Today, we venture beyond the usual clinical vignettes and into the art of examination itself. In honor of Dr. Heinrich Quincke—who, in August 1891, performed the world’s first lumbar puncture in Kiel, Germany— we celebrate the neurological exam by revisiting a phrase uttered all too casually:
“Cranial nerves were all normal.”
But what do we really mean when we say that?
To help us find out, I’m joined by my Padawan Donald—tall, confident, and emphatically surgical— whose certainty about cranial nerves rivals his enthusiasm for making things “great again.”
Together, we’ll dissect the subtle clues, clinical pearls, and centuries-old history that make the cranial nerve exam so much more than a throwaway line on morning rounds.
