eponym

Medicine is also confronting problematic eponyms, perhaps most prominently the formerly official use of Nazi doctor Hans Asperger’s name for a neurodevelopmental condition that has since been merged with autism spectrum disorder.

His work even generated the eponym “Boteroesque,” referring to enlarged figures like the ones he created.

None is from Africa, where about 1500 vertebrate species have eponyms, many reflecting the continent’s history of imperialism.

Still, some scholars say the tradition should live on, arguing that even “canceled” eponyms can serve as a reminder of the paths that medicine should never go down again.

But some scholars contend that even “canceled” eponyms have a place, as stark reminders of the ethical breaches medicine should never repeat.