Medical Etymology

Icterus: Jaundice. At least one medical dictionary defines icterus as the presence of jaundice seen in the sclera of the eye. This is incorrect. Icterus is synonymous with jaundice. They are one and the same thing.

Curiously, both icterus and jaundice come from the Greek. Icterus is a Latinized (-us) form of the Greek word "ikteros" and to the ancient Greeks signified both "jaundice" and "a yellow bird." It was thought that jaundice could be cured if the patient gazed at the bird. The disease would transmigrate from the jaundiced patient to the hapless bird (JAMA 184: 615, 1963).

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 It is a little interesting because it reminds me of the "The Scarlet Ibis", by James Hurst. I must have read that in junior high or something. But it has absolutely no relevance to this at all - besides that ibis and ikteros just elicited a vague sort of memory for myself.

And that they both have birds and disease in them.