The term "rheumatism" is still used in colloquial speech and historical contexts, but is no longer frequently used in medical or technical literature; it would be fair to say that there is no longer any recognized disorder simply called "rheumatism". The traditional term covers such a range of different problems that to ascribe symptoms to "rheumatism" is not to say very much: arthritis and rheumatism between them cover at least 200 different conditions.
As for the environmental vs. genetic distinction, how many disorders exist in which both are not factors?
On 4/1/07, John Thornton <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:
I just dislike misuse of the term rheumatism probably because my wife
> has it.
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