The history of medicine is filled with accounts of strange and often downright dangerous “treatments,” but these have sometimes opened the way for lifesaving discoveries. In this Curiosities of Medical History feature, we look at the unusual practice of exposing the body to cold temperatures for therapeutic purposes: therapeutic hypothermia.
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The term “hypothermia” appears to have first emerged in English-language texts in the late 19th century. It comes from the ancient Greek word for “hot” or “warm” “thermós” to which the Greek-derived prefix “hypo-,” meaning “under,” is added.
Nowadays, hypothermia is classed as a severe condition in which the body is unable to maintain its normal heat, and body temperature drops dangerously. Severe hypothermia can result in heart failure and death.