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________________________________
ainsron
Sent: Wednesday, 14 November 2007 6:36 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L
Subject: Re: Twin gestation
I think you are splitting hairs; most words we use have multiple
meanings, depending on the circumstances, and the authors intent. If
you want to cherry pick, you can always find an exclusive definition
that suits you need and excludes ones that another might prefer:
Viability means in general "capacity for survival" and is more
specifically used to mean a capacity for living, developing, or
germinating under favorable conditions. The word is especially used in
the following contexts:
pregnancy <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy> , viability refers to
either: an early stage pregnancy that has a chance of reaching full-term
and a live birth (as opposed to, for example, an ectopic pregnancy
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ectopic_pregnancy> ); or the shortest
length of pregnancy after which a child born
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childbirth> prematurely
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premature_birth> has a chance of
survival. Generally, this ranges from 20-27 weeks
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetus#Viability>
.\If you want to get into semantics, per Wikipedia:
A definition may either give the meaning that a term bears in general
use (a descriptive definition), or that which the speaker intends to
impose upon it for the purpose of his or her discourse (a stipulative
definition). Stipulative definitions differ from descriptive definitions
in that they prescribe a new meaning either to a term already in use or
to a new term. A descriptive definition can be shown to be right or
wrong by comparison to usage, while a stipulative definition cannot. A
stipulative definition, however, may be more or less useful. A
persuasive definition
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persuasive_definition> , named by C.L.
Stevenson, is a form of stipulative definition which purports to
describe the 'true' or 'commonly accepted' meaning of a term, while in
reality stipulating an altered use, perhaps as an argument for some
view, for example that some system of government is democratic.
Stevenson also notes that some definitions are 'legal' or 'coercive',
whose object is to create or alter rights, duties or crimes.[
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-1#_note-1> Given that a
natural language <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_language> such
as English <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_language> contains, at
any given time, a finite number of words, any comprehensive list of
definitions must either be circular or leave some terms undefined. If
every term of every definiens must itself be defined, where should we
stop?[11] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-10#_note-10> A
dictionary, for instance, insofar as it is a comprehensive list of
lexical definitions <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexical_definition> ,
must resort to circularity
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbol_grounding> .[12]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-11#_note-11> [13]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-12#_note-12> [14]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-13#_note-13>
Many philosophers have chosen instead to leave some terms undefined. The
scholastic philosophers <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scholasticism>
claimed that the highest genera (the so-called ten generalissima) cannot
be defined, since we cannot assign any higher genus under which they may
fall. Thus we cannot define being <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Being> ,
unity and similar concepts.[15]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-14#_note-14> Locke
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Locke> supposes in An Essay
Concerning Human Understanding
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Essay_Concerning_Human_Understanding>
[16] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-15#_note-15> that
the names of simple concepts do not admit of any definition. More
recently Bertrand Russell
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertrand_Russell> sought to develop a
formal language based on logical atoms
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logical_atomism> . Other philosophers,
notably Wittgenstein <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Wittgenstein>
, rejected the need for any undefined simples. Wittgenstein pointed out
in his Philosophical Investigations
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophical_Investigations> that what
counts as a "simple" in one circumstance might not do so in another.[17]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-16#_note-16> He rejected
the very idea that every explanation of the meaning of a term needed
itself to be explained: "As though an explanation hung in the air unless
supported by another one",[18]
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition#_note-17#_note-17> claiming
instead that explanation of a term is only needed when we need to avoid
misunderstanding.
Ronald E. Ainsworth, MD, FACOG
-----Original Message-----
From: ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net [mailto:ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net] On Behalf Of R.
Daniel Braun
Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 11:13 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list OB-GYN-L
Subject: Re: Twin gestation
>From Stedman's Medical Dictionary at http://www.dictionary.com
American Heritage Stedman's Medical Dictionary
<http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/00-database-info?db=ahsmd> -
Cite This Source
<http://dictionary.reference.com/cite.html?qh=viable&ia=ahsmd> - Share
This <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/viable#sharethis>
vi*a*ble (v
<http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/AHD4/GIF/imacr.gif>
<http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/AHD4/GIF/prime.gif>
<http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/AHD4/GIF/schwa.gif> -b
<http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/AHD4/GIF/schwa.gif> l)
adj.
1. Capable of living, developing, or germinating under favorable
conditions.
2. Capable of living outside the uterus. Used of a fetus or
newborn.
________________________________
vi <http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/AHD4/GIF/lprime.gif>
--
________________________________
a*bil <http://cache.lexico.com/dictionary/graphics/AHD4/GIF/prime.gif>
i*ty n. The American Heritage(r) Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright (c) 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by
Houghton Mifflin Company.
Dan
On Nov 13, 2007 1:31 PM, Andrew Folley <agfolley@hotmail.com> wrote:
Viability means in general "capacity for survival" and is more
specifically used to mean a capacity for living, developing, or
germinating under favorable conditions. The word is especially used in
the following contexts:
* pregnancy <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregnancy> , viability
refers to either:
o an early stage pregnancy that has a chance of reaching
full-term and a live birth (as opposed to, for example, an ectopic
pregnancy <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ectopic_pregnancy> ); or
o the shortest length of pregnancy after which a child born
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childbirth> prematurely
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Premature_birth> has a chance of
survival. Generally, this ranges from 20-27 weeks
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetus#Viability>
________________________________
________________________________
--
R. Daniel Braun, MD FACOG(L) CMT
Professor Emeritus
Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Indiana U. School of Medicine
R. Daniel Braun
"Science without Religion is LAME; Religion without Science is
BLIND"
Einstein 1941
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