The term BENIGN MYALGIC ENCEPHALOMYELITIS was first introduced in the UK in 1956 by a former Chief Medical Officer (Sir Donald Acheson). The word "benign" was used because it was thought at the time that the disorder was not fatal (as poliomyelitis could be, with which it had some similarity), but it was quickly realised by clinicians that ME was not a "benign" condition, as it has such high morbidity (ie. such a lot of suffering and ill-health), so by 1988 clinicians had stopped using the word "benign" and referred to it as ME, the first to do so being Dr Ramsay. However, the ICD still uses the term "benign" in its classification.

• MYO relates to muscle
• MYOSITIS = inflammation of muscle
• MYALGIA = pain in muscles (pain that is called "myalgic")'
• MYOPATHY = any disease or disorder of muscle
• MYEL (or MYELO) relates to the spinal cord (the main nerve inthe body)
• MYELITIS = inflammation of the spinal cord (NB. Not to be confused with the other meaning of myelitis, which = inflammation of the bone marrow, as in osteomyelitis)
• MYELIN SHEATH = a layer of fatty white material that surrounds and insulates nerve fibres
• DEMYELINATION = the loss of this protective insulation round nerve fibres (as seen in multiple sclerosis and sometimes also in ME)
• ENCEPHALON = the brain
• ENCEPHALO = relating to the brain
• "ITIS" on the end of a word = inflammation (eg. hepatitis = inflammation of the liver)
• SO---- ENCEPHALOMYELITIS = inflammation of the brain and spinal cord

Professor Malcom Hooper