0 INTRODUCTION

4. RHETORIC AND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE IN THE EModE PERIOD
In short, during the EModE period there existed several different strategies to
enrich the lexicon, some of them with little or no fortune such as the restoration of
archaisms or the use of terms analogical to foreign ones. These strategies could not
however compete against borrowing and, as will become apparent later on, affixation.
4.3.2.3. Opposition to the vernacular
The use of English as the language of science did not travel a paved way. The practice of
writing science in the vernacular had to face the opposition of classicists, who thought
that the use of the vernacular in the publication of books would go against the prestige of
universities and learned men. As Jones (1953: 47) points out, “the vested interests of
learning frowned upon any activity likely to disturb their privileges and honors.” This was
especially so in the field of medicine. Since physicians learnt from ancient books written
in Latin, the knowledge of this language was a requisite in their education, so they were
against any change that could make things easier for others. Medical treatises in English
could mean an increase in the number of practitioners, and also that any lay man could be
its own physician. Therefore, it seems that physicians in their opposition to the vernacular
were just defending their economic interests. However, they also feared that any person
being able to read English could practice medicine and thus, endanger many lives (Jones
1953: 50, footnote 53). Furthermore, as P. M. Jones (2011: 39) points out, some
practitioners and salesmen used medical literacy for their selfish ends, selling worthless
and even dangerous medicines just for their own profit. This situation became even worse
with the advertising of remedies and practitioners, and the circulation of remedies in
recipe form in print. Nevertheless, this was not enough reason for writers not to use the
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