When did the large intestine start being called the colon?

2017-03-11T22:58:49Z

When I was in school in the 70's, the word colon was not even used; they talked about small intestines and the large intestine. When did they change the term?

Anonymous2017-03-11T23:56:05Z

Favorite Answer

The large intestine and colon are NOT the same anatomical structure. Of course, the colon accounts for the bulk of the large intestine (a.k.a. large bowel) but it also includes the caecum, vermiform appendix, rectum and anal canal.

Ted K2017-03-12T00:13:10Z

They never changed the term. I have reprints of papers written in the 1930s calling it "colon." Evidently you just never heard it before.

?2017-03-11T23:26:59Z

I'm sure it was always called both.