I recently heard a podcast about naming conventions in the medical industry. There is a battle between those that like the tradition of naming the medical condition after the discoverer and those that want the names to reflect what the condition actually is.
The woodworker version of this is the screwdriver. In japan, screwdrivers are called plus drivers and minus drivers. In the US, they are called Phillips and flat-head.
One way immortalizes the inventor, the other describes the shape of the driver head. I am a fan of the latter because if I ask for the screwdriver that is minus shaped, I am going to get the right one every time.
dave gatchell 