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4.25 Chemical, medical and pharmacological terms
In text, do not capitalize the names of chemical elements and compounds:
- krypton
- sodium bicarbonate
- hydrogen peroxide
The capitalization of chemical symbols should follow standard practice:
- H2O
- NaHCO3
Do not capitalize the names of conditions, syndromes and the like, but capitalize a personal name that forms part of such a term:
- diabetes insipidus
- Down syndrome
- Huntington’s chorea
Capitalize the names of infectious organisms but not the names of conditions based upon such names:
- People attacked by Salmonella are likely to suffer from salmonellosis.
Do not capitalize the generic names of drugs:
- phenobarbital
- sulfasalazine
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