Medicine is the science and practice of caring for patients, managing the
diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or
disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health
care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and
treatment of illness. Contemporary medicine applies biomedical sciences,
biomedical research, genetics, and medical technology to diagnose, treat, and
prevent injury and disease, typically through pharmaceuticals or surgery, but
also through therapies as diverse as psychotherapy, external splints and
traction, medical devices, biologics, and ionizing radiation, amongst others.