AMA Manual of Style - Stacy L. Christiansen, Cheryl Iverson 2020

Days of the Week, Months, Eras
Abbreviations

Generally, days of the week and months are not abbreviated.

The manuscript was received at JAMA’s editorial offices in late December 2017 and accepted for publication on January 6, 2018, after expedited peer review, revision, and discussion among the editors. Because of the importance of its topic, the article was published 2 weeks later, on Tuesday, January 20, 2018.

In tables and figures, the following 3-letter abbreviations for days of the week and months may be used to conserve space (see 4.1, Tables, and 4.2, Figures):

Occasionally, manuscripts may contain discussion of eras. Abbreviations for eras are set in small capitals with no punctuation. Numerals are used for years and words for the first through ninth centuries. The more commonly used era designations are AD (anno Domini [in the year of the Lord]), BC (before Christ), CE (common era), and BCE (before the common era). CE and BCE are equivalent to AD and BC, respectively. In formal usage, the abbreviation AD precedes the year number, and BC, CE, and BCE follow it.

Materia medica is a Latin term for the body of collected knowledge about the therapeutic properties of any substance used for healing. The term derives from the title of a work by the ancient Greek physician Pedanius Dioscorides in the first century AD, De materia medica (On Medical Material).

The prevalence of tuberculosis is thought to have increased greatly during the Middle Ages (roughly AD 500-1500), possibly because of the growth of towns across Europe.

Cuneiform was probably invented by the Sumerians before 3000 BC.

The plant source of colchicine, the autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale), was described for the treatment of rheumatism and swelling in Egypt as early as 1500 BCE.