The term medicine has two general meanings. The first indicates any material, notably in the drug category, which is given to prevent, alleviate, beneficially alter, or stop a disease process. In the second and broader sense, medicine denotes the field of science devoted to healing. Many subdivisions exist and more ramifications appear almost daily. Included in the area of medicine are many clinical specialties, including surgery, pediatrics, psychiatry, obstetrics, and others. Internal medicine is the specialization which deals with internal diseases of a nonsurgical nature.