On Wed, 06 Jul 2011 18:02:25 -0400, Goomba > wrote:

>pavane wrote:
>
>> It is the common usage not only in Britain but also in Canada to
>> say "in hospital." While I lived there I asked innumerable times
>> and no satisfactory answer, I would really like to know why this
>> difference exists.
>>
>> pavane
>>
>I interpret it to be like saying "in treatment" rather than "in the
>treatment"

Treatment is a process; a hospital is a place.

Nouns identifying processes are generally derived from verbs (e.g., repair,
construction, cooking) and do not require articles. Normal nouns generally
require articles to identify how specific they are -- e.g., the hospital, a
hospital.

Note that hospitalization, being a process, does not require an article. And we
in the US would generally say "under treatment."

English is a very complex language, but even so, Brits are just odd. They
wouldn't say something was "in box," or "in bathroom", but they'll say that
someone is "in hospital." 8)

-- Larry