Lexicon medicum; or medical dictionary; containing an explanation and comparative, botany, chemistry, materia medica, midwifery, pharmacy, physiology, practice of physic, surgery, and the various branches of natural philosopy, connected with medicine / Selected, arranged and compiled, from the best authors, by Robert Hooper.

  • Robert Hooper
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lexicon medicum; or medical dictionary; containing an explanation and comparative, botany, chemistry, materia medica, midwifery, pharmacy, physiology, practice of physic, surgery, and the various branches of natural philosopy, connected with medicine / Selected, arranged and compiled, from the best authors, by Robert Hooper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    about six weeks. This gum is a very whole- I some and nutritious food, thousands of the Moors supporting themselves entirely upon it during the time of harvest. About six ounces is suffi¬ cient to support a man for a day ; and it is, be¬ sides, mixed with milk, animal broths, and other aliments. The acacia gum which comes directly from Egypt and the Levant, only differs from the gum-senegal in being of a lighter colour, and in smaller lumps; and it is also somewhat more brittle. In other respects, they resemble each other perfectly. Gum acacia is neither soluble in spirit nor in oil; but in twice its quantity of water it dis¬ solves into a mucilaginous fluid, of the consist¬ ence of a thick syrup, and in this state answers many useful pharmaceutical purposes, by ren¬ dering oily and resinous substances miscible with water. The mucilaginous quality of gum- arabic renders it an excellent demulcent in coughs, hoarsenesses, and other catarrhal affec¬ tions. It is also very generally employed in ardor urinae, diarrhoeas, and calculous com¬ plaints. 2. The name of the expressed juice of the immature pods of the tree, termed Acacia vera- vel. This inspissated juice is brought from Egypt in roundish masses, wrapped up in thin bladders. It is considered as a mild astringent medicine. The Egyptians give it, in spitting of blood, in the quantity of a drachm, dissolved | in any convenient liquor, and repeat this dose occasionally. They likewise employ it in collyria, for strengthening the eyes, and in gargles for quinsies. It is now seldom used in Europe, being superseded by catechu, or kino. Acacia veravel. See Acacia vera. Acacia zeyi.onica. See Heematoxyluni cam- pecliianum. Acahi. An alchemical term for an aqueous solution of alum. Acaid. An alchemical name of vinegar. Acajou. 1. A name of the cashew-nut. See Anacardium occidentals. 2. The French call mahogany bois d'acajou. See Sivietenia mahogoni. Acalai. An alchemical term for salt. Acalcum. Tin. Ac ale'phe. A/caA7](pr). The nettle. See ] Urticu. ACALYCI'NUS. (From a, priv. and /raAi/£, a flower-cup.) Acalycine, or without a calyx. ACA'LYCIS. (From a, priv. and icaAu£, a flower cup.) Without a calyx or flower-cup : applied to plants which have no calyx. Acalypiia. The name of a genus of plants in the Linnaean system. Class, Monadelphia; Order, Montecia. Acalypha indica. A Malabar plant used by the natives against gout and syphilis. Oil in which the plant has been infused is applied by friction. ACA'MA I'OS. (From a, nog. and uap-vw, to grow weary.) A perfect rest of the muscles, oi that disposition of a limb which is equally distinct from flexion and extension. Galen. Acamech. An alchemical term for the su¬ perfluous or impure part of silver. Aca'mpsia, (From a, priv. and Kay.nru, to bend.) An inflexible state of a joint. See Anchylosis. Acanou. A term formerly used for a species of furnace. A'canos. (A/capos, a spine) The onopor- dium. ACA'NTIIA. (a, cr. i. AicarOa; from a/oj a point.) 1. A thorn or prickle. 2. The spina dorsi. Acantha'bolus. (From auavQa, a thorn, and /8aA\o>, to cast out.) A kind of forceps, for removing thorns, or whatever may stick in the flesh. — Paulas JEgincla. ACA'NTIIINUM. (mot, i. n. ; from aaavBa, a thorn.) Gum acacia was called Gummi acanthinum, because it is produced by a thorny tree. See Acacia vera. Aca'nthulus. (From aicavBa, a thorn.) A surgical instrument to draw' out thorns or splin¬ ters, or to remove any extraneous bodies from wounds. ACA'NTIIUS. (ms, i. m. AKavBos from aaavBa, a thorn : so named from being rough and prickly.) The name of a genus of plants in the LinnaJan system. Class, Didynamia; Order, Angiospermia. Bears-breech. Acanthus mollis. The systematic name of the bears-breech, or brank-ursine. Acanthus —foliis sinualis inermibus, of Li mire us. Branca ursina of the shops. The leaves and root | abound with a mucilage, which is readily ex¬ tracted by boiling or infusion. The roots are the most mucilaginous. Where this plant is common, it is employed for the same pur¬ poses to which altluea and other vegetables possessing similar qualities are applied among us. The herb-women often sell the leaves of bears-foot, and of cows’ parsnip, for the bears- breech. It has fallen into disuse. Acapatli. See Ivafrutescens, Aca'pnon. (From a, priv. and uairvos, smoke.) Marjoram. So called, according to Kraus, because the herb when burnt gives out scarcely any unpleasant smoke. Aca'kjha. From a, priv. and icapbia, the heart.) The state of a foetus born without a heart, as in those monstrosities where the whole thorax is wanting. The cases related of absence of the heart in individuals otherwise perfectly formed are doubtless fictitious or erroneous. Acaricoba. The Brazilian name of the Hydrocotyle umbellatum. See Hydrocolyle umbcllaturn. Acaro'is iiesinifera. A name of the tree which affords the Botany Bay gum. See Botany Bay gum. A'caron. The wild myrtle. Acartum. An alchemical term for minium. A'CAllUS. (ms, i. m.; from a, neg. and /ceipai to divide, as though the insect were too small to be divided. The tick, or mite. The name of a very numerous genus of insects. Those which are found on the human body are, 1. The acarus domesticus, or domestic tick. This species is observed in the head, in consi¬ derable numbers ; near gangrenous sores ; and oil dead bodies. 2. The acarus scabiei, or itch tick. This