A comprehensive medical dictionary : containing the pronunciation, etymology, and signification of the terms made use of in medicine and the kindred sciences.

Joseph Thomas

Date:: 1865

Credit: A comprehensive medical dictionary : containing the pronunciation, etymology, and signification of the terms made use of in medicine and the kindred sciences. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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$mus; froma,neg.,and ar'typa, a point.] A defect in the eye, in which the rays are not brought to one point or focus, but converge at different distances, so as to form two linear images at right an- gles with each other.—(DUNGLISON.) As'to-mus.* [From a, priv., and orfya, a mouth.] Having no mouth. Applied to an order of mosses, and to a family of apterous insects. As-trag'a-loid. [Astragaloi'des; from a8trag'alu8, the ankle-bone, a die, and ddos, a form.] Resembling the astragalus-. As'trag--a-Ioi'des Syph-i-lit'i-ca,* called also Astragalus Es'ca-pus.* The milk-vetch, a plant the root of which is said to cure syphilis. As-trag'a-lus.* [Gr. dcrrpaya\og.~\ The ankle-bone. Astragalus Cre'tl-cns.* The Cre- tan milk-vetch, one of the several species of Astragalus which are said to yield the gum tragacanth of commerce. Astragalus Escapus. See Astrag- aloides Syphilitica. Astrag,'alusTrag,-a-can'tha.:;:' The plant formerly supposed to yield gum tragacanth, now known to be chiefly obtained from the Astragalus vents and the A. gummifer. Astrag-'alus Ve'rus.* A plant of the Linnoean class Diadelphia, natural order Ler/nminosse, from which gum tragacanth is principally derived. As-tric'tion. [Astric'tio, o'nis; from ad, to, and strin'go, stric'tum, to bind.] The state produced by astrin- gent medicines. * As-trin'gent. [Astrin'g-ens; from the same.] Producing contraction and condensation in the soft solids, thereby diminishing excessive discharges. Astringent Prin'cl-ple. A vege- table principle found in the bark of many trees and plants. From its use in tanning skins it has obtained the name of Taxnin, which see. Astringents. A name applied to medicines (such as alum, tannin, etc.) having the power to check discharges, whether of blood, of mucus, or any other secretion. They act by contracting the capillaries and secretin^-orifices. See Astriotion and Astringent. As-trol'o-£y. [From aarpov, a star, and A6yo>, a discourse.] A descrip- tion of the heavenly bodies, their nature and distinctions, and, so, like Astron- omy ; more usually, however, applied to a pretended science which explained the phenomena of nature, and events of human life, by the influence of the stars. Hippocrates considered astrology among the studies necessary for a physi- cian. As-tron'o-my. [Astrono mia: from a?rpoi>, a star, and vopos, a law.] Literally, that science which treats of the laws which govern the heavenly bodies; but, more generally, it includes every thing which can be known of those bodies. A-tax'i-a.* [From a, neg., and rdaaw, to order.] Literally, want of order. Irregularity. A term applied to some diseases. A-tax'ic. [Atax'icus; from atax'ia.'] Irregular. At'axy. See Ataxia. -Ate. A terminal syllable which, added to the name of an acid ending in -ic, expresses a combination of that acid with a base; as, nitrofe of silver, or a combination of nitric acid with the oxide of silver. At-e-lec'ta-sis,* or Atelectasis Pul-mo'iium.;^ [From areAifc, im- perfect, and eKTaaii, expansion.] Ap- plied to a state of the lungs in new-born children, on account of some obstacle to the complete establishment of respira- tion. See Pulmo. A-thal'a-mous. [ Athal'anms: from a, priv., and 6d\ap.0i, a marriage- bed.] Applied to plants which have no conceptacles. Ath-er-I-ce'rus.* [From d9np, the point of a sword, and Knpos, slender.] Applied in the nominative plural neuter (Atherice'ra) to a family of dipterous insects, in which the lower and side pieces of the sucker are linear and pointed, or setaceous: atherice'rous. A-ther'ma-nous. [Ather'manns; from a, priv., and Qcpp.aivw, to make warm.] Not communicating heat. Ath-er-o'ma, mtis.* [From dOdpa, gruel.] An encysted tumor contain- ing a soft substance like panada. Beclard observes that this kind of cyst, as well as the varieties termed meliceria and steotoma, are merely sebaceous follicles enormously dilated. Ath-er-om'a-tous. [Atheroma- to'sus.] Of the nature of Atheroma. Ath-let'ic. [Athlet'icus; from d9- Xir^, an athlete, one who strove for a prize (from adXov, a prize, a con- test).] Having a strong muscular de- velopment, like those who exercised in the ancient games.$