Volume 1

Green's Encyclopedia and dictionary of medicine and surgery / edited by J. W. Ballantyne.

Date:
1906-1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Credit: Green's Encyclopedia and dictionary of medicine and surgery / edited by J. W. Ballantyne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    points on a solid disc one centimetre in diameter, and works it by a dentist's tilling electro- motor. [The Rontgen rays have been employed with apparent success in cases Vjoth of acne indurata and of acne rosacea; caution, however, is re- quired, and in some cases a jjrolonged course of treatment; Torok and Schein report six cases successfully treated, and one aggravated.] Acoin.—A white jiowder acting as a local auEcsthetic ; it is a derivative of guanin; and it may be combined with eocain to produce acoin- cocain anaesthesia (loc;d). Aconina.. Hee Aconite; Alkaloids. Aconite {see aho Alkaloids; Amyl Col- loid; Diiuo KuuPTiONS; Pharmacology; Toxi- colooy).—The root of AconitumN<ipeUus{Aconiti Radir) resembles horseradish root, but is shorter, more conical, and darker in colour; it causes tingling and numbness when chewed. Its pre- parations are the Linimentum Aconiti, and the Tinctura Aconiti which is given in single doses of from 5 to 15 ul, or, more often, in small doses (1 to 5 m.) repeated at shoi't intervals. Aconitina is the chief alkaloid contained in aconite root; the others are Aconina and Btnz- aconina, and they do not produce numbness. The official preparation is the Unguentum Aconifince. Externally, aconite is used for the relief of pain, e.;/. in the form of the liniment; but it is somewhat uncertain in its action (see A.B.C. Liniment), and is never to be applied to broken skin. Internally, its use is nowadays much neglected ; formerly it was often used, especially in febrile disorders (tonsillitis, nasal catarrli, etc.). AcormuS.—A twin monstrosity, showing ahseuce of tlio body. See Teratology. AcOUSma..—A morbid state of audition, characterised by the hearing of imaginary sounds. Acq uarossa. See Balneology {Switzer- land). Acqui. .SVe Balneology (Ita///): Mineral Waters. Acquired.—Antonym of inherited. See Heheim i v; I )KKoRMtTiEs ; Hernia ; Syphilis. Acrania. — Congenital alisunce of the brain and bones of the cranial vault. Synonym : anencei)ha.ly. See Teratology; Labour, Faults IN the I'assexoer : Maternal Impressions. AcrOChordon. — A small cylindrical tumour of areolar or glandular structure, occur- ring on the eyelids or neck of old people, and often pendulous. Acrodermite Continue. —A condition allied to Dermatitis Helens ('/.''.) Acrodynia. See l'ELLA(iRA. Acrolein.—A volatile licpiid (C^H^O) with very pungent and irritating fumes, obtained principally by tlie dry distillation (jf glycerine. Acromania.—Confirmed or incurable madness : tiie impulse to precipitate oneself from a high place. See Insanity. Acromegraly (Pachyakry, V. Reckling- hausen) (.sec aho Chest, Deformities op ; Glycosuria ; Hand ; Head ; Nails, Affections OF the; Ostbo-arthropathies; Pituitary Body; and Thymus Gland).—Definition and History. —Acromegaly is a disease characterised by an enlargement due to hypertrophy of the terminal parts of the body, the hands and feet, and the head, including the face, being principally atiected. Marie in 1886 was the first to recognise the entity of this affection, cases of which had been described before under various names, but mostly as forms of giant-growth. A typical case was described by Cunningham in 1879. The patient suffered fromdiabetes, andatmiiourof hypophyses was found after death ; another case was described by Hadden and Ballam in 1885. Since the publication of Marie's paper numer- ous cases have been recorded, amounting now to over 240. Marie separated from acromegaly an alTectioii secondary to chronic pulmonary disease, in which an enlargement of the joints (wrists, ankles, knees), with clubbing of the fingers and toes, is found, and to which he gave the name of osteo-arthropathie hypertrophiante pneumonique {see Osteo-arthropathy ); and more recently Marie distinguishes two types of acromegaly—type en large, in which there is chiefly increase of tliickness of the hands, and type en long, in which their length is in- creased. Brissaud and Milignan describe under acromegalo - gigantum a comljination of acro- megaly with giant-growth. Combinations of acromegaly with myxa'dem.i, with syringo- myelia, and with Graves' disease have also Ijeen noticed. Etiology.—The disease occurs in all parts of the world. Owing to its very insidious onset it is difficult to determine the exact age at which it commences; in most cases the symptoms are fully developed between the ages of twenty and forty, some cases have been described of an earlier age (age of puberty), others as com- mencing at a late period (forty ti) fifty). It occurs more frequently in women than in men. Heredity has been noticed in two cases. Of other etiological factors w'e may mention : acute infectious diseases, fright, shock, traumatism, alcohol, rheumatism, and syphilis. In most cases, however, no satisfactory cause can be made out. Sympto:ms. — When the disease is fully de- veloped the appearance of the patient is very