Lexicon medicum, or, Medical dictionary : containing an explanation of the terms in anatomy, botany, chemistry, materia medica, midwifery, mineralogy, pharmacy, physiology, practice of physic, surgery, and the various branches of natural philosophy connected with medicine : selected, arranged, and compiled from the best authors / by Robert Hooper.

Robert Hooper

Date:: 1832

Credit: Lexicon medicum, or, Medical dictionary : containing an explanation of the terms in anatomy, botany, chemistry, materia medica, midwifery, mineralogy, pharmacy, physiology, practice of physic, surgery, and the various branches of natural philosophy connected with medicine : selected, arranged, and compiled from the best authors / by Robert Hooper. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

Title Page

102/894

$cumstanccs-—When the preceding symptoms gave pnion of a general hydropic diathesis; when, al the same time, some degree of dropsy appears in oilier parts of the body ; and when, from its first appearance, the swelling has been equally diffused over the whole belly, We may generally presume that the water is in the cavity of the abdomen. But when an asciti not been preceded by any remarkable cachectic state of the system, and when, at its beginning, the tumour and tension had appeared in one part of the belly more than another, there is reason to suspect an encysted dropsy. Even when the tension and tumour of the belly have become general, yet, if the system or the body in general appear to be little affected; if the pa- tient's strength be little impaired ; if the appetite con- tinue pretty entire, and the natural sleep be little inter- rupted ; if the menses in females continue to flow as usual: if there be yet no anasarca, or, though it may have already taken place, if it be still confined to the lower extremities, and there be no leucophlegmatic paleness or sallow colour in the countenance; if there be no fever, nor so much thirst and scarcity of urine as occur in a more general affection : then according as more of these different circumstances take place, there will be the stronger grounds for supposing the ascites to be of the encysted kind. The«ncysted form of the disease scarcely admits of a perfect cure, though its progress to a fatal termination is generally very slow ; and the peritoneal dropsy is mostly very obsti- nate, depending usually on organic disease in the liver, or other abdominal viscera. The plan of treatment agrees very much with that of anasarca; which see. The operation of paracentesis should only be per- formed where the distension is very great, and the re- spiration or other important functions impeded; and it will often be better not to draw off the whole of the fluid at once; great care must be taken, too, to keep tip sufficient pressure by a»broad bandage over the ab- domen ; for even fatal syncope has arisen from the ne- glect of this. The contraction of the muscles will be promoted by friction. Cathartics are found more de- cidedly beneficial than in anasarca, where the bowels will bear their liberal use. Diuretics too, arc of great importance in the treatment; and, among other means of increasing the flow of urine, long-continued gentle friction of the abdomen with oil has been sometimes very successful, probably by promoting absorption in (he first instance; the only use of the oil seems to he that the friction is thereby better borne. In cases where visceral obstructions have led to the effusion, these must be removed, before a cure can be accom- plished . and for this purpose mercury is the remedy most to be depended upon, besides that in combina- tion with squill, or digitalis, it. will often prove power- fully diuretic. Tonic medicines, a nutritious diet, and, if the complaint appears giving way, such exercise as the patient can take, without fatigue, with other means of improving the general health, ought not to be ne- glected. ASCLEPI'ADES, a celebrated physician, Dom at Prusa, in llithynia, who flourished somewhat before the time of Pompey. He originally taught rhetoric, but not meeting with success, applied himself to the study of medicine, in which he soon became famous liom the novelty of his theory and practice. He sup man species Boiling appears in destro) ili< poison In the young shoots, which are then s.o.i i.. be i tculcnl and flavoured like asparagus. Abclifiaj \imiio\iii m. The systematic name lor the cuicctoxicum of the pharmacopeias. Ilermi dinaria.; Asclepias. Swallow-wort; Tame poison. The root of this plant smells, when fresh, somewhat of valerian ; chewed, it imparts at first a considerable sweetness, which is soon succeeded by an unpleasant subacrid bitterness. It is given in some countries in the cure of glandular obstructions. Ascle'i'ios. (From Asclepias, its inventor.) A dried smegna and collyrium described by Galen. Asco'ma. (From a<r/co$, a bottle.) The eminence of the pubes at the years of maturity, so called from its shape. ASCYROIDEjE. A name given by Scoipoli to a class of plants which resemble the Ascyrum, St. Peter's worth. A'skf. A pustule like a millet seed. A'skoon. Asegen; Asogcn. Dragon's blood. See Calamus rotaiig. ASE'LLIUS, Caspar, of Cremona, born about the year 1580, taught anatomy at Paris with great reputa tion. In 1622, he discovered the lactcals in a dog opened soon after a meal, and noticed their valves, but supposed they went to the liver. These vessels, he candidly observes, had been mentioned by some of the earliest medical writers, but not described, nor their function stated ; and not being noticed by any modern anatomist previously, the discovery is properly attri- buted to him. His death took place four years after, subsequent to which his dissertation on the subject was published by his friends. ASH. See Frazinus excelsior. [Ashes. The residuum, after the incineration of wood. It is also applied to the alkali extracted by Iixiviation, under the names of Pot-ash, and Pearl-ash, both of which are included in the mercantile title Ashes. A.] Asiatioum tjalsamum. Balm of Gilead. A'SLNUS. The ass. A species of the genus Eqvxu Its milk is preferred to cow's and other kinds of milk, in phthisical cases, and where the stomach is weak, as containing less oleaginous particles, and being more easily converted into chyle. See Milk, Asses. Asini'num lac. Asses' milk. Asi'ti. (From a, neg. and oitos, food.) Asitia. Tiiose are so called who take no food, for want of appetite. A'sjooam. (Indian.) A tree growing in Malabar and the East Indies, the juice of which is used against the colic. Aso'des. (Frem aiu), to nauseate.) A nausea or loathing, or a fever with much sense of heat and nau- sea.—Aretwus. Aspadia'lis. A suppression of urine from an im- perforated urethra. Aspalathum. See Lignum aloes. ASPALATUTIS. (From a, and anau>, because the thorns were not easily drawn out of the wounds they made.) The name of a genus of plants in the Linntcan system. Class, Diadclphia; Order, Vccan- dria. Aspalathds canariensis. The systematic name poses disease to arise from the motion of the particles of the rose-wood tree, or lignum rhodium of the an- of the blood and other fluids being obstructed by the straitness of the vessels, whence pain, fever, &c. en- sued. He deprecated the use of violent remedies, as emetics and purgatives, but frequently employed ciys- tcrs, when costiveness attended. In fevers, he chiefly relied on a complete abstinence from food or drink for three days or more; but when their violence abated, allowed animal food and wine. In pleurisies, and other complaints attended with violent pain, he pre- scribed bleeding; but in those of a chronic nature, depended principally on abstinence, exercise, baths, and frictions. None of his works remain at present. He is said to have pledged his reputation on the pre- servation of his own health, which he retained to a great age, and died at length from a fall. ASCLEPIAS. (From Asclcpias, udis. f.; so named after its discoverer; or from JEsculapius, the god of medicine.) The riaoie'of a genus of plants in the Lin- nsan system. Class, Pentandria; OxAe.r,Dinynia. Asclepias svbiaca. Syrian dog's bane. This plant Is particularly poisonous to dogs, and also to ihe hu- cicnts. An essential oil is obtained from the roots, which is used principally as a perfume ; but is an ex- cellent cordial and carminative given internally. The best preparation is a tincture, made by macerating four ounces of the wood in a pint of rectified spirit. ASPAKAGIN. White transparent crystals, of a pecu liar vegetable principle, which spontaneously form in asparagus juicy which has been evaporated to the con- sistence of syrup. They are iu the form of rhomboidal prisms, hard and brittle, having a cool and slightly nan seous taste. They dissolve in hot water, but sparingly in cold water, and not at all in alkohol. On being heal ed, they swell and emit penetrating vapours, which affect thecyes and nose like wood-smoke Their solu- tion docs not change vegetable blues; nor is it affected by hydrosulphuret of potassa, oxalate of ammonia ace tale of lead, or infusion of galls. Limediseng I monia from it; though none is evolved by triturating it with potassa. The asparagus juice should be lir-i healed to coagulate the albumen, then filtered and left to spontaneous evaporation for 15 or 20 davs. Aloti$

100

101

102

Licence and re-use

Contents