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palpitation

(Encyclopedia)palpitation pălˌpĭtāˈshən [key], abnormal heartbeat that is often associated with a sensation of fluttering or thumping. The normal heartbeat is not noticeable to the individual. Palpitation may...

internal medicine

(Encyclopedia)internal medicine, branch of medicine concerned with nonsurgical remedies for diseases of the internal organs. While the internist is trained to diagnose and treat all pathologies of the various inter...

perversion, sexual

(Encyclopedia)perversion, sexual, in psychology, sexual behavior deemed pathological by its deviation from “normal” sexual desire. The definition of sexual perversion has shifted considerably over time: indeed,...

curfew

(Encyclopedia)curfew [O.Fr.,=cover fire], originally a signal, such as the ringing of a bell, to damp the fire, extinguish all lights in the dwelling, and retire for the night. The custom originated as a precaution...

hunchback

(Encyclopedia)hunchback, abnormal outward curvature of the spine in the thoracic region. It is also known as kyphosis and humpback, and in its severe form a noticeable hump is evident on the back. Hunchback may be ...

laudanum

(Encyclopedia)laudanum lôdˈənəm [key], tincture, or alcoholic solution, of opium, first compounded by Paracelsus in the 16th cent. Not then known to be addictive, the preparation was widely used up through the ...

Still, Andrew Taylor

(Encyclopedia)Still, Andrew Taylor, 1828–1917, founder of osteopathy, b. Jonesboro, Va. He evolved the theory that all diseases and physical disorders ultimately derived from dislocations (which he called subluxa...

oxygen tent

(Encyclopedia)oxygen tent, device used to maintain a patient in an oxygen-rich environment. The oxygen tent is composed of a clear plastic sheet suspended over the bed and tucked beneath the mattress to provide an ...

fasting

(Encyclopedia)fasting, partial or temporary abstinence from food, a widely used form of asceticism. Among the stricter Jews the principal fast is the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur; in Islam the faithful fast all ...

cryosurgery

(Encyclopedia)cryosurgery krīˈōsrˌjərē [key], bloodless surgical technique using a supercooled probe to destroy diseased or superfluous tissue. Liquid nitrogen circulating through the instrument cools it to t...