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tabun

(Encyclopedia)tabun täˈbən [key], liquid chemical compound used as a nerve gas. It boils at 240℃ with some decomposition. The liquid is colorless to brownish; its vapors have a fruity odor similar to that of b...

soman

(Encyclopedia)soman, colorless liquid used as a nerve gas. It boils at 167℃, evolving an odorless vapor. It is rapidly absorbed through the skin; death may result within 15 min of exposure. In nonfatal concentrat...

VX

(Encyclopedia)VX vēˈĕks [key], nerve gas several times more toxic than sarin but less volatile. It kills within minutes if inhaled or deposited on the skin; protection from VX would require both protective suits...

atropine

(Encyclopedia)atropine ătˈrəpēn, –pĭn [key], alkaloid drug derived from belladonna and other plants of the family Solanaceae (nightshade family). Available either as the tincture or extract of belladonna, or...

Gulf War syndrome

(Encyclopedia)Gulf War syndrome, popular name for a variety of ailments experienced by veterans after the Persian Gulf War. Symptoms reported include nausea, cramps, rashes, short-term memory loss, fatigue, difficu...

chemical warfare

(Encyclopedia)chemical warfare, employment in war of incendiaries, poison gases, and other chemical substances. Ancient armies attacking or defending fortified cities threw burning oil and fireballs. A primitive ty...

neuralgia

(Encyclopedia)neuralgia no͝orălˈjə, nyo͝o– [key], acute paroxysmal pain along a peripheral sensory nerve. Unlike neuritis, there is no inflammation or degeneration of nerve tissue. Neuralgia occurs commonly ...

cerebellum

(Encyclopedia)cerebellum sĕrˌəbĕlˈəm [key], portion of the brain that coordinates movements of voluntary (skeletal) muscles. It contains about half of the brain's neurons, but these particular nerve cells are...

funny bone

(Encyclopedia)funny bone, highly sensitive area at the back of the elbow where the ulnar nerve passes close to the surface of the skin in a groove between end prominences of the humerus (the upper arm bone) and the...

pain

(Encyclopedia)pain, unpleasant or hurtful sensation resulting from stimulation of nerve endings. The stimulus is carried by nerve fibers to the spinal cord and then to the brain, where the nerve impulse is interpre...