The Republican journal., 1881-09-15
Medical Terms.

Many of the descriptions of the Presi-
dents wounds and illness, and of the
treatment of them by the doctors, are al
most unintelligible to great many plain
readers, because of the learned medical
terms, which they employ. We sup
pose it is in some sense necessary for ply
sicians to use such terms, for the sake of
precision; at any rate, they do it. Many
of them are utterly without meaning to
uneducated persons, and the dictionary
is not always at hand to be consulted,
even if there were time. We venture to
specify some of these words, and their
signifcation.
Pus, by common people called matter,
the creamy substance formed in sores and
wounds by Inflammation.
| Suppuration, the process by which the
pus is formed; as when we say a boil sup
! purates.
Pustule, little boil or pimple contain
| ing pus, or which will contain it when ripe.
Abscess, the hole or "pocket" where
pus is formed.
Pypmia, word made by uniting the
word pus and hpma the blood, meaning
| literally, pus in the blood. When the pus.
instead of being removed from the wound
or sore, is taken up into the blood, it is
called plood poisoning, and is a very dan
| gerOus disease.
Septic, putrid, or that which causes pu-
| trltactlOn.
SepticHmia, from septic and hmma, pu-
trifaction or death in the blood. 1t is not
the same thing as pyitmla, being caused
| by other poisonous or corrupting intiu
ences than pus, such as impure food or
| drink, or the decaying secretions OF dis
ease, or even, we believe, by lack of
healthy food for the blood.
Septic matter, any corrupt matter pro
duced by disease that tends to cause cor
ruption or death of the blood
Enema, an injection.
Enemata (pluraD, injections.
| NOurShing enemata, food IN a liquid
form, given by injection to afford nourish
ment to the body, when the stomach will
not receive and digest
| Parotd, beside the ear. The parotd
| gland is the one just under the ear which
is affected when child has the mumps.
Malaria and miasma, bad air, such as
arises from foul marshes.
| Hdema, or edema, Il swelling.
Tympanitis, an Inflammation of the
tympanum or drum Of the ear
Pertonits, inflammation of the perit-
oneum, or the delicate membrane which
lines the cavity Of the belly 1t is a very
| dangerous disease.
Pelvis, the bony framework of the hips.
The pelvic cavity is the hollow or space
between the pelvis.
Encysted, inclosed in Il bag or covering
formed around it by the vital forces, for
the protection OF the wounded parts.
Gastric what pertains to the stomach.
A"gastric disturbance is nausea. or in
digestion, or "wind in the stomach"
Asslmiate, to digest and make blood
or flesh of. Food is assmilated when it
is converted into the substance of the
body.
Eliminate, to cast out. Poison is elm
mated when it is got out Of the system.
Normal, usual or natural. The normal
temperature is that of state OF health.
Peptonized, rendered easy of digestion.
Granulations, little point Of new flesh,
like grains Of sand, with which wound
is filled up.
| We are not sure that all the above de
tintlOnS will pass muster with the doctors
as scientifically exact, but they are near
enough, we are sure, for practical pur-
poses Christian Mirror.