GLOSSARY 479 



Decid'uous. [From the Lat. deciduus, " that falls down."] FaUing or 



liable to fall. Not permanent. 

 Decussa'tion. [From the Lat. decusso, decussaium, to " cross."] To 



cross in the form of the letter X. 

 Degluti'tion. [From the Lat. de, " down," and gliditio, " swallow."] 



The act or power of swallowing. 

 Del'toid. Ha\ang a triangular shape ; resembling the Greek letter A(deUa) . 

 Den'drite. [From the Gr. dendrites, " pertaining to a tree."] The name 



given to the branching processes of the neurone wliich begin to 



divide and subdivide as soon as they leave the nerve-cell. 

 Denti'tion. [From the Lat. dentitio, " teetliing."] 



L The process of cutting teeth. 



2. The time during wliich teeth are being cut. 



3. The kind, number, and arrangement of teeth proper to any animal. 

 Diabe'tes Mel'litus. [From the Gr. dia, " through," baino, to " go," and 



Lat. mel, " honey."] Excessive flow of sugar-containing urine. 

 Diapede'sis. [From the Gr. dia, " through," and pedad, to " leap," to 



" go."] Passing of the red blood-corpuscles through vessel walls 



without rupture. 

 Di'aphragm. [From the Gr. diaphrasso, to " divide in the middle by a 



partition."] The partition muscle dividing the cavity of the chest 



from that of the abdomen. 

 Diarthro'sis. [From the Gr. dia, " through," as implying no impediment, 



and arthron, a " joint."] A freely movable articulation. 

 Di'astase. [From the Gr. diastasis, " separate."] An enzyme of the 



saliva and pancreatic juice capable of decomposing carbohydrates. 

 Dias'tole. [From the Gr. diastello, to " dilate."] The dilatation of the 



heart. 

 Diath'esis. [From the Gr. dia, " through," and tithenai, to " place."] 



A congenital condition of the system which renders it peculiarly 



liable to some diseases. 

 Dichot'omous. [From the Gr. dichotomos, " cutting in two."] Pertaining 



to or consisting of a pair or pairs. Divided into two. 

 Diges'tion. [From the Lat. digestio, " arrangement."] The process of 



converting the food from the state in which it enters the mouth to 



that in which it can pass from the alimentary canal into the blood- 

 vessels and lymphatics. 

 Dip'loe. [From the Gr. diploo, to " double," to " fold."] The osseous 



tissue between the tables of the skull. 



