ASPIRATION 



143 



ASTHMA 



Aspiration {as-pir-a' -shun) [ad, to ; spirare, to 

 breathe]. Used as a synonym of inspiration, also of 

 imbibition. The act of using the aspirator. A method 

 of withdrawing the fluids and gases from a wound, or- 

 gan or cavity. A. of Cataract Extraction. See 

 Extraction of Cataract, Suction Method. A. Theory 

 (of Weber and Hasner), the theory that accounts 

 for the transmission of tears into the nose by suction 

 into the lachrymal sac through the rarefaction of the 

 air in the nose during inspiration. 



Aspirator (as' '-pir-a-tor) [ad, to; spirare, to breathe]. 

 An instrument for withdrawing the contents of an 

 abscess, tumor, etc. , without the admission of air. 



Asplenium (ah-spW -nt-uni) [a priv. ; onVftf, spleen ; a 

 plant of this name was once thought to destroy the 

 spleen]. A genus of ferns called spleen-worts, or 

 miltwastes. A. ceterach and A. filix-femina for- 

 merly had a great repute as medicines, but are now 

 little used. Unof. 



Asporogenic (ah-spor-o-jen' '-ik) [a priv. ; aizopd, seed; 

 yevijQ, producing]. Not reproducing by means of 

 spores; not producing spores. 



Assafetida (as-a-fet'-id-ah). See Asafetida. 



Assalini's Operation. See Operations, Table of. 



Assault (as-azvlf) [assalire, to assail]. An attack. A., 

 Criminal, in medical jurisprudence, the touching or 

 attempting to touch, on the part of a male, any of 

 the sexual organs (the breasts included) of a female, 

 against her will, even though they be covered by 

 clothing. 



Assibilation (as-ib-il-a'-shun) [assibilare, to whisper 

 to]. The utterance of sounds with a sibilant or hiss- 

 ing quality. 



Assideration (as-id-er-a f -shun) [ad, intensive ; sidera- 

 tio, an evil influence] . In forensic medicine, infanti- 

 cide by immersing in ice-water. 



Assimilable (as-im' -il-a-bl) [assimulare, to make like] . 

 Capable of being assimilated ; nutritious. 



Assimilation (as-im-il-a' -shun) [assimulare, to make 

 like] . The process of transforming food into such a 

 nutrient condition that it is taken up by the circula- 

 tory system, to form an integral part of the economy ; 

 synthetic or constructive metabolism ; anabolism. In 

 biology, the formation of carbohydrate from water and 

 carbon dioxid by the agency of chlorophyll. A., 

 Mental, the mental reception of impressions and their 

 assignment by the consciousness to their proper place. 

 A., Primary, that concerned in the conversion of food 

 into chyle and blood. A., Secondary, that relating 

 to the formation of the organized tissues of the body. 



Associated 'jis-o* -se-a-ted) [associates, united]. Joined. 

 A. Antagonist. See Antagonist. A. Movements, 

 coincident or consensual movements of other muscles 

 than the leading one, and which by habit or unity of 

 purpose are involuntarily connected with its action. 

 Both eyeballs move alike in reading, though one be a 

 blind eye. Movement of the normal arm will some- 

 times produce slight motion of the opposite paralyzed 

 arm. Uniformity of innervation is usually the cause 

 of these movements. A. Paralysis, a common para- 

 lysis of associated muscles. 



Assurgent (as-er f -jenf). See Ascending. 



Assurin (as / -u-rin), C 46 H iH N,P 2 9 . A name given 

 by Thudichum to a complex substance occurring in 

 brain tissue, classed as a di-nitrogenized diphosphatid . 



Astacolith (as-tak' -o-lith) [aerator, a lobster; litioq, 

 a stone]. A concretion obtainable from the stomach 

 of a European craw-fish, Astacus flia'iatilis, and often 

 gathered from brooks. These are called Crabs' Eyes, 

 and Eye-stones, q. v. 



Astasia (as-ta' -se-ah) [a priv. ; araair, standing]. 

 Motor incoordination for standing. See Aba ia. A. 



Abasia, a symptom consisting in inability to stand 

 or walk in a normal manner. 



Asteatodes (as-te-at-o / -dez) [a priv. ; arkap, tallow ; 

 awfyc, fullness]. Deficient in the secretion of the 

 sebaceous glands. 



Asteatosis (as-te-at-o'-sis) [a priv. ; arkap, tallow ; 

 6Sr/g, fullness]. I. A deficiency or absence of the 

 sebaceous secretion. 2. Any skin disease (as xero- 

 derma) characterized by scantiness or lack of the 

 sebaceous secretipn. A. cutis, a condition of di- 

 minished sebaceous secretion, as the result of which 

 the skin becomes dry, scaly, and often fissured. 



Aster (as'-ter) [aster, a star]. I. An extensive genus 

 of composite flowered plants, mainly N. American. 

 A. cordifolius is a nervine and antispasmodic. A. 

 puniceus is a stimulant and diuretic. Unof. 2. See 

 Karyokinesis, Mother-star, Dyaster, Amphiaster, and 

 Cytaster. 



Asterion (as-te'-re-on). See Craniometric Points. 



Asternal (ah-ster'-nal) [a priv.; arepvov, the breast- 

 bone]. Not connected with the sternum. A. Ribs, 

 the five lower pairs, because not joined directly to the 

 sternum. Also called false ribs. 



Astemia (ah-ster' -ne-ah) [a priv. ; arepvov, the breast- 

 bone]. Absence of the sternum. 



Asteroid (as'-ter-oid) [aarijp, a star; eldac, resem- 

 blance}. I. Shaped like a star. 2. In biology, with 

 radiate lobes. 



Asthenia (as-the' -ne-ah, or as-then-i' -ah) [ao~6eveia ; 

 a priv. ; cdivoc, strength]. General loss or absence 

 of strength ; adynamia. 



Asthenic (as-then' -ik) [a priv.; oDivoc, strength]. 

 Characterized by asthenia. 



Asthenometer (as-then-om' '-et-er) [aadiveia, want of 

 strength ; fikrpov, a measure] . An instrument for de- 

 tecting and measuring asthenia ; especially, a device 

 for measuring muscular asthenopia. 



Asthenopia (as-then-o' -pe-ah)[a priv. ; odevoc, strength ; 

 wi/>, eye]. Weakness, speedy fatigue of the ocular 

 muscles or visual powers, due to errors of refraction, 

 insufficiency, over-use, anemia, etc. A., Accommo- 

 dative, due to hyperopia, astigmatism, or a combina- 

 tion of the two, producing strain of the ciliary muscle. 

 A., Muscular, due to weakness, incoordination (het- 

 erophoria), or strain of the external ocular muscles. 

 A., Retinal, or Nervous, a rare variety, caused by 

 retinal hyperesthesia, anesthesia, or other abnormality, 

 or by general nervous affections. 



Asthenopic (as-then-op' -ik) [a priv. ; aOivoc, strength'; 

 uip, eye]. Characterized by asthenopia. 



Asthma (az'-mah) [aoi)/ua, panting]. Paroxysmal or 

 intermittent dyspnea, generally accompanied by cough, 

 bronchial secretion, and a feeling of constriction and 

 suffocation. The etiology is obscure, being ascribed 

 to heredity, nasal disease, gout, exhalations of plants 

 and atmospheric impurities, colds, etc. It is undoubt- 

 edly a neurosis, the spasm of the muscular tissue of 

 the bronchial tubes being due either to central or to 

 peripheral nervous irritation. The duration of a 

 paroxysm may be from two to six hours to four or five 

 nights. When dependent upon disease of the heart, 

 the kidneys, stomach, thymus, etc., it has been 

 designated, cardiac, renal, peptic, thymic, etc. A. 

 convulsivum. Synonym of Bronchial Asthma. 

 A. Crystals, acicular crystals contained in the 

 sputum of asthmatic patients. A. dyspepticum, 

 is due to nervous reflexes through the vagus. A., 

 Grinders'. Same as Fibroid Phthisis. A., Hay. See 

 Hay Fever. A.. Heberden's, angina pectoris. A., 

 Kopp's, spasm of the glottis. A., Marine. See 

 Beriberi. A., Millar's. See Laryngismus stridulus. 

 A., Miner's. See Anthracosis. A. nervosum 



