ATAVISTIC 



145 



ATHEROMASIA 



progenitors were similarly affected, but in whose 

 immediate ancestors it had not been shown. 



Atavistic {at-av-is'-tik). Same as Atavic. 



Ataxaphasia (at-aks-af-a' '-ze-afi). See Aphasia. 



Ataxia (at-aks f -e-ah) [dra^ax, want of order]. The 

 word means primarily irregularity or want of order, 

 but it is most commonly used to express incoordination 

 of muscular action ; an excess or deficiency in contrac- 

 tion of the various muscles concerned in a given action. 

 Both static and locomotor ataxia are prominent symp- 

 toms of tabes or disease of the posterior columns of the 

 cord, but it is absurd to speak of ataxia as if it were a 

 disease itself, instead of being only one of many symp- 

 toms of many diseases. A., Briquet's, a hysterical 

 state marked by loss of sensation in the skin and in 

 the leg muscles. A. cordis. See Delirium cordis. 

 A. of Drunkards. See Polyneuritis potatorum. A., 

 Family. See A., Hereditary. A., Hereditary, 

 Friedreich's ataxia, a family disease of children 

 and the young. See Friedreich' 's Disease. A., 

 Locomotor, the failure of muscular coordination as 

 regards movements, and especially in walking. A., 

 Motor, inability to coordinate the muscles in walking. 

 A., Signs of. I. Romberg (or Brack- Romberg sign), 

 swaying of the body with closed eyes. 2. Signe de 

 cloche-pied ; standing on one leg with open eyes, and 

 with closed eyes. The ataxic finds difficulty in 

 standing upon one foot while the other is raised 

 from the ground, particularly when the eyes are 

 closed. 3. Sign of crossing the legs ; in crossing the 

 legs a normal person raises the one leg to the level 

 of the other knee and deposits the former upon the 

 latter. The ataxic raises the one leg a considerable 

 distance above the other knee, and in depositing 

 the former upon the latter makes the arc of a large 

 circle. 4. Sign "de I'escalier;" sign 0/ descending 

 stairs ; difficulty in descending stairs experienced by 

 the ataxic. 5. Marching at command; a. march! 

 b. halt ! c. about face ! a. When an ataxic that has 

 been seated is told to walk, he manifests uncertainty 

 or hesitation in his effort, first on rising, to gaio his 

 equilibrium. b. The marching ataxic finds great 

 difficulty and is likely not to succeed in halting with 

 precision when commanded to do so. c. The ataxic 

 patient cannot turn about face with the same promptitude 

 and the same certainty as the normal individual. 6. 

 Westphal' 's sign; abolition of the knee-jerk. A., 

 Static, the failure of muscular coordination in standing 

 still, or in fixed positions of the limbs. A., Thermal, 

 peculiar large and irregular fluctuations of the body 

 temperature, due to a condition of incoSrdinarion, or 

 a disordered or weakened thermotaxic mechanism. 

 This may give rise to the so-called paradoxic or 

 hysterical temperatures, rising occasionally to 108 or 

 iio° F., without grave or permanent injury. 



Ataxiagram (at-aks' -e-a-gram) [ara^ia, want of order ; 

 ypdfifia. a marking] . A line drawn by a patient suffer- 

 ing with an ataxial disease. The patient's eyes are 

 open or closed and he attempts to make a straight line. 

 The character of the deviations from a straight line 

 that result are conceived to have a certain diagnostic 

 value. 



Ataxiamnesia (at-aks-e-am-ne 1 '-ze-ah) [arai-ia, want of 

 order; apvrjaia, forgetfulness]. Muscular ataxia with 

 loss of or impairment of memory. 



Ataxic (at-aks' -ik) [ara^ia, want of order]. I. Per- 

 taining to or affected with ataxia. 2. A person affected 

 with ataxia. A. Aphasia. See Aphasia. A. Fever. 

 Synomyn of Typhus Fever, a. v. 



Ataxophemia (at-aks-o-fe'-me-ah) [aral-ia, want of 

 order; <prjtu, to speak]. Lack of coordination in 

 speech. 



Ataxy (at-aks' -e). See Ataxia. 



Atelectasis (at-el-ek' -tas-is) [iire/.r/c, imperfect ; Iktoci^, 

 expansion]. Pulmonary collapse, with failure of the 

 air to enter the vesicles. It may be either acquired 

 (apneumatosis), or fetal. The condition is due not 

 to disease of the lungs, but to nerve injuries, weakness, 

 etc. In fetal cases the lung has never been inflated, 

 whilst in apneumatosis it has been inflated. 



Atelectatic (at-el-ek-lat'-ik) [are/.i/q, imperfect ; iicraoir, 

 expansion]. Relating to or characterized by atelec- 

 tasis. 



Ateleocephalous (at-el-e-o-sef'-al-us) [dre///c, imperfect; 

 Ktoa'/.ij, head]. Having the skull or head more or 

 less incomplete. 



Atelia (at-el-i' '-ah) [drf/.-ewz, imperfection]. A terato- 

 logic term for imperfection or failure of development - 

 of some part of the fetus. The word is compounded 

 with others to designate the member wanting, as 

 atelocardia, etc., expressing such a defect of the 

 heart, etc. 



Atelocardia (at-el-o-kar' -de-ah) [are/Jjc, imperfect ; 

 napdia, heart]. An imperfect or undeveloped state of 

 the heart ; cardiatelia. 



Atelocheilia (at-el-o-ki' -le-ah) [dre/^/c. imperfect ; 

 Xeitjoq, lip]. Defective development of a lip. 



Atelochiria (at-el-o-ki' -re-ah) [dre/.r/c, imperfect ; x £l P> 

 hand]. Deficiency in the development of the hand. 



Ateloencephalia (at-el-o-en-sef-a' -le-ah) [dre/.;/c, incom- 

 plete; iyKtqa'/jov, brain]. Incomplete development 

 of the brain. 



Ateloglossia (at-el-o-glos* '-e-ah) [d-£/./;c, imperfect ; 

 -//.(jccra, tongue]. Congenital defect in the tongue. 



Atelognathia (at-el-og-na' -the-ah) [dre/z/c, imperfect ; 

 ■yvddog, jaw]. Imperfect development of a jaw, espec- 

 ially of the lower jaw. 



Atelomyelia (at-el-o-mi-e' -le-ah) [dre/jyc, imperfect ; 

 uve'/.6c, marrow] Congenital defect or incomplete- 

 ness of the spinal cord. 



Atelopodia (at-el-o-po' '-de-ah) \h.7z7.t)Q, imperfect ; Trot r, 

 foot]. Defective development of the foot. 



Ateloprosopia (at-el-o-pro-so / -pe-ah) [areVig, incom- 

 plete ; -rrpuou-ov, face]. Incomplete facial develop- 

 ment. 



Atelorrhachidia (at-el-o-rak-id' -e-ah) [a-e7.r]c, imper- 

 fect ; pdxic, spine]. Imperfect development of the 

 spinal column, as in spina bifida. 



Atelostomia (at-el-o-stc/ -me-ah) [a.Te7J;c, incomplete ; 

 orofia, mouth]. Incomplete development of the 

 mouth. 



Athalamous (ak-thal' '-am-us) [dpriv.; 6a7jiuoc, a bed] 

 Absence of the optic thalamus. In biology, without 

 apothecia, as certain lichens. 



Athalline (ah-thal'-in) [d priv. ; 8a7.7.6g, a frond]. In 

 biology, destitute of a thallus. 



Athelasmus (ah-thel-az'-mus) [d priv.; ^/"cv/o'f, a 

 suckling]. Inability to give suck, from defect or want 

 of the nipples. 



Athelia (ah-the' '-le-ah) [d priv.; 0r/?,r/, a nipple"). Ab- 

 sence of the nipple. 



Athermasia (ah-ther-ma' -ze-ah) [d priv. ; depuaoia, 

 heat]. Lack or deficiency of heat. 



Atheroma (ath-er-o' -mah) \h&i]pi], gruel ; bua, tumor J. 

 Primarily, a soft encysted tumor ; more commonly, the 

 fatty degeneration of the walls of the arteries in con- 

 sequence of chronic arteritis, and called atheromatous 

 degeneration. Atheromatous abscess, resulting fron* 

 chronic arteritis, is a collection of soft matter beneath 

 the intima, while an atheromatous ulcer is formed by 

 the abscess breaking through the intima. 



Atheromasia (ath-er-o-ma' -ze-ah) [a&r/po/ia, an athero- 

 matous tumor] . Atheromatous degeneration ; the 

 condition of atheroma. 



