DIFFRACTION 



374 



DIGITI MORTUI 



Diffraction {dif-rak' '-shun) [dis, apart ; fractus, bro- 

 ken]. The deflection suffered by a ray of light when 

 it passes through a narrow slit or aperture. D. Grat- 

 ing, a strip of glass closely ruled with fine lines ; it is 

 often used in the spectroscope in the place of the bat- 

 tery of prisms. 

 Diffuse [dif-us') [de, apart; fundere, to pour over]. 

 Scattered or spread about. In medicine, applied to 

 diseases that involve a large part of the body. D. 

 Aneurysm, one caused by a rupture of the walls of a 

 blood-vessel. D. Cerebral Sclerosis. See Sclero- 

 sis. D. Inflammation. See Inflammation. 

 Diffusible (difu'-zib-l) [dis, away; fundere, to pour]. 

 Susceptible of being rapidly diffused throughout the 

 system; applied to certain quickly- acting stimulants, 

 usually of transient effect. 

 Diffusion [dif-u' -zhun) [diffundere, to spread]. A 

 spreading or dissemination. D., Anodal, same as 

 Cataphoresis. D. -circle, the imperfect image formed 

 by incomplete focalization, the position of the true 

 focus not having been reached or else having been 

 passed. 

 Digastric (di-gas' -trik) [d/c, double; yaari/p, belly]. 

 Having two bellies. D. Muscle. See Muscles, 

 Table of. D. Triangle. See Triangles, Table of. 

 Digenesis {di-jen'-es-is) [cJ/c, two ; yeveoig, generation]. 

 In biology, the alternation of sexual and asexual gen- 

 eration. 

 Digenous (dif-en-us) [Sic, two; ycvoc, sex]. In biol- 

 ogy, pertaining to both sexes, or originating from 

 opposite sexes. 

 Digerent [dif -er-ent) [digerere, to digest]. A digest- 

 ant; also a medicine that excites the secretion of pus 

 in wounds. 

 Digestant (di-jest'-ant) [digerere, to digest]. I. A 

 body or substance that effects solution of the food in 

 the mouth, stomach, and intestines. 2. A remedy for 

 indigestion. 

 Digestibility (di-jes-tib-il f -it-e) [digestibilis , that can be 



digested]. Susceptibility of being digested. 

 Digestible {di-jest f -ib-l) \_digestibilis, that can be di- 

 gested]. Capable of being digested. 

 Digestio Difficilis {di-jes f -che-o dif-ik' -il-is) [L.]. Syn- 

 onym of Dyspepsia. 

 Digestion (di-jes'-chwi) [digerere, to digest]. In bi- 

 ology, that process whereby the food taken into an 

 organism is made fit to become part thereof. D., 

 Artificial, the production of peptones outside of the 

 body. D., Primary, gastro-intestinal digestion. D., 

 Secondary, the assimilation by the body-cells of their 

 appropriate pabulum. 

 Digestive (di-jes' '-tiv) [digerere, to digest]. I. Relat- 

 ing to or favoring digestion. 2. An agent that pro- 

 motes digestion. 3. Pertaining to the process of 

 digestion. D. Apparatus, the organs of digestion 

 considered collectively. D. Tract, the whole aliment- 

 ary canal from the mouth to the anus. See Illustra- 

 tion. 

 Digit {dij'-it) [digitus, a finger]. A finger or toe. 

 Digital \dif-il-al) [digitus, a finger]. Pertaining to the 

 fingers or toes. D. Arteries, the arteries of the hands 

 and feet supplying the digits. See Arteries, Table of. 

 D. Compression, the stoppage of a flow of blood by 

 pressure with the finger. D. Dilatation, the enlarg- 

 ing of a cavity by means of the finger. D. Examina- 

 tion, examination or exploration with the linger. D. 

 Nerves, the nerves of the hands and feet. D. Pha- 

 langes, the bones of the fingers or of the toes. 

 Digitalein (dij-it-a'-lc-in) [digitalis, pertaining to the 



fingers]. One of the constituents of digitalis. 

 Digitalin (dij-it-a'-liri) [digitalis, pertaining to the 

 fingers]. 1. Digitalinum (U. S. P.) ; C 5 H 8 2 (?), the 



active principle of Digitalis purpurea, a. v. Dose gr. 

 £g"Jg . 2. A precipitate from a tincture of Digitalis 

 purpurea. Unof. Besides the foregoing there are 

 various commercial preparations known by this name. 



Digitalis {dij-it-a / -lis) [digitalis, pertaining to the 

 fingers]. Foxglove. The leaves of D. purpurea. It 

 contains an amorphous complex substance, digitalin, 

 that does not, however, represent the full properties 

 of the leaves; It is a cardiac stimulant and excito- 

 motor, and in large doses causes severe gastric dis- 

 turbance. It is employed mainly in affections of the 

 heart when the latter is rapid and feeble. Dose of 

 the leaves gr. ss-iij. D. abstractum, strength twice 

 that of digitalis itself. Unof. Dosegr. %-\). D., Ext., 

 leaves yield 25 per cent, of extract. Dose gr. l /e-%. 

 D., Ext., Fid., strength 100 per cent. Dose rr\j-iij. 

 D. infusum, 1^ per cent, in strength. Dose ^ss-j. 

 D.,Tinct., 15 percent. DoseTt^v-^j. See. Digitalin. 



Digitalose {ciij-it-al-oz') [digitalis, pertaining to the 

 fingers]. A white crystalline constituent of digitalis. 



Salivary Gland 



Vermifc 



General Scheme of the Digestive Tract, with the 

 Chief Glands Opening into It ; Together with the 

 Lacteals Arising from the Intestine and Joining 

 the Thoracic Duct. (Landois.) 



Digitate {dif-it-at) [digitus, finger]. In biology, hav- 

 ing finger-like divisions, as when the leaflets of a 

 compound leaf are all borne on the apex of the petiole. 



Digitation {dij-it-a'-shun) [digitatus, having digits! 

 A serration; a finger-like process, or a succession ol 

 such proccssr^. 



Digiten (dif -it-en) [digitus, a finger]. Belonging to I 

 digit in itself. 



Digiti mortui [dij'-it-i vtor'-tu-i) [}..\ Dead' 

 fingers ; a cold and white state of the fingers, seen ifl 



