POLARIZER 



1135 



POLITZERATION 



right or left. P. of Light, the breaking up of a ray of 

 light into two separate parts whose planes of vibration 

 are at right angles to each other. It is usually accom- 

 plished by passing the ray through a doubly refracting 

 medium. 



Polarizer [po / -lar-i-zer) \_polus, pole]. In microscopy, 

 one of the Xicol prisms placed beneath the object 

 and by means of which the light is polarized. 



Pole | pol) [~6'/.oc,polus, a pole]. The extremity of an 

 axis ; a point on a sphere equally distant from every part 

 of the circumference of a great circle of the sphere. In 

 electricity, one of the points of a body at which its 

 attractive or repulsive energy is concentrated. In 

 galvanic or dynamic electricity, the electrodes of a 

 cell or of a generator. In magnetism, one of the 

 points of maximum intensity of magnetic force. P., 

 Antigerminal, the pole of an ovum opposite the 

 germinal pole ; it is the pole at which the food -yolk is 

 situated. P., Cephalic, the end of the fetal ellipse 

 where the head of the fetus is situated. P. -changer, 

 a switch or key for changing or reversing the direction 

 of a current produced by any electric source, such 

 as a battery. P. Corpuscles. See Polar Globules. 

 Ps. of the Eye, the anterior and posterior poles of the 

 optic axis. P., Germinal, P., Germinative, the pole 

 of the egg at which the development of the embryo 

 begins. P., Lower, of an egg. See P., Antiger- 

 minal. P., Negative, the electrode or any other 

 termination of the wire which is attached to the posi- 

 tive element in the galvanic cell. P., North, in a 

 magnet, the extremity directed toward the north. P., 

 Nutritive. Synonym of P., Antigerminal. P., Oc- 

 cipital, the posterior pointed extremity of the occipital 

 lobe. P., Pelvic, the extremity of the fetal ellipse at 

 which the breech is situated. P., Positive, the elec- 

 trode or other terminal portion of the wire which is 

 connected with the negative element of a galvanic 

 batten - . P., South, in a magnet, the extremity di- 

 rected toward the south. P., Upper, in an egg, the 

 P. , Germinal, q. v. P., Vitelline. Synonym of P., 

 germinal. 



Polemophthalmia {pol-em-off-thaP -me-ah) [-6/ucfioc, 

 war; ooila/.uoc. eye]. Military ophthalmia ; the oph- 

 thalmia of soldiers. 



Polenta po-len'-tah) [L.]. In Italy, a maize-meal 

 porridge. 



Poliater ( pol' '-e-a-ter) [-6a/c , city ; 'inrrjp, physician]. 

 Formerly, a physician licensed to practise by the 

 public authorities of a city. 



Police {po-'tfs') [-o/.ic, a city]. I. Public order. 2. 

 An organized civil force for maintaining order. P., 

 Sanitary, the body of officials in the employ of a city, 

 state or nation, whose duty it is to look after the 

 hygienic condition as it affects the public health. 



Policeman's Disease. Synonym of Tarsalgia. 



Policlinic [pol-ik-lin'-ik) [-67,ic, city; k7J.vij, couch]. 

 A general city hospital. Cf. Polyclinic. 



Poliencephalitis (pol-e-en-sef-al-i'-tis) [tzo7a6^, gray ; 

 v/nioaV.ov, brain ; irtq, inflammation]. An inflamma- 

 tion of the gray matter of the cortex of the brain. P. 

 acuta, an acute inflammation of the cerebral cortex in 

 children, giving rise to infantile cerebral palsy. P., 

 Anterior Superior, an inflammatory disease of the gray 

 matter of the third ventricle, of the anterior portion of 

 the fourth, and of that about the Sylvian aqueduct. 

 The condition is usually acute and has, as a rule, a 

 well marked clinical picture, including ophthalmo- 

 plegia, chiefly external, and a peculiar somnolent 

 : there is no other paralysis ; sensation is not 

 affected. The disease appears as if caused by infection, 

 and is usually fatal, although recover}- may take place. 

 This disease may be related to the African sleeping- 



sickness, nelavan, and to a similar disease occasion- 

 ally observed in Switzerland and Lombardy. P. 

 corticalis, inflammation of the gray matter of the 

 cerebral cortex. P., Posterior, inflammation of the 

 gray matter of the posterior portion of the fourth 

 ventricle. 



Polimitus malariae {pol-im'-it-us). See under Para- 

 sites [Animal), Table of. 



Polioencephalitis (pol-e-o-en-sef-al-P-tis). See Poli- 

 encephalitis. 



Polioencephalo-myelitis [pol-e-o-en-sef -al-o-mi-el-P - 

 tis). Synonym of Poliomyelencephalitis . 



Poliomyelencephalitis ( pol-e-o-mi-el-en-sefal-P-tis) 

 [rro/^oc, gray; five/.oc. marrow ; kyKtoa/.or, brain ; inc, 

 inflammation]. Poliomyelitis and poliencephalitis ex- 

 isting together. 



Poliomyelepathy [pol-e-o-mi-el-ep / -atk-e)\^o7.i6q, gray; 

 uvf/o's, marrow ; Tradoc, disease]. Disease of the gTay 

 matter of the spinal cord. 



Poliomyelitis [pol-e-o-mi-el-P -tis) [ttoa/oc, gray; uve'/oc, 

 marrow; trie, inflammation]. Inflammation of the 

 gray matter of the spinal cord. P., Acute Anterior, 

 acute inflammation of the anterior horns of the gTay 

 matter of the spinal cord, leading to a destruction of the 

 large multipolar cells of these horns. It is most common 

 in children, coming on during the period of the first 

 dentition and producing a paralysis of certain muscle- 

 groups or of an entire limb. The onset is sudden, 

 and the paralysis is usually most extensive in the 

 beginning, a certain amount of improvement taking 

 place- subsequently. There are no sensory disturb- 

 ances. The affected muscles atrophy rapidly, the 

 reflexes in them are lost, and reactions of degeneration 

 are present. From contraction of antagonistic muscles 

 deformities develop later in life. The disease is also 

 known as Infantile Palsy. P., Chronic Anterior. 

 Synonym of Progressive Muscular Atrophy. 



Poliomyelopathy (pol-e-o-mi-el-op' -ath-e) \_-o7.ioq, gray; 

 uvt/Mc, marrow ; ~a6oc, disease]. Disease of the gray 

 matter of the cord. 



Polioplasm, Polioplasma (poP-e-o-plazm, pol-e-o-plaz' - 

 mah) [izo/Aoq, gray ; —/.dcfia, plasm]. Granular proto- 

 plasm. 



Poliosis ( pol-e-o 1 '-sis) [tzo/aoc, hoary or gray]. A con- 

 dition characterized by absence of pigment in the hair. 

 See Canities. 



Poliotes ( pol-e-cZ-tez) [-oTuoq, hoary or gray. Synonym 

 of Canities. 



Poliothrix ( poP ' -e-o-thriks) [ttoIioc, gray ; 0p/f, hair] . 

 Synonym of Canities. 



Polish (po / -lish) [Pol., Polski, Polish]. Pertaining to 

 Poland. P. Plait. See Plica polonica. P. Ring- 

 worm. Same as Plica polonica. 



Polishing Red. Same as Colcothar. 



Polity (poP-it-e) [~67.ic, a city]. A form of govern- 

 ment. The functions of the government of* a city 

 or town. P., Medical, the sanitary regulations of a 

 community. 



Politzer's Ear-bag. An instrument for filling the tym- 

 panic cavity with air. It consists essentially of a 

 large, gourd-like rubber bulb and a tube with a hard- 

 rubber tip to fit into the nose. P.'s Method, a method 

 of inflating the middle ear and clearing the Eustachian 

 tube by filling one nostril with -air from a rubber-bag, 

 the other ear being closed and the patient, at the 

 moment of inflation, performing the act of swallow- 

 ing, during which the pharyngeal end of the Eusta- 

 chian tube is open. 



Politzeration, Politzerization (pol-its-er-a'-shun, pol- 

 its-er-iz-a'-shun) [after AJam Politzer, an Austrian 

 physician]. The inflation of the middle ear by means 

 of Politzer's bag. 



