RANUNCULACEOUS 



1238 



RASH 



R., Suprahyoid, a cystic tumor situated above the 

 hyoid bone. 



Ranunculaceous {ra-nung-ku-la' -se-us) {ranunculus, a 

 medicinal plant]. Noting, or relating to plants of the 

 order Ranunculacece. 



Ranunculus {ra-nung' -ku-lus) [L.]. A genus of 

 acrid herbs of many species, growing in many tem- 

 perate and cold regions, e.g., buttercups, or crowfoot. 

 Many of the species are acrid poisons, and have been 

 used (especially R. acris, bulbosus, flammula, and 

 sceleratus) as counter-irritants and vesicants. Unof. 

 R. aconitifolius, a native of Europe. The root, 

 juice, and green leaves are used. R. acris, blis- 

 ter-plant ; very irritant, causing erythema sati- 

 vum. R. alpestris, white crowfoot of the Alps. 

 The chamois-hunters chew the leaves, which are said 

 to prevent giddiness and fatigue. R. aquatilis, water 

 anemone, floating white crowfoot ; a species of Europe 

 and North America. It is said to be poisonous when 

 fresh, but otherwise wholesome and nutritive. R. 

 asiaticus, turkey crowfoot; the common garden 

 species. R. bulbosus, crow-flower; buttercup; a 

 European and North American species ; very acrid. 

 It was once official as radix ranunculi bulbosi, and is 

 still used by the homeopathists. R. creticus, a species 

 known to the ancients, and used by them for the cure of 

 warts, chilblains, scabies, and ulcers, also for tooth- 

 ache. R. ficaria, the lesser celandine, an edible species 

 found in Europe ; the leaves are eaten as salad, the 

 root prepared as a vegetable. R. glacialis, a species 

 found in the Alps. The root possesses sudorific 

 properties, and is used in rheumatism and bronchial 

 affections. R. lingua, R. longifolius, spearwort ; 

 great crowfoot ; found in Europe, Asia, and North 

 America. The root and herb were formerly offi- 

 cial. R. muricatus, a European species, possess- 

 ing stimulant and vesicant properties, and used for 

 skin-diseases. R. paludensis, R. palustris, old 

 pharmaceutic names for R. sceleratus. R. repens, 

 creeping crowfoot ; buttercup ; occurring in Europe, 

 Asia, and North America. The herbs and flowers 

 were formerly official. R. sceleratus, water celery ; 

 a very acrid species found in Europe, Asia, and 

 North Ameria, and formerly used as a vesicant. It 

 contains a resin and a volatile oil which yields anem- 

 onin and anemonic acid. 

 Ranvier's Constrictions. See R.'s Nodes. R.'s 

 Crosses, brownish-black cruciform figures which 

 appear at each node of Ranvier in preparations of 

 nerve-tissue stained with silver nitrate. The silver 

 diffuses into the nerve-fiber only at the nodes, stains 

 the cement-substance joining one internode with 

 another, thus forming the transverse bar of the 

 cross, and as it diffuses along the axis-cylinder stains 

 the cement-substance on the latter for a short distance, 

 and so makes the vertical bar. R.'s Lemon-juice 

 Method, a method of tracing nerve-fibers. Small 

 pieces of tissue, % inch square, are soaked in lemon- 

 juice 5 or io minutes, washed quickly in distilled 

 water, and placed in I per cent, solution of gold chlorid 

 for from io minutes to I hour, according to the density 

 of the tissue. Wash in water, place in 50 c.c. water 

 containing two drops of acetic acid, and expose to 

 the light ; or, if it is not desired .to keep the super- 

 ficial epithelium, after treating with lemon-juice and 

 gold the tissue is placed for 24 hours in formic 

 acid (sp. gr. 1.2) diluted with three times its volume 

 of water, and kept in the dark (after Squire). R.'s 

 Nodes. See A T ode. R.'s Picrocarmin. See Stains, 

 Table of. R.'s Tactile Discs, nerve-endings con- 

 sisting of small, cup-shaped bodies, the concave side 

 of which is always directed toward the free surface of 



the epidermis. They are those tactile corpuscles of 

 Merkel, also of Grandy, which terminate, not in the 

 cells, but in the intercellular substances. 

 Rape {rap) [rapere, to seize]. Forcible sexual inter- 

 course with a woman. According to the laws of 

 some States, the intercourse with a young girl is ulso 

 considered as rape when not effected through force, but 

 by reason of her ignorance. R.-oil. See Colza-oil 

 R. -plant. See Brassica. 

 Raphania (ra-fa' -ne-ah) [raphanus, a radish]. A ner- 

 vous affection attended with spasmodic disorder of 

 the joints and the limbs. It has been attributed to a 

 poisonous principle in the seeds of the wild radish, 

 which are likely, at certain times, to become mixed 

 with grain. The affection is allied to ergotism and 

 pellagra. See Ergotism. R. maisitica, pellagra; 

 so named because it was supposed to be caused by 

 the use of maize as food. 

 Raphe (raf f -d) [pacpij, suture]. 1. Any line, suture, 

 ridge, or crease having the appearance of a seam. It 

 is applied especially to the median line of the body. 

 2. A ridge or cord ; the continuation of the seed- 

 stalk, extending from the hilum to the chalaza along 

 the side of an anatropous or an amphitropous ovule or 

 seed. R., Exterior, the stria longitudinalis medialis. 

 R. inferior corporis callosi, the raphe on the inferior 

 surface of the corpus callosum. R. palati duri. 

 Same as R. palatine. R., Palatine, the narrow ridge 

 of mucosa in the mesial line of the palate. R. 

 of the Penis, a continuation of the raphe of the 

 scrotum upon the penis. R., Perineal, the ridge of 

 skin in the middle line of the perineum. R. of the 

 Pharynx, a fibrous band in the median line of the 

 posterior wall of the pharynx. R. post-oblongata, 

 the posterior median fissure of the medulla oblon 

 R. of the Scrotum, a median ridge dividing thi 

 turn into two lateral halves; it is continuous, | 

 riorly,with the raphe of the perineum, anteriorly with 

 the raphe of the penis. The septum of the medulla 

 oblongata, of Stilling. R. superior corporis callosi, 

 the longitudinal raphe in the middle of the superior 

 surface of the corpus callosum. R. of the Tongue, 

 a median furrow on the dorsal surface of the tongue 

 corresponding to the fibrous septum which divides it 

 into symmetric halves. 



Raphis (ra'-fis) [paQir, a needle: //. , R aphides']. In 

 biology, one of the needle-shaped crystals found in 

 bundles in the cells of many plants. See also . 

 phis. 



Raptus (rap / -lus) [rapere, to seize]. Any sudden at- 

 tack orseizure ; rape. R. haemorrhagicus, a sudden 

 hemorrhage. R. maniacus, transient frenzy. R. 

 melancholicus, sudden and vehement melani 

 R. nervorum, cramp or spasm. 



Rarefaction (rar-e-fak 1 '-shun') \j-arus, rare 

 make]. The decreasing of the density or tensi< 

 a gaseous substance, especially the air; attenuation; 

 dilution. R. of Bony Tissue, the attenuation of 

 bony tissue as a result of ostitis or senile atrophy. 

 See Osteoporosis. R., Pulmonary. See Emph) 



Raritas {rar f -it-as) [L.]. Rarity. R. dentium. 

 ness of teeth ; less than the usual number ol I 

 with or without interspaces between them. 



Rarity of the Atmosphere. Sec Atmospheric. 



Rasceta {ra-se f -tah) [L.]. The transverse lii 

 creases of the skin on the inner side of the wrist. 



Rash [OF., rasche, a rash]. Any exanther 

 eruption of the skin. R., Canker. Same 

 latina. R., Caterpillar, a localized eruption ai 

 tributed to the irritant action of the hairs of certain 

 caterpillars. R., Doctors', a transitory rash some* 

 times seen in nervous persons undergoing medical ex- 



