SIGNUM 



1328 



SIMS' DEPRESSOR 



garis); Quinseywort {Asperula cynanchicd) ; Share- 

 wort {Pallenis spinosa ) ; Spleenwort ( Asplenium 

 ceterach) ; Stitchwort {Stellaria holosted) ; Tetter- 

 berry {Bryonia dioicd); Throatwort {Campanula 

 trachelium) ; Toothwort ( Latkrcea ' squamaria ) ; 

 Uvulawort. See Throatwort. 



Signum {sig'-num) [L.]. A mark, sign, or indication. 



Siguatera {sig-wah-te' -rah) [Sp.] . The name given by 

 Spanish colonists to a complex of symptoms that 

 resulted from eating poisonous fishes indigenous to cer- 

 tain hot countries. 



Sikimin {sik' -im-in) [sikkim, a region of the Hima- 

 laya]. A poisonous principle derived from Illicium 

 religiosum.' Unof. 



Silent Region of the Brain and Cord. The gray 

 matter of the cord. 



Silex {si'-leks) [L.]. See Silica. 



Silica Quartz {sil'-ik-ah kworts) [silex, flint]. The 

 oxid of silicon, Si0 2 . It occurs in nature in the mineral 

 form, of which sea-sand is a familiar example. 



Silicate {siF-ik-at) [silex, flint]. A salt of silicic 

 acid. 



Silicic {sil-is'-ik) [silex, flint]. Containing silicon. 



Silicide {siF-is-id) [silex, flint]. A combination of sil- 

 icon with another element. 



Silicious, Siliceous {sil-ish' '-us) [silex, flint]. Having 

 the nature of or containing silicon. 



Silicium {sil-is/F-e-um). See Silicon. 



Silicle {siF-ik-l) [silicula, a little husk or pod]. In 

 biology, a short pod not over three times longer than 

 broad, e.g., that of the Shepherd's Purse (Capsella 

 bursa-pastoris) . 



Silicol {siF-ik-ol) [silex, flint]. An alcohol from a sil- 

 icon or silicon-carbon radicle. 



Silicon {siF -ik-on) [silex, flint] , Si ■= 28 ; quantivalence 

 IV. Onfc of the elements, and, next to oxygen, the 

 most abundant, forming about one-fourth of the crust 

 of the globe. See Elements, Table of. In medicine, 

 it is used in the form of an alkaline silicate chiefly. 

 See Potassium, Sodium, and Magnesium ; also Taba- 

 sheer. Some forms are used in dentifrices, and 

 others in pharmacy. S. hydrid, a colorless inflam- 

 mable gas. 



Silicosis {sil-ik-o'-sis). See Chalicosis. 



Silicula {sil-ik' -u-lah) [L.]. Same as Silicle. 



Silicular {sil-ik' -tt-lar) [silicula, a silicle]. In biology, 

 having the shape or appearance of a silicle. 



Silicule (sil'-ik-ul). Same as Silicle. 



Siliculose {sil-ik' -u-loz) [silicula, a little husk]. In 

 biology, the same as Silicular. 



Silicyl (siF-is-il) [silex, flint]. A radicle containing 

 silicon directly combined with a trivalent radicle. 



Siliqua {sil-ik' -wah)[siliqua, ahusk, pod : pi., Siliqua]. 

 Same as Silique. 



Silique {sil-ek') [siliqua, a husk, pod]. In biology, the 

 slender, two-valved capsule of some Crucifera. It is 

 divided into cells by a false partition stretched between 

 two opposite parietal placentae, and which often per- 

 sists after the valves have fallen away. 



Silk [ME., silk, silk]. The simplest and most perfect 

 of the textile fibers. It differs from all other fibers in 

 that it is found in nature as a continuous fine thread. 

 Silk is the product of the silk- worm {Bombyx mori), 

 and is simply the fiber that the worm spins around it- 

 self for protection when entering the pupa or chrysalis 

 state. The silk-fiber consists, to the extent of rather 

 more than half its weight, of fibroin, C ]5 H 2 .,N 5 6 , a 

 nitrogenous principle. Covering this is the silk-glue, 

 or sericin, C ir ,H 25 N 5 8 . The most important physical 

 properties of the silk-fiber are its luster, strength, and 

 avidity for moisture. Besides the true silk, we have 

 several so-called " wild silks," the most important of 



which is the Tussur silk, the product of the larva of 

 the moth, Anthercea mylitta, found in India. The 

 cocoons are much larger than those of the true silk- 

 worm, are egg-shaped, and of a silvery drab color. The 

 cocoon is very firm and hard, and the silk is of a drab 

 color. It is used for the buff-colored Indian silks, 

 and latterly largely in the manufacture of silk plush. 

 Other wild silks are the Eria silk of India, the Muga 

 silk of Assam, the Atlas or Fagara silk of China, and 

 the Yamamai silk of Japan. Silk has been used as a 

 hemostatic. See Sericum. S., Epispastic, silk con- 

 taining some vesicant. S. Floss, Dentists', un- 

 twisted filaments of fine silk, prepared expressly for 

 the purpose of cleaning the surfaces of the teeth, and 

 used by some dentists for finishing the surfaces of fill- 

 ings in the sides of teeth. S. -grass. See Pineapple 

 Fiber. S., Saddler's, a heavy silk used by saddlers, and 

 to some extent in surgery. S.-weed. See Milk-weed. 

 S.-worm, the larva of the silk-moth. S.-worm Gut, 

 the thread drawn from a silk-worm killed when ready 

 to spin the cocoon. 



Sillonneur {sil-on-ur') [Fr.]. A three-bladed scalpe; 

 used by ophthalmologists. 



Sillyhow {sil'-e-how) [E. dia.]. The caul which some- 

 times covers the head of the new-born child. 



Silphium {siF -fe-um) [aiXcpiov, a plant so called on ac- 

 count of its resinous juice]. An umbelliferous plant, 

 Thapsia silphium, Viviani, so highly esteemed among 

 the ancients for its juice, which according to Pliny was 

 a remedy for sixty diseases, internal and external, that 

 it was sold for its weight in silver, and figured largely 

 on the coins of Cyrene, its native home. The Greeks 

 called it silphium, from silphi, its African name ; the 

 Romans laserpitium. 



Silphology (sil-fol'-o-je) [ai?jpr/, an insect; ?.6yoe, 

 science]. The morphology and development of 

 larvae. 



Silver {sil'-ver). See Argentum and Elements, Tabic 

 of. S., Coin, an alloy consisting of nine parts silver to 

 one of copper. S. Fir. See Abies. S.-fork Defor- 

 mity, a peculiar displacement of the wrist and hand in 

 fracture of the lower extremity of the radius. S., Ster- 

 ling, an alloy consisting of 925 parts silver to 75 parts 

 copper. S. White. Same as White Lead. 



Simaba {sim-a'-bah) [native name in Guiana]. A 

 genus of simarubaceous tropical trees. S. cedron, ] 

 S. ferruginea, S. floribunda, etc., have exceedingly : 

 bitter barks, and are tonic and febrifuge. Unof. 



Simaruba {sim-ar-u' -bah) [native name in Guiana]. I; 

 A genus of tropical American trees, the type of the 

 order Simarubacea. S. amara, S. glauca, S. offi- I 

 cinalis, S. medicinalis, and others have barks with 

 tonic properties. Unof. 



Similar {sim'-il-ar) [L.]. Having the same charac- i 

 teristics. 



Simon's Position. See Postures, Table of. S.'s | 

 Triangles. See Triangles, Table of. 



Simple {sim'-pl) [simplex, simple]. 1. Not complex; 

 consisting of a single ingredient ; not compound. 

 2. Wanting in intellect. 3. A medicinal plant. 



Simpler, Simplist {sim'-pler, sim'-plist). An herb- 

 doctor. 



Simpler's Joy. The common vervain, q. 7'. 



Simples {sim'-plz) [simplex, simple]. A common | 

 term for herbs having a medicinal value. 



Simplist {sim'-plist). See Simpler. 



Simpson's Method. See Treatment, Met/,, 



Sims' Depressor. An instrument for holding back 

 the wall of the vagina in examination of that cavity. 

 S. Feeder, an instrument for aiding in the suture of 

 tissues. S. Posture or Position. See Postures, '■ 

 Table of. S. Speculum. See Speculum. 



