PLE 



329 



PLU 



tension), applied to lateral con- 

 vulsions, sometimes seen in cases 

 of tetanus, the patient throwing 

 himself from side to side : adj., 

 bent or stretched from one side. 



plexiform, a., pleks'-i-form (L. 

 plexum, to interweave, to twist; 



forma, shape), in the form of 

 network ; complicated ; en- 

 tangled. 



pleximeter, n., pleks-lm'Zt-er (Gr. 

 plexis, a striking ; metron, a 

 measure), a plate of ivory, india- 

 rubber, or the like, and very 

 frequently the fingers of the 

 left hand, used in mediate per- 

 cussion of the chest or abdomen. 



plexus, n., pleks'us, plexuses, n. 

 plu., pleks'-us-Zs (L. plexus, 

 twisted), in anat., a network 

 of interlacing blood-vessels, or 

 nerves. 



plica, n., plllc'a (L. plfao, I fold 

 or plait), in bot. , a diseased state 

 of plants in which the buds, 

 instead of developing true 

 branches, become short twigs, 

 and these in their turn produce 

 others, thus forming an entangled 

 mass ; in med. , a disease in man 

 in which the hair becomes matted 

 and the scalp exceedingly sensit- 

 ive also called plica polonica, 

 ppl'&n'iJ&'&, as being peculiar to 

 Poland, Lithuania, and Tartary : 

 p. semilunaris, s$m'i-l6n-dr'is 

 (L. temi, half ; luna, the moon), 

 the semilunar fold ; a vertical 

 fold of the conjunctiva resting on 

 the eyeball, forming the rudiment 

 of the third eyelid, the mem- 

 brana nictitans, found in some 

 animals. 



plicate, a., pllk f -dt (L. plicdtus, 

 folded or doubled up), in bot., 

 folded like a fan ; regularly dis- 

 posed in folds, as in the vernation 

 of some leaves : plicative, a., 

 plik'at-iv, plaited or folded, 

 applied to sestivation : plicatul- 

 ate, a., plik-at'-ul-at (dim. of 

 plicate), disposed in very small 

 folds. 



Plumbaginacese, n. plu., plum* 

 badj'm'd'se-e (L. plumbago, the 

 plant lead- wort or flea - wort 

 from plumbum, lead), the Sea- 

 pink family, an Order of plants, 

 some of which are acrid, and 

 others have tonic qualities : 

 Plumbago, n., plum-bdg'6, a 

 genus of pretty free - flowering 

 plants : Plumbago Europaea, 

 ur f 'd'pe'a (of or from Europe), 

 has been employed for the relief 

 o( toothache, while the root is so 

 acrid as to be employed for caus- 

 ing issues, and by beggars to raise 

 ulcers to excite pity ; also used 

 internally in small doses as an 

 emetic : P. rosea, roz'-e-a (L. 

 rdseus, pert, to roses from rosa, 

 a rose), and P. scandens, sMn f > 

 denz (L. scandens, climbing), are 

 two species whose roots when 

 fresh are most energetic blister- 

 ing agents, the latter in San 

 Domingo being called * Herbe-du- 

 diable.' 



plumbism, n., plum'-bizm (L. 

 plumbum, lead), the condition of 

 an individual whose system has 

 been brought under the influence 

 of lead poison, as plumbers and 

 painters. 



plumose, a., pl6m-oz' (F. plume, 

 L. pluma, a feather, a small, 

 soft feather), in bot., applied to 

 hairs or plants that have branches 

 arranged like the beard on a 

 feather ; feathery. 



plumule, n. , pldm'-ul (L. plumula, 

 a little feather), in bot., the rudi- 

 mentary or first bud of an 

 embryo, usually enclosed by the 

 cotyledons. 



plurilocular, a. , pldr'i- l$k r >ul- dr 

 (L. plus, more, pluris, of more ; 

 loculus, a little place), in bot. 9 

 having several divisions contain- 

 ing seeds, as the orange and 

 lemon ; many-celled : pluripart- 

 ite, a., pldr'-i-pdrtf-it (L. partitus, 

 parted or divided), having an 

 organ deeply-divided into several 

 nearly distinct portions : pluri- 



