Category: S

A branched renal stone formed in the image of the collecting system of the kidney. It fills the calyces and pelvis, often resulting from infection of the urine, particularly with Proteus vulgaris. A sizable kidney stone that has multiple protrusions and forms in the renal pelvis, the central chamber within the kidney where urine accumulates…

A herbal extract (from a type of lily) that is included in some over-the-counter cough remedies because of its believed expectorant properties. An ancient remedy now rarely employed in medical practice, with therapeutic and toxic effects that mimic those of digoxin. It is derived from plants of the lily family.  

Also called floaters, these are usually harmless but can be a result of inflammation or bleeding in the eye, or as an early sign of impending retinal detachment.  

In some acute infectious diseases, the spleen 3 arterial capillaries ending in sinuses becomes congested and acutely enlarged: for example, in typhoid fever anthrax and infectious mononucleosis. In diseases associated with marked changes in the blood, such as leukaemia and malaria, it may become chronically enlarged. Rupture of the spleen may occur, like rupture of…

What may be felt when one of a person’s four key spiritual relationships (with other people, with oneself, with the world around, or with ‘Life’ itself) is traumatized or broken. A bad trauma in one of the first three relationships can lead to damage to the last of them that of the relationship with Life…

A strong solution of alcohol in water. Proof spirit is one containing 57 per cent of alcohol by volume or 49 per cent by weight, and is so named because it can stand the proof of just catching fire. Rectified spirit contains 90 per cent of alcohol by volume or over 85 per cent by…

Also known as the spine, this is the rigid pillar which supports the upper parts of the body and protects the spinal cord and nerves arising from it. It is built up of 33 vertebrae placed one upon another, of which five fuse together to form the sacrum, and the lowest four unite in the…

A chronic condition in which the neck is rotated or deviated laterally, forwards, or backwards, often with additional jerking or tremor. It is a form of focal dystonia, and should not be confused with the far commoner, transient condition of acute painful wry-neck. Torticollis with recurrent but transient contractions of the muscles of the neck…

A medical specialty dealing with the physiological, psychological and pathological consequences of space flight, in which the body has to cope with unusual variations in gravitational forces, including weightlessness, a constricted environment, prolonged close contact with work colleagues in very demanding technical circumstances, and sustained periods of emotional pressure, including fear. Enormous progress has been…

An extract from the bean of Glycine soja, a leguminous plant related to peas and beans. It is used in infant formulas for those babies thought to have cows’ milk protein intolerance.