Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Scrombotoxin poisoning
This occurs from eating poorly preserved tuna, mackerel and related ‘scombroid’ fish. A toxic histamine-like substance is produced by the action of bacteria or histidine, a normal component of fish flesh. This toxin produces nausea, vomiting, headache, upper abdominal pain, difficulty in swallowing, thirst, itching and sometimes urticaria. The condition settles as a rule in…
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Schistomicide
A drug used to treat schistosomiasis. Praziquantel is the drug of choice, with a combination of effectiveness, broad-activity spectrum and few side-effects.
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Scanning techniques
Ways of producing images of body organs that record, process and analyse sound waves, radio waves or x-rays passing through or generated by the body’s tissues. Ultrasound scanning using high-frequency, inaudible sound waves directed at the area of the body being studied is the most generally used scanning procedure. Sound waves are reflected more powerfully…
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Scalded-skin syndrome
In infants, certain staphylococcal bacteria can cause an acute toxic illness in which the subject develops sheets of bright erythema, accompanied by shedding of outer layers of skin. The result looks similar to a hot-water scald. The condition responds promptly to appropriate antibiotic therapy. Drug reactions, especially from sulphonamides, may cause a similar syndrome in…
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Safety of drugs
The commission on human medicines has the function of scrutinizing the efficacy, quality and safety of new drugs before clinical trials and before marketing, as well as the surveillance of each drug after marketing so that adverse reactions are monitored and documented, and warnings issued as required. Early clinical trials of a drug can only…
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Rous sarcoma
A malignant tumour of fowls which is caused by a virus. This tumour has been the subject of much experimental work on the nature of cancer. A growth resembling cancer observed in certain birds. From this growth, a virus can be extracted. When introduced into other birds, this virus induces a similar cancer-like growth. Its…
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Rouleaux
The term applied to the heaps into which red blood corpuscles (erythrocytes) collect as seen under the microscope. In the domain of hematological abnormalities, there exists a phenomenon known as the aggregation of red blood cells. This occurrence occurs due to the presence of additional or abnormal proteins in the blood, which disrupt the regular…
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Rotaviruses
A group of viruses (so-called because of their wheel-like structure: rota is Latin for wheel) which are a common cause of gastroenteritis in infants. They cause from 25 to 80 per cent of childhood diarrhoea in different parts of the world, and in the United Kingdom they are responsible for 60-65 per cent of cases.…
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Root filling
Also called root-canal therapy, this is the treatment given when the nerve of ta tooth has been exposed while the tooth is being prepared for a filling, or if it has died or become infected. The nerve debris is removed and, when the chamber is clear of infection, an inert material is inserted to seal…
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Rombergism
A term applied to marked unsteadiness when a person stands with the eyes shut. It is found as a symptom in some nervous diseases, such as peripheral neuropathy and tabes dorsalis. The tendency to fall from a standing position when the eyes are closed and the feet are close together.
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