Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Halibut liver oil

    An oil obtained from the liver of the halibut fish (genus Hippoglossus) that is rich in vitamins A and D. A vitamin A and D-rich oil derived from halibut liver.  

  • Evening primrose oil

    An oil derived from Oenothera biennis, a biennial herb with yellow flowers, that contains omega-6 fatty acids. It is promoted for the treatment of inflammatory conditions (e.g., of the skin or joints). Evening Primrose Oil is derived from the seeds of the Oenothera Biennis plant, more commonly known as Evening Primrose. The oil harbors an…

  • Coconut oil

    A colorless cooking oil, derived from the nut of the Cocos nucifera palm tree. Of all cooking oils, it has the highest level of saturated fat (about 91%). The liquid fat derived from the fleshy part of the coconut by means of a centrifugal apparatus.  

  • Chaulmoogra oil

    A vegetable oil used to treat leprosy and some dermatoses. Although generally replaced by sulfones in treatment of leprosy, chaulmoogra oil is still used in endemic areas because of its availability and low cost. Also spelled chaulmugra or chaulmaugra.  

  • Ohtahara’s syndrome

    A rare cause of encephalopathy and seizures in newborn infants. Also known as early infantile epileptic encephalopathy with suppression bursts, the disease is difficult to treat and has a poor prognosis.  

  • Ohmmeter

    A device for determining the electrical resistance of a conductor. An apparatus utilized for measuring electrical resistance. The scale of this instrument can be calibrated and marked in units of ohms or megohms.  

  • Ohm’s law

    The strength of an electric current, expressed in amperes, is equal to the electromotive force, expressed in volts, divided by the resistance, expressed in ohms (V=IR).  

  • Oguchi’s disease

    Hereditary night blindness with onset in infancy. Commonly found in Japan, the disease is rare in the U.S.  

  • Ogilvie’s syndrome

    Acute intestinal pseudo-obstruction due to intestinal dilatation, mostly of the colon. An individual  is playing this syndrome has usually undergone recent severe surgical or medical stress (e.g., myocardial infarction, sepsis, or respiratory failure), may be hospitalized or in intensive care, may have metabolic and electrolyte disturbances, and may have received narcotics.  

  • Ogbanje

    Among the Igbo people of Nigeria, a person who is reborn after birth. In the Igbo culture all humans undergo reincarnation, but some particularly evil children are born over and over again. They suffer terrible illnesses (typically their signs and symptoms match those of sickle cell disease) that inflict revenge upon families that have been…