Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • Ear cough

    A reflex cough induced by irritation in the ear that stimulates Arnold’s nerve.  

  • Dry cough

    A cough unaccompanied by sputum production.  

  • Diphtherial cough

    A cough heard in laryngeal diphtheria. It is noisy and brassy, and breathing is stridulous.  

  • Bronchial cough

    A cough heard in patients with bronchiectasis or bronchitis. It may be provoked by a change of posture, as when getting up in the morning, and produces frothy mucus that is copious, dirty gray, and has a fetid odor. The cough is hacking and irritating in the earlier stages; in later stages it is looser…

  • Brassy cough

    A dry cough heard in patients who have pressure on the left recurrent laryngeal nerve, as in aortic aneurysm or in those with laryngeal inflammation.  

  • Aneurysmal cough

    A cough that is brassy and clanging, sometimes heard in patients who have an aortic aneurysm.  

  • Cotton-wool spot

    A tiny infarct in the retina, present in hypertension, diabetes mellitus, bacterial endocarditis, and other diseases.  

  • Cotton’s test

    A manual stress test used to identify the amount of lateral translation of the talus within the ankle mortise. The examiner stabilizes the proximal ankle while shifting the talus laterally. A positive test is marked by increased motion relative to the uninvolved side and is indicative of a sprain of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis or…

  • Purified cotton

    Cotton fibers from which the oil has been completely removed. This enhances the ability to absorb liquids.  

  • Cotton

    A soft, white, fibrous material obtained from the fibers enclosing the seeds of various plants of the Malvaceae, especially those of the genus Gossypium.  

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