Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Causes of death
The final cause of death is usually the failure of the vital centres in the brain that control the beating of the heart and the act of breathing. The important practical question, however, is what disease, injury or other agent has led to this failure. Sometimes the cause may be obvious for example, pneumonia, coronary…
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Deadly nightshade
The popular name of Atropa belladonna, from which atropine is procured. Its poisonous black berries are sometimes eaten by children. The Atropa belladonna plant, commonly known as belladonna, produces purple-black berries containing a toxic substance called belladonna alkaloid. These berries are deceptively sweet-tasting, making them especially tempting to children. Consumption can lead to extreme agitation,…
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Disposal of the dead
Practically, only three methods have been used from the earliest times: burial, embalming and cremation. Burial is the earliest and most primitive method. In Britain, it was customary to bury the bodies of the dead in consecrated ground around churches until the early 19th century, when the unsanitary state of churchyards led to legislation for…
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Daydreams
When awake, a person may imagine enjoyable or exciting events or images. Most people daydream at some stage, but more usually when they are stressed or unhappy. Children and teenagers may daydream a lot. This should not necessarily worry parents or teachers unless their work suffers or it affects the individual’s personal relationships. In those…
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Dartos
The thin muscle just under the skin of the scrotum which enables the scrotum to alter its shape. The muscular, contractile tissue beneath the skin of the scrotum. The smooth muscle under the scrotal skin that contracts to tighten the scrotum, as it does in cold conditions.
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Dantrolene
A muscle-relaxing drug, used in chronic severe spasticity (stiffness) of voluntary muscle such as may occur after a stroke or in cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis (MS). Unlike most other relaxants, it acts directly on the muscle, thus producing fewer central-nervous-system side-effects. It is contraindicated if liver function is impaired, and is not recommended for…
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Dactinomycin
A cytotoxic antibiotic drug principally used for treating cancers such as acute leukamias and lymphomas in children. It is given intravenously and treatment normally takes place in hospital. The drug was previously known as actinomycin D.
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Cysts
Hollow tumours, containing fluid or soft material. They are almost always simple in nature. A closed sac or pouch with a definite wall that contains fluid, semifluid, or solid material. It is usually an abnormal structure resulting from developmental anomalies, obstruction of ducts, or parasitic infection. A sac or capsule in the body. It may…
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Cystocoele
A prolapse of the base of the urinary bladder in a woman. The pelvic floor muscles may be weakened after childbirth and, when the woman strains, the front wall of the vagina bulges. Stress incontinence often accompanies a cystocoele and surgical repair is then advisable.
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Cyproterone acetate
An antiandrogen. It inhibits the effects of androgens at receptor level and is therefore useful in the treatment of prostate cancer, acne, hirsutism in women and in the treatment of severe hypersexuality and sexual deviation in men. The drug can have serious side-effects. An agent that effectively inhibits the activity of androgen hormones is employed in…
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