Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

In the UK, a medico-legal defence for a clinician accused of failing to provide an acceptable standard of care for one of his or her qualification and experience. The defence is that a responsible body of medical practitioners would have taken the same action, even though others would have acted differently. The precise size of…

An excessive discharge of mucus or slimy material from a surface, such as that of the eye, nose, bowel, etc. The word ‘catarrh’ is used with the same meaning, but also includes the idea of inflammation as the cause of such discharge.  

Also known as pigeon breeder’s lung, this is a form of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (inflammation of the fine structures in the lungs) resulting from sensitisation to birds. In bird fanciers, skin tests sometimes show sensitisation to birds droppings, eggs, protein and serum, even through there has been no evidence of any illness. Bird fancier’s lung…

The use of living organisms — or infectious agents derived from them — to disable or kill men, animals or plants in the pursuit of war. Such warfare, along with chemical warfare, was condemned in 1925 by the Geneva Convention, and the United Nations has endorsed this policy. Even so, some countries have experimented with…

Twins who result from the fertilisation of two separate ova. Twins that occur when two separate eggs are released from the ovaries and fertilized simultaneously are known as fraternal or dizygotic twins. These twins can be of different sexes, unlike identical twins.  

A spectacle lens in which the upper part is shaped to assist distant vision and the lower part is for close work such as reading. The point at which a structure (for example, a blood vessel) divides into two branches.  

Also known as baking soda. Bicarbonate of soda is an alkali, sometimes used as a home remedy for indigestion or for soothing insect bites. Bicarbonate of soda, commonly referred to as baking soda, is a versatile ingredient that serves as a standalone leavening agent in recipes that incorporate an acidic component. Furthermore, it’s an optimal…

These drugs interrupt the transmission of impulses (messages) across nerve cells (neurons). In the heart these are called beta1 (cardioselective) receptors. Another type — beta2 (non-cardioselective) receptors — is sited in the airways, blood vessels, and organs such as the eye, liver and pancreas. Cardioselective beta blockers act primarily on beta, receptors, whereas noncardioselective drugs…

A naturally occurring painkiller which is produced by the pituitary gland as part of a prohormone (pre-pro-opianomelanocortin). It is an agonist at opioid receptors, and its release is stimulated by pain and stress.  

Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade) is a relatively rare plant and severe poisoning is not common. The berries, which are black, ripen from August to October and are the most commonly ingested part of the plant. However, all parts of the plant are toxic. The berries contain atropine and other unidentified alkaloids, the leaves hyoscine and atropine,…