Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A plaster cast made to keep the legs in an open position after an operation to correct a dislocated hip.  

Types of medical practice which are not usually taught in medical schools, e.g. homeopathy or acupuncture (informal). The various systems of healing that are not regarded as part of orthodox treatment by the medical profession. Some of these are based on theories that coincide to some extent with more orthodox medical ideas; others are based…

A test for pregnancy [After Maurice H. Friedman (b. 1903), US physician.] Reliable means for determining whether or not a woman is pregnant; it involves injecting some of her urine into an unmated female rabbit, and then, 2 days later, examining the ovaries of the rabbit. The finding of yellow bodies (corpora lutea) indicates that…

The bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae which can cause pneumonia [Described 1882. After Carl Friedlander (1847-87), pathologist at the Friedrichshain Hospital, Berlin, Germany.] Lobar pneumonia caused by infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae, characterized by fevers, chills, sweats, cough, pleuritic pain, bloody sputum, and bulging inter-lobar fissures on chest x-ray.  

The sound of two serous membranes rubbing together, heard with a stethoscope in someone who has pericarditis or pleurisy. A scratching sound, heard over the heart with the aid of the stethoscope, in patients who have pericarditis. It results from the two inflamed layers of the pericardium rubbing together during activity of the heart.  

A scratching sensation felt when the hand is placed on the chest of someone who has pericarditis. The tactile sensation occasionally experienced by a doctor during dry pleurisy, where inflamed and dry surfaces of the pleural membrane grate against each other during breathing, is known as vocal fremitus. It refers to the vibration the doctor…

The rubbing together of two surfaces. The name given either to the fremitus felt, or to the grating noise heard, when two rough surfaces of the body move over one another. It is characteristically obtained over the chest in cases of dry pleurisy. Deep rubbing movement requiring pressure on the skin with the fingers or…

A mixture of various plant oils, including benzoin and balsam, which can be inhaled as a vapour to relieve bronchitis or congestion. Friar’s balsam is a brand name for the fragrant liquid tincture of benzoin. It is employed as a steam inhalation, along with hot water, to alleviate nasal congestion, acute rhinitis, sinusitis, and to…

Understandable in terms of Freud’s theories, especially with regard to human sexuality. To Sigmund Freud or his theories especially those relating to sexual symbolism. Relating to or describing the work and ideas of Sigmund Freud (1856-1939): applied particularly to the school of psychiatry based on his teachings. In the realm of Sigmund Freud’s theories, the…