ALTERANT, or Alterative, in Medicine, a Property, or Power in certain Remedies, whereby they induce an Alteration in the Body, and dispose it for Health or Recovery, by correcting some Indisposition; without occasioning any sensible Evacuation. See MEDICINE. Under Alterants, therefore, come all Medicines which are not Evacuants. See EVACUANT, and EVACUATION. 'Tis a Point much questioned by some, whether there really be any such thing as an Alterant in this Sense; i.e., anything which tends to cure a Disorder otherwise than by eliminating or expelling some peccant Matter. See DISEASE, SPECIFIC, etc. Dr. Quincy has made it probable, that Remedies usually reputed Alterants, act in the same manner on the remoter and more intimate Parts of the Habit, as Emetics, Purgatives, etc., do on the Stomach and Intestines. See PURGATIVE. Alteratives, therefore, are better defined, such Medicines as have no immediate sensible Operation, but gradually gain upon the Constitution, by changing the Humours from a State of Distemperature to Health.
AMAUROSIS, in Medicine, a Deprivation of Sight; the Eyes remaining fair, and seemingly unaffected. See EYE, etc. Amaurosis is the same with what the Latins more usually call Gutta Serena. See GUTTA SERENA. The Word is Greek, αμαυρός, q. d. Darkness; formed of αμαυρός, obscure.
AMBLYOPY, Amaryopia, in Medicine, a Disease of the Eyes; otherwise called Gutta Serena and Amaurosis. See GUTTA SERENA, &c. The Word comes from αμβλύς, obtuse, dull, and οπτικός, I see.
AMMI, or Semen Ammeos, a kind of aromatic Seed, of considerable use in Medicine; the Produce of a Plant of the same Name. The Seed is brought from the Levant: It is found to contain a great deal of essential Oil, and volatile Salt; and to be attenuating, aperitive, hysteric, carminative, cephalic, and alexipharmic being, is one of the four lesser hot Seeds.—It expels Wind, provokes the Menses, &c. According to Lemery, the Plant takes its Name Ammeos from amyis, arena; its Seed being very like Grains of Sand. —It is also called Ammi Creticum, or Aethiopicum, to distinguish it from the vulgar Ammi, or Bishop's-weed. It is sometimes also called Cuminum Aethiopicum.
ANA, or aa, in Medicine, denotes an equal Quantity of any Thing, whether in liquid or dry Measure. See A.
Hence Analectica Proportio is used by some Writers to signify the Ratio, or Proportion of Equality. See EQUALITY, RATIO, &c.
Ana, in Matters of Literature, a Latin Termination, adopted into the Titles of several Books in other Languages——Ana’s, or Books in Ana, are Collections of the memorable Sayings of Persons of Learning, and Wit; much the same with what we otherwise call Table Talk. Wolfius has given the History of Books in Ana, in the Preface to the Casauboniana: He there observes, that though such Titles be new, the Thing itself is very old; that Xenophon’s Books of the Deeds and Sayings of Socrates, as well as the Dialogues of Plato, are Socratiana: That the Apothegms of the Philosophers, collected by Diogenes Laertius; the Sentences of Pythagoras, and those of Epictetus; the Works of Athenaeus, Stobaeus, and divers others, are so many Ana’s. Even the Gemara of the Jews, with several other Oriental Writings, according to Wolfius, properly belong to the same Class. See GEMARA. The Scaligeriana was the first Piece that appeared with a Title in Ana. It was composed from the Writings of Hesfant and Verthunian, who, as it is said, took them from the Mouth of Scaliger, whom they had constantly attended a long time. The first Edition was in 1666. Soon after came the Perroniana, Thuana, Naudeana, Patiniana, Sorberiana, Menagiana, Anti-menagiana, Fureteriana, Chevreana, Leibnitziana, &c. to Arlequiniana.
Hence Analectica Proportio is used by some Writers to signify the Ratio, or Proportion of Equality. See EQUALITY, RATIO, &c.
Ana, in Matters of Literature, a Latin Termination, adopted into the Titles of several Books in other Languages——Ana’s, or Books in Ana, are Collections of the memorable Sayings of Persons of Learning, and Wit; much the same with what we otherwise call Table Talk. Wolfius has given the History of Books in Ana, in the Preface to the Casauboniana: He there observes, that though such Titles be new, the Thing itself is very old; that Xenophon’s Books of the Deeds and Sayings of Socrates, as well as the Dialogues of Plato, are Socratiana: That the Apothegms of the Philosophers, collected by Diogenes Laertius; the Sentences of Pythagoras, and those of Epictetus; the Works of Athenaeus, Stobaeus, and divers others, are so many Ana’s. Even the Gemara of the Jews, with several other Oriental Writings, according to Wolfius, properly belong to the same Class. See GEMARA. The Scaligeriana was the first Piece that appeared with a Title in Ana. It was composed from the Writings of Hesfant and Verthunian, who, as it is said, took them from the Mouth of Scaliger, whom they had constantly attended a long time. The first Edition was in 1666. Soon after came the Perroniana, Thuana, Naudeana, Patiniana, Sorberiana, Menagiana, Anti-menagiana, Fureteriana, Chevreana, Leibnitziana, &c. to Arlequiniana.
ANABROSIS, in Medicine, the issuing of Blood at a Hole worn in a Vein by Corrosion. The Word is Greek, ἀνάφρωσις (anabrosis), corrosion.
ANALEPTICKS, in Medicine, Restoratives; or Remedies proper to restore the Body, when wasted or emaciated, either by the Continuance of a Disease, or the Want of Food. See RESTORATIVE. The Word is Greek, Ἀναληπτικά (Analeptika), derived from Ἀναλαμβάνω (Analambano), To re-establish, restore.
ANASARCA, in Medicine, a type of universal Dropsy, wherein the whole Substance of the Body is swollen or bloated with watery Humours. See DROPSY. The Anasarca is otherwise called Leucophlegmatia. See LEUCOPHLEGMATIA. The Word is formed from the Greek ἀνάσαρκος (anasarkos, swollen).
In an Anasarca, the Legs swell at the beginning, especially towards Night, and then pit remarkably: The Urine is pale, the Appetite decays; at length, the Swelling rises higher and appears in the Thighs, Belly, Breast, Arms. The Face becomes pale and cadaverous; the Flesh soft and lax; a difficulty in Respiration comes on, attended with a slow Fever, etc.
In an Anasarca, the Legs swell at the beginning, especially towards Night, and then pit remarkably: The Urine is pale, the Appetite decays; at length, the Swelling rises higher and appears in the Thighs, Belly, Breast, Arms. The Face becomes pale and cadaverous; the Flesh soft and lax; a difficulty in Respiration comes on, attended with a slow Fever, etc.