| horse-leech | 1. <zoology> A large blood-sucking leech (Haemopsis vorax), of Europe and Northern Africa. It attacks the lips and mouths of horses. 2. A farrier; a veterinary surgeon. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
|---|---|
| leech | 1. Physician or surgeon; a professor of the art of healing. Alternative forms: leach] "Leech, heal thyself." (Wyclif (Luke iv. 23)) 2. <zoology> Any one of numerous genera and species of annulose worms, belonging to the order Hirudinea, or Bdelloidea, especially. Those species used in medicine, as Hirudo medicinalis of Europe, and allied species. In the mouth of bloodsucking leeches are three convergent, serrated jaws, moved by strong muscles. By the motion of these jaws a stellate incision is made in the skin, through which the leech sucks blood till it is gorged, and then drops off. The stomach has large pouches on each side to hold the blood. The common large bloodsucking leech of America (Macrobdella decora) is dark olive above, and red below, with black spots. Many kinds of leeches are parasitic on fishes; others feed upon worms and mollusks, and have no jaws for drawing blood. See Bdelloidea. Hirudinea, and Clepsine. 3. <surgery> A glass tube of peculiar construction, adapted for drawing blood from a scarified part by means of a vacuum. Horse leech, a less powerful European leech (Haemopis vorax), commonly attacking the membrane that lines the inside of the mouth and nostrils of animals that drink at pools where it lives. Origin: OE. Leche, laeche, physician, AS. Lce; akin to Fries. Ltza, OHG. Lahhi, Icel. Laeknari, Sw. Lakare, Dan. Laege, Goth. Lkeis, AS. Lacnian to heal, Sw. Laka, Dan.laege, Icel. Laekna, Goth. Lkinn. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| artificial | Made by art, not natural or pathological. Origin: L. Ars = art, facere = to make (18 Nov 1997) |
| artificial active immunity | See: acquired immunity. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial anatomy | The manufacture of models of anatomic structures, or the study of anatomy from such models. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial ankylosis | <orthopaedics> The surgical immobilisation of a joint (joint fusion). (27 Sep 1997) |
| artificial anus | An opening into the bowel, usually in the right or left flank, as a result of a colostomy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial Carlsbad salt | A mixture of potassium sulfate, sodium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and dried sodium sulfate; a laxative. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial classification | <zoology> Classification based on convenient or conspicuous diagnostic characters without attention to characters indicating relationship, often a classification based on a single arbitrarily chosen character, rather than an evaluation of the totality of characters. (09 Jan 1998) |
| artificial crown | A fixed restoration of the major part of the entire coronal part of a natural tooth; usually of gold, porcelain, or acrylic resin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial dentition | <dentistry> A synthetic replacement for all of your teeth in either your upper or your lower jaw. (08 Jan 1998) |
| artificial eye | A curved disk of opaque glass or plastic, containing an imitation iris and pupil in the centre, inserted beneath the eyelids and supported by the orbital contents after evisceration or enucleation; it may be ready-made (stock) or custom-made. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial fever | 1. Obsolete synonym for pyrotherapy. 2. Treatment of fever. Synonym: artificial fever, induced fever. Origin: pyreto-+ G. Therapeia, treatment (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial heart | A mechanical pump used to replace the function of a damaged heart, either temporarily or as a permanent prosthesis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| artificial heart valve | <cardiology> A synthetic or porcine (pigskin) valve surgically placed into the heart to replace a defective or malfunctioning valve. The aortic and mitral valves are the most frequently replaced with artificial valves. (27 Sep 1997) |