| manual | Of or pertaining to the hand; done or made by the hand; as, manual labour; the king's sign manual. "Manual and ocular examination." Manual alphabet. See Dactylology. Manual exercise the exercise by which soldiers are taught the use of their muskets and other arms. Seal manual, the impression of a seal worn on the hand as a ring. Sign manual. See Sign. Origin: OE. Manuel, F. Manuel, L. Manualis, fr. Manus hand; prob. Akin to AS. Mund hand, protection, OHG. Munt, G. Mundel a ward, vormund guardian, Icel. Mund hand. Cf. Emancipate, Legerdemain, Maintain, Manage, Manner, Manur, Mound a hill. 1. A small book, such as may be carried in the hand, or conveniently handled; a handbook; specifically, the service book of the Roman Catholic Church. "This manual of laws, styled the Confessor's Laws." (Sir M. Hale) 2. A keyboard of an organ or harmonium for the fingers, as distinguished from the pedals; a clavier, or set of keys. 3. A prescribed exercise in the systematic handing of a weapon; as, the manual of arms; the manual of the sword; the manual of the piece (cannon, mortar, etc). Origin: Cf. F. Manuel, LL. Manuale. See Manual. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| manual communication | Method of nonverbal communication utilizing hand movements as speech equivalents. (12 Dec 1998) |
| manual ventilation | Intermittent manual compression of a gas-filled reservoir bag to force gases into a patient's lungs and thus maintain oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination during apnea or hypoventilation. (05 Mar 2000) |
| chiropractic manual manipulation | <orthopaedics> A method used to successfully relocate a subluxated vertebrae or extremity joint. This consists of an assisted motion applied to the vertebra beyond the active and passive range of motion. This technique requires much skill and competence and should only be performed by the qualified physician. (05 Jan 1998) |
| Diagnostic and Statistical Manual | An American Psychiatric Association publication which classifies mental illnesses.Currently in its fourth edition (DSM-IV) and first published in 1952, the manual provides health practitioners with a comprehensive system for diagnosing mental illnesses based on specific ideational and behavioural symptoms. The DSM approach supplants older, less rigorous methods of diagnosis, and as such represents a major step forward for the field of psychiatry. It consists of five axes covering clinical syndromes, developmental and personality disorders, physical disorders, severity of psychosocial stressors, and global assessment of functioning. It is used primarily in the U.S.; elsewhere, the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases is preferred. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acupuncture therapy | Treatment of disease by inserting needles along specific pathways or meridians. The placement varies with the disease being treated. Heat or moxibustion and acupressure may be used in conjunction. (12 Dec 1998) |
| adjuvant therapy | <oncology, pharmacology> Treatment that is added to increase the effectiveness of a primary treatment. In cancer, adjuvant treatment usually refers to chemotherapy, hormonal therapy or radiation therapy after surgery to increase the likelihood of killing all cancer cells. (14 May 1997) |
| alternative therapy | A term given to nonconventional therapy usually given by persons who do not have a medical qualification. (16 Dec 1997) |
| analytic therapy | Short term for psychoanalytic therapy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Antibody Directed Enzyme Prodrug Therapy | <pharmacology> A method for targeting a drug to a specific tissue, in which the targeting agent and the drug are administered separately. The drug is designed to be inactive (a prodrug) until it is converted by an enzyme, which is the targeting agent. The enzyme is coupled to an antibody that directs it to the tissue of interest. When the enzyme arrives at the tissue, the prodrug is activated only at that site, sparing other tissues from potentially toxic side effects. Acronym: ADEPT (14 Nov 1997) |
| anticoagulant therapy | The use of anticoagulant drugs to reduce or prevent intravascular or intracardiac clotting. (05 Mar 2000) |
| antisense therapy | Use of antisense DNA for the inhibition of translation of a specific gene product for therapeutic purposes. (05 Mar 2000) |
| art therapy | The use of art as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of neurological, mental, or behavioural disorders. (12 Dec 1998) |
| autoserum therapy | Therapy with serum obtained from the patient's own blood. (05 Mar 2000) |
| aversion therapy | <psychology> A form of behaviour therapy that pairs an unpleasant stimulus with undesirable behaviour(s) so that the patient learns to avoid the latter. See: aversive training. (05 Mar 2000) |