| mercurial | 1. Having the qualities fabled to belong to the god Mercury; swift; active; sprightly; fickle; volatile; changeable; as, a mercurial youth; a mercurial temperament. "A mercurial man who fluttered over all things like a fan." (Byron) 2. Having the form or image of Mercury; applied to ancient guideposts. 3. Of or pertaining to Mercury as the god of trade; hence, money-making; crafty. "The mercurial wand of commerce." (J. Q. Adams) 4. Of or pertaining to, or containing, mercury; as, mercurial preparations, barometer. See Mercury. 5. <medicine> Caused by the use of mercury; as, mercurial sore mouth. Origin: L. Mercurialis, fr. Mercurius Mercury: cf. F. Mercuriel. 1. A person having mercurial qualities. 2. <medicine> A preparation containing mercury. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| mercurial diuretics | Diuretic drugs containing organic mercury (e.g., Mercuhydrin) which promote substantial salt and water loss through the kidney. Among the first potent diuretic agents used in congestive heart failure, but now obsolescent. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mercurial line | A bluish brown pigmentation seen at the gingival margin and associated with mercury poisoning (mercurial stomatitis). (05 Mar 2000) |
| mercurial stomatitis | Alterations of the oral mucosa arising from chronic mercury poisoning; may consist of mucosal erythema and oedema, ulceration, and deposition of mercurial sulfide in inflamed tissues, resulting in oral pigmentation resembling that of lead stomatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mercurial tremor | A tremor caused by chronic mercury poisoning. (05 Mar 2000) |
| mild mercurial ointment | A grease-based ointment containing 20% finely divided metallic mercury, formerly widely used for local application to the skin for the destruction of body lice. Risk is associated with transdermal absorption of mercury and a local dermatitis. Synonym: mild mercurial ointment. (05 Mar 2000) |
| diuretics, mercurial | A group of organometallic compounds, now rarely used, that promote diuresis by inhibiting tubular reabsorption of sodium and chloride. (12 Dec 1998) |
| actinic dermatitis | Dermatitis caused or elicited by exposure to sunlight; may be phototoxic or photoallergic, and can result from topical application, ingestion, inhalation, or injection of mediating phototoxic or photoallergic material. See: photosensitization. Synonym: actinic dermatitis, actinodermatitis. Origin: photo-+ G. Derma, skin, + -itis, inflammation (05 Mar 2000) |
| allergic contact dermatitis | A delayed type IV allergic reaction of the skin with varying degrees of erythema, oedema, and vesiculation resulting from cutaneous contact with a specific allergen. Synonym: contact allergy. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ancylostoma dermatitis | Cutaneous larva migrans caused by larvae of hookworms. Synonym: ancylostoma dermatitis, ancylostomiasis cutis, coolie itch, dew itch, ground itch, swamp itch, swimmer's itch, toe itch, water itch, water sore. (05 Mar 2000) |
| atopic dermatitis | <dermatology> A type of immune-mediated (allergic) inflammatory skin disorder that results in a itchy rash. See: atopic eczema. (27 Sep 1997) |
| berloque dermatitis | Berlock dermatitis, a type of photosensitization resulting in deep brown pigmentation on exposure to sunlight after application of bergamot oil and other essential oils in perfume. (05 Mar 2000) |
| blastomycetic dermatitis | A cutaneous form of blastomycosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| bubble gum dermatitis | Allergic contact dermatitis developing about the lips in children who chew bubble gum; caused by plastics in the gum substance. (05 Mar 2000) |
| papular dermatitis of pregnancy | Intensely pruritic papular eruption of torso and extremities occurring throughout pregnancy, with no systemic toxicity; may be similar to pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. (05 Mar 2000) |