medicine

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. medicament, medication, remedy; therapy, physic; medical profession.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [The healing profession]

Syn. medical men, healers, practitioners, doctors, physicians, surgeons, osteopaths, chiropractors, the profession, American Medical Association, A.M.A.

2. [A medical preparation]

Syn. medication, drug, dose, potion, prescription, pill, tablet, capsule, draft, curative preparation, patent medicine, remedy, cure, antivenin, anti-poison, antibiotic, medicament, vaccination, inoculation, injection, draught, simple, herb, specific, nostrum, elixir, tonic, balm, alterant, salve, lotion, ointment, emetic, pharmacopoeia, shot.

Types of medicines include: antibiotic, antiseptic, antitoxin, antidote, antifungal, vaccine; analgesic, pain reliever, pain killer, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxer, anesthetic, antispasmodic, antipyretic, febrifuge, steroid; sedative, tranquilizer, anticonvulsant, antidepressant; demulcent, antipruritic, astringent, counterirritant; laxative, cathartic, purgative, antacid, emetic, vermifuge; cough suppressant, expectorant, decongestant, antihistamine; antineoplastic, chemotherapeutic, chemo, immunosuppressive drug; anticoagulant, vasodilator, vasoconstrictor, beta blocker.

3. [The study and practice of medicine]

Syn. medical science, physic, healing art, medical profession, doctoring*, bed-panology*.

Branches of medicine include: general practice, family practice, internal medicine, surgery, sports medicine, orthopedics, cardiology, hematology, respiratory medicine, otorhinolaryngology, (ear, nose, and throat), audiology, ophthalmology, allergology, immunology, rheumatology, anesthesiology, endocrinology, dermatology, gastroenterology, nephrology, urology, gynecology, obstetrics, neonatology, pediatrics, neurology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, geriatrics, oncology, radiology, pathology, toxicology, public health, epidemiology, tropical medicine, occupational medicine, industrial medicine. The following are not always recognized as branches of medicine: osteopathy, homeopathy, chiropractic.

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

medication, medicament, remedy, cure, elixir, preparation, drug, wonder drug, pharmaceutical, antibiotic, pill, inoculation, vaccine, physic, dose, treatment, therapeutics. ''Consists of amusing the patient while nature cures the disease.''—Voltaire. ''A conjectural art.''—Celsus.

WORD FIND

medicines and drugs

• acid neutralizer: antacid, bicarbonate of soda

• alcohol, solution of: tincture

• allergy reliever that counters histamine: antihistamine

• analgesic: acetaminophen, aspirin, codeine, ibuprofen, morphine, opium

• angina, relieves: nitroglycerin

• antibiotic: amoxicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, penicillin, streptomycin, sulfa drug, sulfonamide, tetracycline

• bacterial infection treatment derived from fungus: antibiotic

• blood clotting, prevents: anticoagulant, heparin

• blood serum containing antibodies: gamma globulin

• blood vessel constrictor: vasoconstrictor

• blood vessel widener: vasodilator

• body’s natural immune protein: antibody

• book listings of: pharmacopoeia

• breathing passages, opens: bronchodilator

• cancelling out of one drug’s effects by another: antagonism

• circulation, steps up: epinephrine, adrenalin

• cough suppressant: antitussive, codeine

• cure-all: panacea, catholicon

• diabetes victim’s blood sugar regulator: insulin

• dropper: pipette

• epilepsy, seizure medication: diazepam, Dilantin

• fever reducer: antipyretic, febrifuge

• heart activity, decreases: beta blocker

• heart stimulant: digitalis

• itch reliever: antipruritic

• laxative: cathartic, purgative

• malaria drug: quinine

• motion sickness reliever: Dramamine

• muscle-building hormone: steroid

• nonprescription: over-the-counter

• ointment: salve, unguent, balm, emollient

• organ transplant, fights rejection of: immunosuppressant

• painkiller: analgesic, Demerol, methadone

• Parkinson’s disease, controls: L-dopa

• phlegm, helps bring up: expectorant

• poison counteractant: antidote, antivenin

• polio vaccine: Sabin vaccine, Salk vaccine

• quack: patent medicine, nostrum

• reduced effectiveness of medicine over time: tolerance

• relieves symptoms but does not cure disease: palliative

• simulated: placebo

• skin, applied to: topical

• sleep, induces: hypnotic, soporific

• spasm reliever: antispasmodic

• study of medicines: pharmacology

• tranquilizer: Librium, Miltown, Thorazine

• ulcer medicine: Xantac, antacid

• urine, increases excretion of: diuretic

• vaccine for diptheria, pertussis and tetanus: DPT

• vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella: MMR

• vessel: ampule, phial, vial

• vomiting, induces: emetic

procedures, see also operation

• alcohol, drug, toxin removal from body: detoxification, *detox

• allergy test: patch test, scratch test

• blood cell count: blood count

• blood filtering to aid kidney function: dialysis

• brain scan by tomography: PET scan, positron emission tomography

• brain’s electrical activity reading: electroencephalogram, EEG

• breast X-ray or imaging: mammography

• broken bone alignment by force: traction

• cancer treatment with X-rays, beta rays, gamma rays: radiation therapy

• chemical or drug treatment for cancer: chemotherapy

• choking maneuver: Heimlich maneuver

• CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation

• determination of disease: diagnosis

• EEG: electroencephalogram

• EKG: electrocardiogram

• enhanced radiology imaging: CAT scan (computerized axial tomography)

• evaluation, general: workup, physical

• fat sucked out, plastic surgery method: liposuction

• feeling for body abnormalities by hand: palpation

• heart exam through ultrasound imaging: echocardiography

• heart fitness test: stress test

• heart’s electrical activity reading: electrocardiogram, EKG

• imaging internal body with magnetic field: magnetic resonance imaging, MRI

• intravenous introduction of blood: transfusion, IV

• microorganisms, lab examination of body’s: culture

• prediction of disease outcome: prognosis

• prioritizing of most critical patients first: triage

• stone destruction by sound waves: lithotripsy

• tapping body part to aid in diagnosis: percussion

• tissue removal for examination: biopsy

• tube insertion in body part for drainage, diagnosis, etc.: intubation

• uterine fluid removal during pregnancy: amniocentesis

• uterine or cervical cancer test: Pap test

• X-ray image live on screen: fluoroscopy

medical equipment

• bladder probe: cytoscope

• bleeding, stops profuse: hemostat

• blood filtering machine aiding kidney function: dialysis machine

• blood pressure cuff: sphygmomanometer

• breathing apparatus: respirator, resuscitator

• colon discharge bag: colostomy bag

• colon probe: sigmoidoscope

• decompression chamber: hyperbaric chamber

• ear probe: otoscope

• electrocardiogram machine: electrocardiograph

• gown, green surgical: *scrubs, scrub suit

• grasper: forceps

• hammer used to check reflexes: plessor, percussion hammer

• holds body cavity open: speculum

• internal probe: endoscope

• joint probe: arthroscope

• knife: bistoury, lancet, scalpel

• knife, electrical: radio knife

• larynx probe: lyngoscope

• listening device, diaphragm: stethoscope

• needle and syringe: hypodermic

• photographs internal body by radiation: Xray machine

• pole on which medicinal fluids are hung: IV pole, *ivy pole

• pump used in heart surgery: heart-lung machine

• rectal probe: proctoscope, sigmoidoscope

• respitory recorder: spirograph

• sterilizer, instrument: autoclave

• stretcher: gurney

• stomach probe: gastroscope

• tissue retractor: retractor

• tissue scraper: curette

• tongue, moves out of the way: tongue depressor

• trachea probe: bronchoscope

• tube drain: catheter

• X-ray screen: fluoroscope

fields of medicine

• aging: geriatrics, gerontology

• anesthesia: anesthesiology

• animal: veterinary medicine

• behavioral effects of drugs: psychopharmacology

• birth: obstetrics, tocology

• blood: hematology

• bones: osteology, osteopathy, orthopedics

• children: pediatrics

• cosmetic and reconstructive surgery: plastic surgery

• digestive system: gastroenterology

• disease identification: diagnostics

• disease: pathology, etiology

• ears, nose and throat: otorhinolaryngology

• ears: otology

• epidemics: epidemiology

• eyes: ophthalmology, optometry

• feet: podiatry

• female reproductive system: gynecology

• gums: periodontics

• hearing: audiology

• heart: cardiology

• hormones, glands: endocrinology

• immune system: immunology

• internal disease, noninvasive treatment of: internal medicine

• joints: arthrology

• kidneys: nephrology

• liver: hepatology

• lungs and breathing: pulmonology

• malformations: teratology

• mental diseases, disorders: psychopathology, psychiatry

• muscles: myology, orthopedics

• needles, Chinese: acupuncture

• nervous system: neurology

• newborns: neonatology

• obstetrics and gynecology: ob-gyn

• poisons: toxicology

• rectum, anus and colon: proctology

• rheumatic disease: rheumatology

• sexually transmitted diseases: venereology

• skin: dermatology

• skull: craniology

• spinal alignment: chiropractic

• stomach: gastrology

• teeth: dentistry, orthodontics

• tumors: oncology

• urinary tracts: urology

• veins: phlebology

• viruses: virology

• whole body teatment: holistic medicine

• X rays, radiation: radiology

see also birth, disease, doctor, hospital, operation, pregnancy

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. An agent used to restore health: cure, elixir, medicament, medication, nostrum, physic, remedy. See HEALTH. 2. A substance used in the treatment of disease: drug, medicament, medication, pharmaceutical. See DRUGS.