Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Supplement, Volume 1.djvu/640

 ECU

hCHl HEL/YNSIS, a term ufed, by the antient phyfidans, fur a taxncls, or flabby foftnefsi of the flefh of the legs, or any xsther part of the body. Some have alfo ufed the word to ex- ■pVefs a fault in bandages, when too loofe. ECLAMPSIS, a word ufed by Hippocrates tn defcribing the cpilepfy, and, by moll people, fuppofed, by a forced expla- nation, to mean the change which children undergo at the age of puberty, a time of great confequelice tn this difeafe, at which nature Ihines forth in new luftre, by the increafe both of ftrength and understanding. But the more natural and obvious fenfe of the word feems to be the exprefling thofe tefplendcnt flaftiings and fparklings of light which Strike the eyes of perfons fubject to this distemper, and which are called by Caelius Aurelianus fclntiUamm micee and circuit igmi ; And the fame author, in defcribing one of his epileptic cafes, particularly mentions the flaftiings of lightning, as it were, which were frequent before his eyes. It is not to be omitted that Hippocrates and Galen have both alfo ufed this word in another fenfe, to exprefs the highefl degree of a fever, juSr" before and at the crifis, when it is in its utmoft degree of heat, and exerts itfelf with its utmoft violence.

ECLECTICS, the name of a certain fet of phyfidans amon<» the antients, of whom Archigcnes was one, who felccted from the opinions of all the other fects, that which appeared to them belt, and nioft rational ; hence they were called Eclectics, and their prefcriptions medicina ecle£tica.

ECLECTOS, a name given, by many writers, to that form of medicine which we call a Linclus ; a compofition, made to be gently fwallowcd down, in coughs, and the like diforders, and ufually containing oil of fome kind.

ECLIPSE {Cycl.) — In the philofophical tran factions, N°. 461. Sect:. 9. we have a contrivance to reprefent folar edipfes, by means of the terreftrial globe, by Mr. Seguer, profefior of mathematics at Gottingcn.

ECLISIS, a word ufed, by the antient pliyficians, for a general faintnefs and feeblenefs of all parts of the body. Hippocrates ufes it for a lofs of voice, with a general decay of Strength, and, in fome other places, for a great weakening of the body, by violent difcharges by Stool.

ECLOGARII, among the antients, were perfons who excerped or picked out the belt pieces of the books they read, which, for that reafon, were called Eclogues, or felect pieces. See Eclogue, Cycl,

ECMARTYRIA, Eitftapfyta, in antiquity, a kind of fecond- hand evidence, admitted in the Athenian courts. It was not founded on the knowledge of the witnefs himfelf, but on that of another perfon, who had been an eye-witnefs of the faft in queftion, but was at this time either dead, or in a fo- reign country, or detained by ficknefs ; for, except in fuch cafes, the allegations of abfent perfons were never taken for lawful evidence. Pott. Arch^oL Grsec. 1. 1. a 21. T. 1 p. 117.

ECNEPHIAS, a word ufed 9 by Galen, to exprefs. a peculiar fort of fever, which, he fays, was at once hot and humid, and which he therefore refembles, by the name y to the fun breaking out from a watery cloud.

ECOUTE', in the manege, is ufed for a pace, or motion of a
 * horfe, when he rides well upon the hand and the heels, is com-

pactly put upon his haunches, .and hears, or listens, to the liccls or fpurs ; and continues duly ballanced between the heels, without throwing to either fide. This happens when a "horfe has a fine fenfe of the aids of the hand and 'heel.

ECPHONESIS, 'E«f tWtf, in rhetoric, the fame with excla- mation. See Exclamation, Cycl.

ECPHRAXIS, in medicine, is a taking away obstructions in any part. Blancard.

ECPHYSESIS, in medicine, is a difeafe in which the patient breathes thick.

JbCPHYSIS, in anatomy, is any procefs that coheres with, or adheres to a bone.

ECPIESMUS, Emje-ft^, in the antient writers of medicine, a

word ufed to exprefs a diStemperature of the eye, which

confifts in a very great prominence of the entire globe of the

eye, which is, as it were, thruft out of its focket, or orbit,

,. D y a g rea * flux of humours, or an inflammation.

ECPLEROMA, in the writings of the antient phyfidans., the name given to a kind ofcufhion of leather, Stuffed with ibme firm fubftance, and fitted to the cavities of the armpits, ufed in reducing luxations of the humerus.

ECPLEXIS, in the writings of the antient pliyficians, a word ufed to exprefs a tranfport of mind, proceeding from fome fudden perturbation. Hippocrates and Galen ufe the word to Signify a Stupor, or Stupefaction, in which the patient lies without motion, without Speaking or Stirring, and with his eyes open.

ECPNEUMATOSIS, in medicine, the fame with expiration.

KCPNOE, a word ufed by medical writers, to exprefs that part of refpiration, in which the breath is expelled out of the lungs.

ECP f OMA, a word ufed, by the antient phyfidans, in three or four different fenfes. It is fometimes made to exprefs a luxation, or dislocation of a bone, Sometimes it is ufed for

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the falling off of any corrupted part, fometimes for the exclu. (Ion of tire fecundities after child-birth, and fometimes for"a tailing down ol the womb, or a defcent of the omentum, or the inteftine, into the fcrotum.

ECPTOSIS) in furgery, the fame with luxation.

ECPUCTICA, in the materia medica, are cohdenfino- medi- cines. See Lvcrassantia.

ECREGMA, properly the name of a part, piece, or fegment of any thing; but Hippocrates has, in fome places, ufed it as the name of an eruption.

ECRITHMUS, in medicine, an irregular pulfe, which obferves no method, nor number, incident to any age. Blancard.

ECSTASIS Cutis, an extenfion of the fkin, a term ufed by the antients, as the oppofite to corrugatio, or wrinkling.

ECSTAT1CI, E«r«n««, in antiquity, a kind of diviners, who were caft into trances or ecftafies, in which they lay like dead men, or afleep, deprived of all fenfe and motion, but after fome time returning to themfelves, gave ftrange rela- tions of what they had feen and heard. Pott. Afchseol. Grxc I. St. c. 12. T. 1. p. 302.

ECSTROPHIUS, a name given by the antient writers in me- dicine, to any thing that threw out the internal tumours of the piles, io that external applications might be made to them.

ECTHLIMA, an ulceration ariling from a violent compreifion in the furface of the fkin. Blamard.

ECTHYMA, a name given, by Hippocrates, to any pufiule, or cutaneous eruption.

ECTOMIAS, a name, ufed by the antient phyfidans, to ex- prefs a caftrated animal.

ECTRIMMA, excoriation or galling. Hippocrates has ufed

the word particularly to exprefs cxulcerations of the fkin about

the os facrum, contracted by lying long in one pofture, in

cafes of fractu res of the thigh, or in lingering illneffes, in

_ which the patient is confined to his bed for a long time.

ECTROPIUM, that diftemperature of the eyelids in which they are everted, or retrafted, fo as to fhew their internal or red furface, and cannot fufficiently cover the eye. Sometimes this is a fimple and original difordcr, and fome- times it is only a fymptom of fome other, as of an inflamma- tion, farcoma, tumour, or the like. This fometimes owes its original to the comraflion of the fkin of the eyelids, by the fear of a wound, ulcer, burn, £3V. or to the induration and contraction of the fkin, after an inflammation, and fometimes it in a great meafure proceeds from the injudicious ufe of affringent collyriums, or eye-waters.

When this difordcr is become inveterate, it is not eafily cur'd ; while recent, it is to be attempted by relaxing and elongating the fkin of the eyelid, by the application of emol- lients, fuch as the vapours of hot milk, or water, oil of al- monds, mucilage of quince feed, and ointment of marfh- mallows. Thefe muft be repeated every day, the fkin of the eyelid drawn frequently towards its right pofition, and when the patient goes to bed, the eyelids fhould be brought together, and reftrained in their proper pofture by a plaifter comprefs and bandage. But if all this fail, and the cafe yet appear not incurable, manual operation muft take place.

The operation is performed in the following manner. Firft a> femilunar incifion is to be made in the external fkin of the eyelid, next its tarfus, or cartilaginous margin, making the angles of the incifion, downward in the upper lid, and up- ward in the under, that by this means the fkin may be elon- gated. If it does not appear fufBciently let out by one inci- fion, two or three more may be made, running parallel with- the firft, and at the diftance of a fmall packthread. When the eyelid is thus fufficiently elongated, the incifions muft be drefled firft with dry lint fluffed into them, and afterwards with lint, armed with fome vulnerary unguent, which will prevent the fkin from growing together again, and will occafion new flefh to be formed in the place, which will elongate the fkin. Laftly, to forward the extenfion and cure, a piece of flicking plaifter fhould be fattened to the eyelid, to keep it extended, and this muft be continued till the eye will (hut clofe. When, this cafe has continued from the patient's birth, the cure is very difficult, and it is a yet more hopelefs cafe, when it happens to old people, from a weaknefs of the orbicular mufcle. Heijler's Surgery, p. 372.

ECTROTICA, a name given, by the antient phyfidans, to fuch medicines as have power to occafion abortion.

ECU Antient, in heraldry, a term fignifying the antient fhield. By this they mean the antique triangular-thap'd fhield, on which the arms of the noble families of France have been painted, which ferves very conveniently, where the arms, confift of a large number of figures, and that number not even. Thus, if five animals are to be reprefentcd, this kind of Afield receives very conveniently three at the bottom, and two at the top ; and if three, then one at the top, and two at the bottom. This fhield is to be feen on old gems, and fome ruins ; but the modern fhield, which is fquare, and rounded, and pointed at the bottom, has baniihed the ufe of this. Nijiet'% Heraldry, p. u,

ECURIE,