Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

To go around and see a patient in a hospital or other in-patient setting.

A group of four tendons that stabilize the shoulder joint. Each of these tendons attaches to a muscle that moves the shoulder in a specific direction. The four muscles whose tendons form the rotator cuff are the subscapularis muscle, which moves the arm by turning it inward (internal rotation); the supraspinatus muscle, which is responsible for elevating the arm…

A chronic skin disease that causes persistent redness over the areas of the face and nose that normally blush: mainly the forehead, the chin, and the lower half of the nose. The tiny blood vessels in these areas enlarge (dilate) and become more visible through the skin, appearing like tiny red lines (telangiectasias). Pimples that look…

The trade name for flunitrazepam, which has been abused as a ‘date rape’ drug. Rohypnol produces sedative-hypnotic effects including muscle relaxation and amnesia. It can produce physical and psychological dependence and can be lethal when mixed with alcohol and/or other depressants.

Radiology, the science of radiation and, specifically, the use of both ionizing (like X-ray) and nonionizing (like ultrasound) modalities for the diagnosis and treatment of disease. Roentgenology is named for Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen who discovered X-rays. Roentgen, a professor of physics in Germany, wanted to prove his hypothesis that cathode rays could penetrate substances besides air. When he saw…

A type of specialized light-sensitive cell (photoreceptor) in the retina of the eye that provides side vision and the ability to see objects in dim light (night vision). By contrast, the cones are the retinal photoreceptors that provide sharp central vision and color vision.

A street name given to cocaine that has been processed from cocaine hydrochloride to a ready-to-use free base for smoking. Rather than requiring the more volatile method of processing cocaine using ether, rock cocaine (also called crack) is processed with ammonia or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water and heated to remove the hydrochloride, thus producing a form of cocaine that can…

In statistics, a term applied to a test or procedure that is not seriously disturbed by violations of the assumptions on which it is based. For example, it was an “unexpected and robust difference in the rate of events.” (Dr. Harold J. Burstein, in The New England Journal of Medicine, Oct 9, 2003)

A virus in which the genetic material is RNA. The RNA may be either double- or single-stranded. There are 6 classes of viruses. The DNA viruses constitute classes I and II. The RNA viruses make up the remaining classes. Class III viruses have a double-stranded RNA genome. Class IV viruses have a positive single-stranded RNA genome,…

Ribonucleic acid.