Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A disease caused by chronic exposure to bromine or one of its compounds. Bromism is characterized by mental dullness, memory loss, slurred speech, tremors, ataxia and muscular weakness, a transitory state resembling paranoid schizophrenia, and a skin eruption (bromoderma). Once a common problem, bromism was generally due to chronic ingestion of proprietary bromide preparations. Also called brominism.

Chronic inflammation of the blood vessels in the kidney with protein, specifically albumin, in the urine. There are a number of disorders that lead to Bright’s disease. With nothing more sophisticated than a candle and a silver spoon, the English physician Richard Bright (1789-1858) discovered protein in urine and in 1827 published his pioneering study of kidney disease.

The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through the mouth or nose due to muscle contraction and then exhaled due to muscle relaxation.

Feeding a child human breast milk. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, human breast milk is preferred for all infants. This includes even premature and sick babies, with rare exceptions. It is the food least likely to cause allergic reactions; it is inexpensive; it is readily available at any hour of the day or night;…

Usually a general surgeon who is especially skilled in operating on the breast. A breast surgeon may biopsy a tumor in the breast and, if it is malignant, remove the tumor. A breast surgeon may also do breast reconstruction following a mastectomy for breast cancer. The surgeons who carry out this type of breast reconstruction may be breast oncology surgeons or…

Pain in the breast or mammary gland, known medically as mastalgia. From the Greek masto-, breast + algos, pain.

Milk from the breast. Human milk contains a balance of nutrients that closely matches infant requirements for brain development, growth and a healthy immune system. Human milk also contains immunologic agents and other compounds that act against viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Since an infant’s immune system is not fully developed until age 2, human milk provides a…

A localized swelling, knot, bump, bulge or protuberance in the breast. Breast lumps may appear in both sexes at all ages. In women, the fear is usually of breast cancer but many breast lumps turn out, fortunately, to be due to benign conditions that can be successfully treated such as infection, trauma, fibroadenoma, cyst, or fibrocystic conditions. However, no breast lump should…

The spontaneous flow of fluid from the nipple at any time other than during nursing. This can be due to an unrecognized pregnancy, trauma, surgery, overexercise, or certain drugs. It can also be due to cirrhosis of the liver, false pregnancy (pseudocyesis), kidney failure, disorders of the spinal cord, or a prolactinoma, a benign pituitary tumor that secretes the hormone prolactin stimulating milk production. Also called galactorrhea.…

Breast cancer: Cancer of the tissue containing or involving the milk glands (mammary tissue).