Dictionary

dandy fever See dengue fever.

dandruff A scalp condition that produces white flakes that may be shed and fall from the hair. One cause of dandruff is overworking of the sebaceous glands. Another cause of dandruff is fungus, especially an abundance of the fungus Pitrosporum ovale. If several weeks of using a good-quality shampoo does not stop the dandruff, treatment…

dander Tiny scales shed from human or animal skin or hair. Dander floats in the air, settles on surfaces, and makes up a good portion of household dust. Cat dander is a common cause of allergic reactions.

Daltonism See red-green colorblindness.

Daily Prayer of a Physician A prayer that is said to have been written by the twelfth-century physician– philosopher Moses Maimonides, but possibly penned by German physician Marcus Herz. This prayer is often recited by new medical graduates.

dactylospasm A cramp of a finger or toe.

dactylomegaly Enlargement of a finger or toe.

dactylitis Inflammation of a finger or toe.

dactyledema Swelling of a finger or toe.

dactyl-, -dactyl Prefix or suffix denoting the digits (fingers or toes), as in dactylitis (inflammation of a finger or toe).

dacryocyst The lacrimal sac; tear sac. The dilated (widened) upper end of the nasolacrimal duct, the passageway that allows tears to drain into the nasal cavity.

da Vinci, Leonardo The father of anatomic art, as well as an accomplished architect, scientist, engineer, inventor, poet, sculptor, and painter. In striking contrast to the pronouncements of Galen and other anatomists, da Vinci recognized that optimal scientific knowledge of human anatomy could be gained only by dissecting the human body. He injected the blood…