ADDER’S TONGUE. Syn. Common adder’s tongue; Ophioglos′sum vulga′tum, Linn. A perennial plant, of the natural order Filices (DC.), growing wild in England. It is found in our woods and pastures, and flowers in May and June. It was once used to form a celebrated traumatic or vulnerary ointment and is still highly esteemed among rustic herbalists.
ADEPS. Syn. Lard. See Adeps præparatus, Fat, and Lard.
ADEPS BENZOATUS. Syn. Benzoated Lard.
ADEPS PRÆPARATUS. Syn. Axunge; Prepared Lard.
ADHE′SION (-hē-zhün). Syn. Adhæ′sio, L.; Adhesion, Fr.; Anhängung, Arxlebung, Ger. The act or state of sticking or being united.
Adhesion. In physics, the force with which bodies remain attached to each other when brought into contact; e.g., ink adheres to paper, paint adheres to wood, &c. It differs from ‘cohesion’ in representing the force with which different bodies cling together; whereas cohesion is the force which unites the particles of a homogeneous body with each other, e.g., particles of iron cohere and form a mass of iron; particles of water cohere and form a mass of water, &c.
Adhesion. In pathology, the morbid union, from inflammation, of parts normally contiguous but not adherent.
Adhesion. In surgery, the reunion of divided parts, by the adhesive inflammation; as when incised wounds heal by what is termed the ‘first intention.’
ADHE′SIVE. Syn. Adhæsi′vus, L.; Adhésif, Fr.; Adhäsive, Verwachsend, Ger. In pharmacy, &c., having the quality or property of sticking or adhering. Hence adhe′siveness.
AD′IPOCERE (-sēre). Syn. Grave-wax‡; Adipoce′′ra, L.; Adipocire, Fr.; Fetewachs, Ger. A substance resembling a mixture of fat and wax, resulting from the decomposition of the flesh of animals in moist situations, or under water. It is chiefly margarate of ammonium. Lavoisier proposed to produce this substance artificially, for the purposes of the arts. Attempts have since been made to convert the dead bodies of cattle (carrion) into adipocere, for the purposes of the candle-maker and the soap-boiler, but without success. Besides, dead animal matter