Equi Health Dictionary

Linn.

Family: Casuarinaceae.

Habitat: Cultivated in coastal regions of Peninsular India.

English: Casuarina, She-Oak, Australian or Whistling Pine, Beefwood.

Ayurvedic: Jhaau, Vilaayati Jhaau.

Siddha/Tamil: Savukku.

Action: Bark—astringent, an- tidiarrhoeal. Leaf—antispasmodic, used in colic. Aerial parts— hypoglycaemic.

The plant contains kaempferol gly- coside, quercetin glycoside, cupressu- flavone, tannins, shikimic acid, quinic acid, amino acids, sugars.... casuarina equisetifolia

See “aid”.... community equipment

See OESTROGENS.... equine oestrogens

See “aid”.... equipment

Linn.

Family: Equisetaceae.

Habitat: The Himalayas at high altitudes.

English: Field Horsetail.

Ayurvedic: Ashwa-puchha (non- classical).

Action: Haemostatic, haemopoietic, astringent, diuretic. Used for genitourinary affections (urethritis, enuresis, cystitis, prostatitis), internally as an antihaemorrhagic and externally as a styptic.

The ashes of the plant are beneficial in acidity of the stomach and dyspepsia.

Key application: Internally in irrigation therapy for post-traumatic and static inflammation, and for bacterial infections and inflammation of the lower urinary tract and renal gravel.

The British Herbal Compendium reported weak diuretic, haemostyptic, vulnerary and mild leukocytosis causing actions.

The haemostatic substance has been shown to act orally, it has no effect on blood pressure and is not a vasoconstrictor.

The herb contains 10-20% minerals, of which over 66% are silicic acids and silicates; alkaloids, including nicotine, palustrine and palustrinine; flavonoids, such as iso-quercitrin and equicertin; sterols, including cholesterol, isofucosterol, campesterol; a sa- ponin equisitonin, dimethyl-sulphone, thiaminase and aconitic acid. Diuretic action of the herb is attributed to its flavonoid and saponin constituents, Silicic acid strengthens connective tissue and helps in healing bones.... equisetum arvense

Fair treatment of needs, regarding both the distribution of services and allocation of resources.... equity of care

Equipment, such as hospital beds, wheelchairs and prosthetics, provided by an agency and used at home.... home medical equipment

See HORSETAIL. ... equisitum

A “spray’’ of nerve roots resembling a horse’s tail that descends from the lower spinal cord and occupies the lower 3rd of the spinal canal.... cauda equina

damage to the *cauda equina, the nerve roots arising from the terminal end of the spinal cord, due to trauma or compression. Without urgent surgical intervention, it can result in paralysis, loss of sensation in the legs, and bladder and bowel incontinence.... cauda equina syndrome

n. see glanders.... equinia

n. a state of genuine and substantial uncertainty as to which of two or more courses of action will be best for a patient. Equipoise is an important ethical principle in research, specifically in the design of clinical trials. It is generally held that the random allocation of patients to one or other arm of a trial is ethically acceptable only where there is a genuine uncertainty (equipoise) as to which treatment will most benefit trial participants. Knowingly to assign an individual to inferior or ineffective treatment (such as a placebo) would offend against the principle that his or her *best interests are paramount. A distinction is sometimes made between clinical equipoise, which refers to uncertainty across the medical profession as a whole, and theoretical equipoise, which refers to the uncertainty of an individual doctor. In addition, patients may not share the state of equipoise; for example, if a patient has his or her own preferences and there are significant side-effects influencing the choice of treatment, it would be *paternalistic and counter to *beneficence not to respect that patient’s wishes.... equipoise

n. the absence of disparities in those aspects of health that can be controlled and modified. Discussion of equity usually accepts that complete health *equality is impossible, as some factors (such as genetic differences) are not modifiable.... equity