Hemi Health Dictionary

Hemi: From 1 Different Sources

prefix denoting (in medicine) the right or left half of the body. Example: hemianaesthesia (anaesthesia of one side of the body).

Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Hemiplegia

Paralysis of one side of the body... hemiplegia

A term meaning loss of half the usual area of vision. The affected person may see everything clearly to the left or to the right, the ?eld of vision stopping abruptly at the middle line; they may see things only when straight ahead of them; or, thirdly, they may see objects far out on both sides, although there is a wide area straight in front for which they are quite blind. The position of the blind area is important in localising the position in the brain of the disease responsible for the condition.... hemianopia

Hemiballismus

Involuntary movements similar to choreiform (see CHOREA) movements, but of much greater amplitude and force. The violent, throwing movements of the limbs are usually unilateral, and tend to occur acutely as a result of vascular damage to the mid-brain.... hemiballismus

Hemicolectomy

An operation to remove the right or left half of the COLON, usually with end-to-end ANASTOMOSIS of the remaining portion of the intestine. This is often used for the treatment of malignant or in?ammatory diseases of the colon.... hemicolectomy

Hemicrania

Headache confined to one side... hemicrania

Hemiparesis

Paralysis affecting the muscles of one side of the body. This most commonly follows a STROKE and occurs when parts of the brain serving motor function on the opposite side of the body are damaged.... hemiparesis

Hemimelia

This consists of defects in the distal part of the extremities: for example, the absence of a forearm or hand. Hemimelia is a congenital defect; large numbers of cases resulted from the administration of THALIDOMIDE during pregnancy (see also PHOCOMELIA; TERATOGENESIS).... hemimelia

Hemianaesthesia

Loss of the sense of touch down one side of the body.... hemianaesthesia

Hemiatrophy

Atrophy of one side of the body, or of part of the body on one side: for example, facial hemiatrophy, in which one-half of the face is smaller than the other, either in the course of development or as a result of some nervous disorder.... hemiatrophy

Hemidesmus Indicus

(L.) R. Br.

Synonym: Periploca indica Linn.

Family: Asclepiadaceae, Periplo- caceae.

Habitat: Throughout India; common in Bengal, Maharashtra and extending to Travancore.

English: Indian Sarsaparilla (white var.). Sarsaparilla root is equated with Smilax sp. in Western herbal.

Ayurvedic: Shveta Saarivaa, Anant- muula, Gopi, Gopaa, Gopakanyaa, Gopavalli, Gopasutaa, Krishodari, Sphotaa, Utpalsaarivaa, Kapuuri, Dugdhgarbhaa.

Unani: Ushbaa Hindi.

Siddha/Tamil: Nannaari, Sugan- thipala.

Action: Blood purifier, antisyphilitic, antileucorrhoeic, galactogenic, antidiarrhoeal, antirheumatic, febrifuge, alterative. Roots used against gonorrhoea, leucoderma, bleeding piles, jaundice and dysentery.

Key application: Smilax sp.—in skin diseases and urinary infections. (German Commission E included Smilax sp. among unapproved herbs.)

Hemidesmus indicus does not contain the same saponins or other principal constituents which are found in sarsaparilla. (Tyler's Honest Herbal.)

The root contains coumarino-lig- noids, hemidesmine, hemidesmin-1, 2. The stem contains pregnane glyco- sides, hemidine, hemidescine, emidine and indicine, a triterpene lactone, a lu- panone, besides lupeol acetate, sitos- terol and hexadecanoic acid and several hydroxy- methoxybenzaldehydes.

Aqueous extract of the root is bacteriostatic against Mycobacterium leprae.

Dosage: Root—20-30 g for decoction. (API Vol. I.) palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidic. Pyrocatechol, tannins, fla- vonoids and amino acids were also present.... hemidesmus indicus

Hemidictyum Ceterach

Synonym: Ceterach officinarum Willd. Asplenium ceterach L.

Family: Athyriaceae, Polypodiaceae.

Habitat: Western Himalaya, from Kashmir to Garhwal, up to 3,000 m.

Action: Fern—diuretic, astringent; used for diseases of the urinary tract, infirmities of spleen, also for treating jaundice.

The plant contains caffeic acid, neo- hesperidin, kaempferol-3, 7-digluco- side, chlorogenic acid and quercetol- 3-glucoside. The leaves gave methyl esters of the acids—myristic, palmitic,

Synonym: H. nepalense D. Don. H. lanatum Michx.

Family: Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.

Habitat: Chamba, Kulu, Jammu & Kashmir, Bushahr, Garhwal and Kumaon Hills.

English: Cowparsnip.

Folk: Kaindal (Kashmir), Gandhraayana (Garhwal).

Action: Fruit—stimulant, nervine tonic, spasmolytic. Heraclenin (active principle)—hypoprothrom- binaemic.

Essential oil from the fruits is moderately antimicrobial.

Furanocoumarins present in the whole fruit and leaves are psoralen, xanthotoxin and bergapten. Roots also contain furanocoumarins.

The fruits of H. concanense Dalz. contain a coumarin which is effective against dermatophytosis. The fruits of H. regins Wall. ex DC. are used for cough and bronchitis, also for urinary concretions in Siddha medicine. H. thomsoni C. B. Clarke (Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh) also contains a coumarin; the fruit showed nonspecific spasmolytic activity equipotent to papaverine.... hemidictyum ceterach

Hemionites Arifolia

(Burm. f) Moore.

Family: Adiantaceae.

Habitat: Plains and mountains of South India up to 1,200., and in West Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.

English: Mule Fern.

Folk: Raamabaanam (Andhra Pradesh), Chakuliya (Bengal).

Action: Fonds—antibacterial, used in burns and as febrifuge.

Heracleum candicans Wall. ex DC.... hemionites arifolia

Syzygium Hemisphericum

(Wt.) Alston

Synonym: Eugenia hemispherica Wt. Jambosa hemispherica (Wt.) Walp.

Family: Myrtaceae.

Habitat: South India, particularly in the Nilgiri, Palni and Annamalai hills and Western Ghats.

Siddha/Tamil: Vellai Naval.

Action: Bark—antibilious; also used for syphilitic affections.... syzygium hemisphericum

Cerebral Hemisphere

one of the two paired halves of the *cerebrum.... cerebral hemisphere

Hemiachromatopsia

n. loss of colour appreciation in one half of the visual field.... hemiachromatopsia

Hemiarthroplasty

n. see arthroplasty.... hemiarthroplasty

Hemifacial Spasm

a type of *dystonia that results in irregular spasms affecting the facial muscles on one side. It is usually due to irritation of the facial nerve by an overlying artery within the skull base. Treatment is with injections of *botulinum toxin.... hemifacial spasm

Hemihypertrophy

n. a condition in which one side of the body is larger than the other. It is often benign but can be associated with *nephroblastoma.... hemihypertrophy

Hemisacralization

n. fusion of the fifth lumbar vertebra to one side only of the sacrum. See sacralization.... hemisacralization

Hemispatial Neglect

(neglect syndrome) a deficit in attention to and awareness of one side of space. It is characterized by inability to process and perceive stimuli on one side of the body or environment that is not due to a lack of sensation. It is generally seen after damage to the right hemisphere, which leads to neglect of the contralateral (left) side of space.... hemispatial neglect