422 Where There Is No Doctor 2011
E
Eclampsia Sudden seizures, especially during
pregnancy or childbirth, very dangerous for both
mother and baby.
Embryo The beginnings of an unborn baby when it
is still very small.
Emergency A sudden sickness or injury that calls
for immediate attention.
*Emetic A medicine or drink that makes people
vomit. Used when poisons have been swallowed.
Enema A solution of water put up the anus to cause
a bowel movement.
Epidemic An outbreak of disease affecting many
persons in a community or region at the same time.
Evaluation A study to find out the worth or value of
something, or how much has been accomplished.
Often done by comparing different factors or
conditions before and after a project or activity is
underway.
Evil eye A glance or look from someone believed to
have the power to bewitch or do harm to people.
Exhaustion Extreme fatigue and tiredness.
*Expectorant A medicine that helps a person
cough up mucus from the respiratory tract (lungs,
bronchi, etc.); a cough-helper.
Expiration date The month and year marked on
a medicine that tells when it will no longer be good.
Throw away most medicines after this date.
F
Fahrenheit (F.) A measure or scale of heat and
cold. A healthy person’s temperature (normal
temperature) is 98.6° F. Water freezes at 32° F and
boils at 212° F.
Family planning Using birth control methods to
plan when to have and not have children.
Farsighted Being able to see things at a distance
better than things close at hand.
Feces Stools; shit; the waste from the body that is
moved out through the bowels in a ‘bowel movement’.
Feces–to–mouth Spread or transmitted from the
stools of one person to his or another person’s mouth,
usually by food or drink, or on fingers.
Fetoscope An instrument or tool for listening to
sounds made by the unborn baby (fetus) inside the
womb.
Fetus (foetus) The developing baby inside the
womb.
Fever A body temperature higher than normal.
First aid Emergency care or treatment for someone
who is sick or injured.
Flu A bad cold, often with fever, pain in the joints,
and sometimes diarrhea.
Flukes Worms that infect the liver or other parts of
the body and cause different diseases. Blood flukes
get into the blood and cause schistosomiasis.
Foetus See Fetus.
Folic acid A nutritious substance found in leafy
green vegetables.
Follicles Small lumps.
Fontanel The ‘soft spot’ on the top of a young
baby’s head.
Fracture A broken bone.
Fright A great or sudden fear.
G
Gallbladder A small, muscular sac attached to the
liver. The gallbladder collects bile, a liquid that helps
digest fatty foods.
Gauze Soft, loosely woven kind of cloth used for
bandages.
Generic name The scientific name of a medicine,
as distinct from the brand names given it by different
compainies that make it.
Genitals The organs of the reproductive system,
especially the sex organs.
Germs Very small organisms that can grow in the
body and cause some infectious diseases; micro-
organisms.
Giardia A microscopic parasite that can infect the
intestines, causing frothy yellow diarrhea.
Glucose A simple form of sugar that the body can
use quickly and easily. It is found in fruits and honey,
and can be bought as a white powder for use in
Rehydration Drinks.
Goiter A swelling on the lower front of the neck
(enlargement of the thyroid gland) caused by lack of
iodine in the diet.
Grain (gr.) A unit of weight based on the weight of a
grain of wheat. 1 grain weighs 65 mg.
Gram (g.) A metric unit of weight. There are
about 28 grams in an ounce. There are 1000 g. in
1 kilogram (kg.).
Groin The front part of the body where the legs join.
The genital area.
Gut Intestines.
Gut thread or gut suture material A special
thread for sewing or stitching certain wounds, and
especially tears from childbirth. The gut thread is
slowly absorbed (disappears) so that the stitches do
not need to be taken out.