Where There Is No Doctor 2011 425
N
Narrow-spectrum antibiotic A medicine that
works against a limited number of different kinds of
bacteria.
*Nasal Of or relating to the nose.
Nausea Stomach distress or upset; feeling like you
need to vomit.
Navel Belly button; umbilicus; the place in the
middle of the belly where the umbilical cord was
attached.
Nerves Thin threads or strings that run from the
brain to every part of the body and carry messages
for feeling and movement.
Non-infectious disease A disease that does not
spread from person to person.
Normal Usual, natural, or average. Something that
is normal has nothing wrong with it.
Nutritious Nourishing. Nutritious foods are those
that have the things the body needs to grow, be
healthy, and fight off disease.
O
Obstruction A condition of being blocked or
clogged. An obstructed gut is a medical emergency.
Ointment A salve or lotion to use on the skin.
*Ophthalmic Of the eye.
*Oral By mouth. An oral medicine is one taken by
mouth.
Organ A part of the body that is more or less
complete in itself and does a specific job. For
example, the lungs are organs for breathing.
Organisms Living things (animals or plants).
*Otic Having to do with the ears.
Ounce A measure of weight equal to about 28
grams. There are 16 ounces in one pound.
Ovaries Small sacs in a woman’s belly next to her
womb. They produce the eggs that join with a man’s
sperm to make a baby.
Oxytocics Dangerous medicines that cause the
womb and blood vessels in it to contract. They
should only be used to control a mother’s heavy
bleeding after her child is born.
P
Palate The roof or top part of the mouth.
Pancreas An organ below the stomach, on the left
side, that produces insulin.
Pannus Tiny blood vessels that appear in the top
edge of the cornea in certain eye diseases, like
trachoma.
Paralysis Loss of the ability to move part or all of
the body.
Parasites Worms and tiny animals that live in or on
another animal or person and cause harm. Fleas,
intestinal worms, and amebas are parasites.
*Parenteral Not by mouth but by injection.
Pasteurization The process of heating milk or other
liquids to a certain temperature (60° C) for about 30
minutes in order to kill harmful bacteria.
Pelvis Hip bones.
Peritoneum The thin lining between the guts and
body wall. The bag that holds the guts.
Peritonitis A very dangerous inflammation of the
peritoneum. The belly gets hard like a board, and the
person is in great pain, especially when he tries to lie
with his legs straight.
Pernicious anemia A rare kind of anemia caused
by a lack of vitamin B12. Pernicious means harmful.
Petroleum jelly (petrolatum, Vaseline) A
grease‑like jelly used in preparing skin ointments.
Pharmacy A store that sells medicines and health
care supplies.
Phlegm Mucus with pus that forms in abnormal
amounts in the lungs and must be coughed out.
Piles See Hemorrhoids.
Pimples See Acne.
Placenta (afterbirth) The dark and spongy lining
inside the womb where the fetus joins the mother’s
body. The placenta normally comes out 15 minutes to
half an hour after the baby is born.
Placenta previa A condition in which the placenta
is too low in the womb and blocks the mouth of
the womb. The risk of dangerous bleeding is high.
Women who have bleeding late in pregnancy—a
possible sign of placenta previa—should go to a
hospital at once.
Plantain A kind of banana with a lot of starch and
fiber. It is often cooked and eaten when green.