Tropical medicine, study, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of certain diseases prevalent in the tropics. The warmth and humidity of the tropics and the often unsanitary conditions under wh...

Space medicine, study of the medical and biological effects of space travel on living organisms. The principal aim is to discover how well and for how long humans can withstand the extreme con...

AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, fatal disease caused by a rapidly mutating retrovirus that attacks the immune system and leaves the victim vulnerable to infections, malignancies, a...

Dermatology, branch of medicine concerned with diagnosis and treatment of diseases and disorders of the skin. Dermatologists also study the structure and function of the skin, and the relation...

Drugs, substances used in medicine either externally or internally for curing, alleviating, or preventing a disease or deficiency. At the turn of the century only a few medically effective sub...

Astringent, substance that shrinks body tissues. Astringent medicines cause shrinkage of mucous membranes or exposed tissues and are often used internally to check discharge of serum or mucous...

Houssay, Bernardo Alberto, 1887–1971, Argentine physiologist, b. Buenos Aires. He was a child prodigy, entering college at the age of 9 and becoming a hospital intern at 13. With C. F. and G. ...

Ndjamena, formerly Fort-Lamy, city (1993 urban pop. 213,342), capital of Chad and of Chari-Baguirmi prefecture, SW Chad. It is a port on the Chari River and a transportation hub that lies on r...

Soapberry, common name for the plant family Sapindaceae, a primarily tropical family of trees, shrubs, lianas, and herbaceous climbers, as well as a genus, Sapindus, in that family found in As...

Mehta, Zubin, 1936–, Indian conductor. Son of the violinist Mehli Mehta, founder and conductor of the Bombay Symphony Orchestra, Mehta studied medicine for two years before continuing the fami...