rheumatism

(roo'mS-tizm) [G. rheum a, a flux.] i. Rheumatic fever; an acute, probably infectious, disease, characterized by fever, profuse perspiraor more of the joints, and often endocarditis; term applied to various conditions characterized by pains in the muscles, joints, and fibrous ti ues. acute artic'ular t., acute inflam'matoiy r., see rheumatism (i). chronic r., an affection of the joints, slow in progre , prod i icing a painful thickening and contraction of the fibrous structures, interfering with motion, and causing more or le deformity, gonorrhe'al r., an arthritis, often a poly arthritis, due to a systemic infection with the gonococcus. in flamm'atory r., acute articular r. mus'cular r., a painful inflammation of the voluntary muscles, especially of their fibrous attachments, nodose r., (i) arthritis deformans; (2) an acute or subacute articular r., accompanied by the formation of nodules on the tendons, ligaments, and periosteum in the neighborhood of the affected joints, subacute' r., a mild, but usually protracted form of acute rheumatism, often rebellious to treatment, tuber'culous r., Poncet's disease, an inflammatory condition of the joints or fibrous ti ues caused by the toxins of tuberculosis.