percussion

(per-kush'un). 1. diagnostic procedure designed to determine the density of a part by means of tapping the surface with the finger or a ple or. 2. form of ma age, consisting of repeated blows or taps of varying force, auscul'tatoiy p., auscultation of the chest 01 other part at the same time that percu ion is made, finger p., p. in which a finger of one hand is used as a ple imeter and one of the other hand as a ple or. imme'diate p., the striking of the part under examination directly with the iingei or a ple or, without the intervention of a no the i finger or a ple imeter. me'diate p., p. effected by the intervention of a finger or a thin plate oi ivory or other substance {ple imeter) between the striking finger or hammer and the part percu ed, pal'patory p., finger p. in which the attention is fixed upon the resistance of the ti ues under the fnger as well as upon the sound elicited, threshold p., p. effected by means of a gla rod as a ple imeter, the rod being inclined to the wall oi the chest or abdomen and touching it only by one extremity.