Pain

(fan). Bodily or mental suffering. Distre ing or agonizing sensation. It is usually due to irritation of a sensory nerve, although there are said to be pains of central origin. P., Boring, severe pain in bones, of a boring character. P., Electric. See P., Fulguranf. P., Fulgurant, P., Fulgurating, the intense shooting, cutting pains affecting principally the limbs of patients suffering from locomotor ataxy. P., Girdle, a painful sensation as of a cord tied about the waist; it is a symptom of organic spinal -cord disease. P., Growing, a popular term for the sorene about the joints in young persons at puberty. Some attribute these pains to in creased vascularity of the epiphyses of long bones; others believe them to be rheumatic. P. -joy Hysteric enjoyment of suffering; a symptom not uncommon in a certain cla of neurasthenic patients. P., Jumping, the pain peculiar to disease of joints when the bone is exposed by ulceration of the cartilage. P., Lancinating. See P., Fulgurant. P., Lightning. See P., Fulgurant. P., Osteocopic, bone-tiring pains; a common symptom of secondary syphilis. P., Shooting. See P., Fulgurant. P., Starting. Synonym of P., Jumping. Ps., After-, those following labor, and caused by the uterus contracting to expel clots, etc., or to resume its normal proportions. Ps., Bearing-down, pains with a sensation of dragging or bearing down of the pelvic organs, occurring in labor and in various inflammatory affections of the female pelvic organs. Ps., False, those occurring in the latter part of pregnancy, not preceded by the premonitory signs of labor and not directly caused by labor. Ps., Grinding, the labor pains during the stage of dilatation of the os uteri. Ps., Irregular, those not recurring according to the normal periodic or rhythmic nature of uterine contractions. Ps. of Labor, a synonym for uterine contractions, since these are attended by pains, increasing in severity according to the intensity and frequency of the contractions. Ps., Premonitory, so-called painle uterine contractions preceding the onset of true labor.