SPASM

n. Spaazm. Gr., o-7ra ia (from arirav, to draw). Lat., spasm us. Fr., spas me. Ger., Spasma, Krampf. 1. An involuntary and abnormal contraction of one or more muscles or muscular fibres. 2. A convulsion. [D, 20.] Bell's s. Convulsive tic of the face. [" Un. rn6d. et sci. du Nord-Est "; " Province m6d.," Oct. 6, 1888, p. 577.] Bronchial s. See ASTHMA. Carpopedal s's. Spastic contractions of the hands and feet. [D, 40.] Choreiform s. Spasmodic movements simulating chorea. [D, 35.] Clonic s. Lat., spasm us clonic us. A s. in which the muscles or muscular fibres contract and re'ax alternately in very quick succe ion. [D, 20.] Cynic s. See Risus sardonic us, Convulsive TIC, and SPASMUS cynic us. Facial s. Ger., Gesichtskrampf. Involuntary contraction of the muscles supplied by one or other of the seventh pair of nerves. [D, 35.] See Convulsive TIC. Functional s. 1. Of H. W. Mitchell, see Profe ional HYPER CINES I A. 2. Of Duchenne, the spastic form of writers' cramp. [D, 72.] Habit s. Of Gowers, a preferable term for what is called habit chorea, [o, 34.] Histrionic s. See BelVs s. and Risus sardonic us. Inspiratory s. A spasmodic rhythmic contraction of all or nearly all the inspiratory muscles. There is a succe ion of deep inspirations, with ordinary expirations. The inspirations are noisy and often accompanied by eructations of gas and by hiccough, and the abdomen is usually tympanitic. [D, 35.] Lingual s. See A PHT HONGI A. Masticatory s. See TRISMUS. Mimic s. See Facial s. Mobile s's. Of Gowers. slow irregular movements, chiefly conspicuous in the hands, consequent upon hemiplegia. [a, 34.] Neural s. See Peripheral s. Nictitant s. See SPASMUS nictans. Nodding s. Lat., spasm us nutans. S. of the muscles innervated by the spinal acce ory nerve, causing a nodding of the head. It may be a habit s. or an epileptic or hysterical phenomenon, [a, 40.] Cf. CHOREA nutans. Phonetic s. of the glottis. A variety of s. of the phonetic apparatus with elevation of the larynx and complete prevention of respiration. According to Ssikor's ki, probably the same as sp'astic aphonia. [" Wien. klin. Wochenschr.," Jan. 7, 1892, p. 17 (a, 50).] Salaam s. See Salaam CONVULSIONS. Salt a toric s., Saltatory s. A clonic s. in the. flexors and extensors of the legs on attempting to stand, causing jumping movements. [Gowers (a, 34).] S. of accommodation. Over-action of the apparatus of O, no; O2, not; O", whole; Th, thin; Tha, the; U, like oo in too: [s. 507]