ectromelia
(ɛktrəʊˈmiːlɪə)
[mod.L., f. Gr. ἔκτρω-σις miscarriage + -melia f. Gr. µέλ-ος limb + -ia1.]
1. The congenital absence of a limb or limbs.
| 1908 Jrnl. Amer. Med. Assoc. LI. 2002/2 (title) Case of Ectromelia. Associated with Other Deformities. G. W. Kosmak... Ectromelia. Kosmak reports, with an illustration, a case showing entire absence of the upper extremities... There is..not a dimple indicating where the arms ought to appear on the shoulder-girdle. |
2. A virus disease of mice often causing loss of limbs. Also attrib.
| 1930 J. Marchal in Jrnl. Path. & Bacteriol. XXXIII. iii. 713 (title) Infectious Ectromelia. A hitherto undescribed virus disease of mice. Ibid. 726 As regards the proposed name of this condition, for which I have to thank Mr. Clifford Dobell who proposed it, I hope that any suggestion of a congenital abnormality in the word ‘ectromelia’ may be dissipated by the adjective ‘infectious’. 1946 Nature 27 July 119/1 Ectromelia virus in mice..agglutinated the same limited range of fowl cells as were agglutinated by vaccinia virus preparations. 1963 New Scientist 12 Sept. 540 Ectromelia, a killing disease of mice, is produced by a pox virus. |