Risus sardonicus

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In Latin, rictus means “ an open mouth”; it comes from the verb ringi, meaning “to open the mouth.” Zoologists couldn’t keep the word to themselves, though. … James Joyce used the word in both Ulysses (1922) and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), writing in the latter, “Creatures were in the field…. What is meant by risus sardonicus? Contents • What is meant by risus sardonicus? • What is risus? • What causes sardonic smile? • What does Opisthotonos mean? • What does rictus smile mean? • Is tetanus curable? • What is Decrementally? • What does Carna mean? • What is the plural of rictus? • What is sardonic smile? • Does hemlock water Dropwort make you smile? • Is Sardony a word? • What happens if you don’t get a tetanus shot after getting cut with rusty metal? • Can tetanus go away on its own? • How quickly does tetanus set in? • What does facial grimacing mean? • What is the rictus scale? • What causes Opisthotonos? • What is a Stertorous? • Is sardonic the same as sarcastic? • Has anyone died of tetanus? Medical Definition of risus sardonicus : a facial expression characterized by raised eyebrows and grinning distortion of the face resulting from spasm of facial muscles especially in tetanus. What is risus? (L.) laughter. risus sardo´nicus a grinning expression produced by spasm of the facial muscles; seen in tetanus and certain types of poisoning. What causes sardonic smile? Risus sardonicus or rictus grin is a highly characteristic, abnormal, sustained spas...

Infectious diseases have long been the companions of war and natural disaster. For those that barely escaped death in the calamities of antiquity, walking away with what appeared to be a light injury, the agony of a gangrenous wound or convulsive, back-breaking muscle spasms would deal an impending final blow. For centuries, a dreaded complication from an innocent blister or a bullet wound was the untreatable and catastrophic tetanus, caused by Clostridium tetani . Clostridium tetani resides in the environment, forming spores amidst soil and leaves. It is everywhere: it can be found in a thimbleful of loamy soil pulled from the ground of the southern United States, and it is just as much at home in the fetid muck of the jungles of southeast Asia. So long as it remains on the far side of our skins, and the borders of our bodies remain battened, we are safe. The moment our defenses are compromised, whether by the scratch of a rose thorn or a blister on the sole of a foot or a traumatic amputation, and tetanus-laden earth gains access to our the body, it is another matter altogether. Tetanus, in short, takes advantage of our carelessness. The face of a Filipino man with tetanus showing the characteristic “risus sardonicus,” the bared teeth and contracted facial muscles. He was presumably infected from a hand wound struck by shell fragments. Image: CDC/ AFIP/ C. Farmer. Tetanus is unlike many other bacteria in that the disease that it provokes is not so much an infection but a...

What is tetanus? Tetanus ( lockjaw) is a disease caused by the bacteria Clostridium tetani. Most people are aware of tetanus due to having received the vaccine for the disease. The bacteria produce a neurotoxin (known as tetanospasmin toxin) which causes painful muscle contractions and spasms. The bacteria is present in soil, manure and the intestinal tracts of many animals, where it does not produce disease. They are obligate anaerobes, (meaning they live in conditions where there is little to no oxygen), in warm-blooded animals. It affects many mammals, including humans but is quite rare in cats as they appear to be resistant to the effects of the toxin. The bacteria produces spores that are extremely hardy and resistant to heat and a multitude of disinfectants. Spores can survive for years in the environment and can be found in the feces and the skin of mammals. When spores are introduced to the body if conditions are right, and there is no oxygen (for example, if the wound is deep or has closed over) they germinate into the vegetative form, producing a toxin. Transmission The majority of cases involve a deep puncture wound that injects the bacteria under the skin. Rusty nails and cat fights are two common ways the bacteria can enter the body; however, any injury which penetrates the full thickness of the skin has the potential to introduce C. tetani into the body. Symptoms Symptoms of tetanus occur between 10-14 days after exposure to the pathogen and may include: • Lo...