Glossary
O
optics
A branch of physics that deals with the properties and behaviour of both visible and invisible light. The field includes the generation, transmission, and detection or perception of light.
optometer
An instrument for measuring the refractive properties of the eye
optometry
The professional practice of eye and vision care. Optometry includes the correction of visual defects with lenses or glasses.
oral contraceptive pill
A drug containing hormones, taken to stop pregnancy.
oral rehydration salts
A cheap and effective treatment for dehydration. The salts are usually a solution of sugar and salts taken orally. They are used in the developing world to save children from death by diarrhoea.
orthopaedic boot
Type of footwear for the easing or correction of club foot or other deformities of the feet.
orthopaedic equipment
Relates to equipment for the treatment of physical deformities,and surgical treatment of the musculoskeletal system.
orthopaedic saw
A saw used for orthopaedic surgery. Orthopaedic surgery is the branch of surgery concerned with injuries to, or conditions involving, the musculoskeletal system.
orthopaedic support
A support for part of the human body such as the back or a leg
orthopaedics
The branch of medicine concerned with the preservation and restoration of the muscular and skeletal systems in the body.
orthoptoscope
An instrument for assessing the degree to which a person uses both eyes. It is also used to measure the angle of a squint.
Ottoman empire
Former Turkish empire that controlled much of south east Europe, the Middle East and North Africa between the 14th and 20th centuries.
ovariotomy
The operation of removing one or both of the ovaries
ovocyclin
form of estrogen hormone. It is produced in the ovary, placenta, testis, and possibly the adrenal cortex.
oxytetracycline
an antibiotic (penicillin) administered by mouth to treat infections caused by a wide variety of bacteria; Terramycin is a trade mark of Pfizer Products Inc.:oxytetracyline and derivatives thereof, and substances containing oxytetracyline or derivatives thereof, all prepared for use as antibiotics, first registered in 1954