Digitalis

Digitalis
A genus of perennial flowering plants of the family Schrophulariaceae. D. lanata, a European species, and D. purpurea, purple foxglove, are the main sources of cardioactive steroid glycosides used in the treatment of certain heart diseases, especially congestive heart failure; also used to treat tachyarrhythmias of atrial origin. SYN: foxglove. [L. d., relating to the fingers; in allusion to the fingerlike flowers]

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dig·i·tal·is -əs n
1 a) cap a genus of Eurasian herbs of the snapdragon family (Scrophulariaceae) that have alternate leaves and racemes of showy bell-shaped flowers and comprise the foxgloves
b) FOXGLOVE
2) the dried leaf of the common European foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) that contains physiologically active glycosides, that is a powerful cardiotonic acting to increase the force of myocardial contraction, to slow the conduction rate of nerve impulses through the atrioventricular node, and to promote diuresis, and that is used in standardized powdered form esp. in the treatment of congestive heart failure and in the management of atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and paroxysmal tachycardia of the atria broadly any of various glycosides (as digoxin or digitoxin) that are constituents of digitalis or are derived from a related foxglove (D. lanata)

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n.
an extract from the dried leaves of foxgloves (Digitalis species), which contains various substances, including digitoxin and digoxin, that stimulate heart muscle and are used for treating heart failure.

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Dig·i·tal·is (dij″ĭ-talґis) [L., from digitus finger, because of the fingerlike leaves of the corolla of its flowers] a genus of herbs of the family Scrophulariaceae, native to Europe and Asia. D. purpuґrea is the purple foxglove, whose leaves furnish digitalis. D. lanaґta is a Balkan species that yields digoxin and lanatoside.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

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  • Digitalis — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda ? Digitalis Digitalis ciliata Clasificación cientí …   Wikipedia Español

  • digitalis — [dij΄i tal′is; ] also [, dij′itā′lis] n. [ModL, foxglove < L digitalis, belonging to the finger < digitus, a finger, DIGIT: so named (1542) by L. Fuchs (see FUCHSIA), from its thimblelike flowers, after the Ger name fingerhut, thimble] 1.… …   English World dictionary

  • Digitalis — Dig i*ta lis, n. [NL.: cf. F. digitale. So named (according to Linn[ae]us) from its finger shaped corolla.] 1. (Bot.) A genus of plants of the family {Schrophulariaceae}, including the foxglove. [1913 Webster] 2. (Med.) The dried leaves of the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Digitalis — steht für die Pflanzengattung Digitalis, s. Fingerhüte als Kurzform für die als Medikament verwendeten Herzglykoside Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort bezeichneter Begriffe …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • digitalis — digitális m DEFINICIJA bot., v. pustikara ETIMOLOGIJA nlat. digitalis, prema njemačkom imenu biljke Fingerhut: naprstak …   Hrvatski jezični portal

  • digitalis — ► NOUN ▪ a drug prepared from foxglove leaves, containing substances that stimulate the heart muscle. ORIGIN from the Latin genus name of the foxglove, from digitalis herba plant relating to the finger (with reference to the shape of the flowers) …   English terms dictionary

  • Digitālis — (D. L.), Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Scrophularineae Digitaleae, 2. Ordn. 14. Kl. L., mit fünftheiligem Kelche, glockiger Blumenkrone mit schiefem vierspaltigem Saume, der obere Lappen ausgerandet, vier zweimächtigen Staubgefäßen, im… …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Digitālis — L. (Fingerhut), Gattung der Skrofulariazeen, zwei oder mehrjährige, kahle oder behaarte Kräuter, seltener Halbsträucher oder Sträucher mit abwechselnden, einfachen, am Grunde meist gehäuften Blättern, einseitigen, endständigen Blütentrauben,… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Digitalis — Digitālis, Pflanzengattg., s. Fingerhut. – Digitalīn, einer der wirksamen Bestandteile (Glykoside) des Fingerhuts, bewirkt Erbrechen, Schwindel und Krämpfe; wird in geringen Dosen bei Herzkrankheiten gegeben …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Digitalis — Digitalis, Fingerhut, durch D. purpurea, rother F., sehr bekannte Pflanzengattung aus der Familie der Scrophularinae, mit mehrern schönblumigen Arten; wichtig wegen D. purpurea, der unter die bedeutenderen Giftpflanzen gehört, ein betäubend… …   Herders Conversations-Lexikon

  • digitalis — 1660s, Mod.L. translation of Ger. fingerhut, the German name of foxglove, lit. thimble. Named by Fuchs (1542), and so called for its shape. The medicine (originally extracted from the plant) is so called from 1799 …   Etymology dictionary

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