nystagmus

[ ni-stag-muhs ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a congenital or acquired persistent, rapid, involuntary, and oscillatory movement of the eyeball, usually from side to side.

nystagmus

/ nɪˈstæɡməs /

involuntary movement of the eye comprising a smooth drift followed by a flick back, occurring in several situations, for example after the body has been rotated or in disorders of the cerebellum

1815–25; < New Latin < Greek nystagmós nodding, derivative of nystázein to nod

C19: New Latin, from Greek nustagmos

Nystagmus occasionally occurs in monocular fixation (with exclusion of the other eye).

Not to complicate the question, however, I have excluded all cases of nystagmus from the following investigation.

(a) If the ear be normal, there is no spontaneous nystagmus.

Slight horizontal nystagmus in both eyes on extreme outward rotation of the eyeballs.

Syringing with hot water causes a nystagmus directed towards the ear syringed; syringing with cold water, away from the ear.

April 25, 2024firkin

[fur-kin ]

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