Medical Dictionary
Main Entry:
Saint An·tho·ny's fire Pronunciation:
"sAnt-"an(t)-th&-nEz-, chiefly Brit -"an-t&- Function:
noun : any of severalinflammations or gangrenous conditions (as erysipelas or ergotism) of the skin
Anthony,
Saint (ca 250–350), Egyptian monk. St. Anthony is regarded as thefounder of Christian monasticism. From the age of 20 he practiced an ascetic life, living in absolute solitude on mountains or in the desert. He occasionally emerged from his seclusion in order toinstruct and organize the monastic life of other hermits who had imitated him or to preach against heresies. Anthony is famous for his visions, in which the devil appeared in various guises and temptedhim to sin, and for his extreme acts of suffering and self-denial. He is the patron saint of swineherds, and in the art of the Middle Ages he is shown with a small pig at his side. Since pork fat wasused to dress the wounds of skin diseases, he became the saint of those who care for the sick, and skin diseases such as erysipelas and ergotism became known as Saint Anthony's fire.
