d as a wood preservative and disinfectant. May cause
severe neurological disturbances if inhaled.

crepe de Chine
Silk crepe used for dresses and blouses.

cretonne
Heavy unglazed cotton, linen, or rayon fabric, colorfully printed and
used for draperies and slipcovers.

croton oil
Brownish-yellow, foul-smelling oil from the seeds of a tropical Asian
shrub or small tree (Croton tiglium); formerly used as a drastic
purgative and counterirritant. Its use was discontinued because of its
toxicity.

croup
Condition of the larynx, especially in infants and children, causing
respiratory difficulty and a hoarse, brassy cough.

Culver's root
Perennial herb (Veronicastrum virginicum) native to eastern North
America; the root was formerly used as a cathartic and an emetic.

cupping
Therapeutic procedure, no longer in use; an evacuated glass cup is
applied to the skin to draw blood to the surface.

Cuprum
Copper.

Curacao
Flavored with sour orange peel. Popular island resort in the Netherlands
Antilles.

cystitis
Inflammation of the urinary bladder.

damask
Rich patterned fabric of cotton, linen, silk, or wool. Fine, twilled
table linen.

deadly night-shade (bittersweet, bittersweet nightshade, climbing
nightshade, poisonous nightshade, woody nightshade, Solanum dulcamara)
Perennial Eurasian herb with reddish bell-shaped flowers and shining
black berries; extensively grown in United States; roots and leaves
yield atropine (belladonna, Atropa belladonna).

decollete
Cut low at the neckline. Wearing a garment that is low-cut or strapless.

demi-monde
Class of women kept by wealthy lovers or protectors; prostitutes; group
whose respectability is dubious or whose success is marginal.

demulcent
Soothing, usually mucilaginous or oily substance, such as glycerin or
lanolin, used to relieve pain of irritated mucous membranes.

diathesis
Hereditary predisposition to disease, allergy, or other disorder.

digitalis
Plant of the genus Digitalis, including foxgloves. Drug prepared from
the seeds and dried leaves used as a cardiac stimulant.

dilatory
Delay or postpone.

discomfit
Make uneasy or perplexed; disconcert; embarrass; thwart the plans of;
frustrate.

dry cupping
See cupping.

dysmenorrhea
Painful menstruation.

effusion
Seeping of serous, purulent, or bloody fluid into a body cavity or
tissue. The effused fluid.

e