Defect
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Defect refers to pathological conditions characterized by the absence or loss of tissue substance and their function, which can be congenital or acquired. The article explains that physical defects in tissues are not always functionally apparent, and conversely, functional defects may not have corresponding physical manifestations.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
DEFECT, defective (from Latin defectus - insufficiency), terms used to denote pathological conditions characterized by the absence or loss of tissue substance, as well as their various functions, arising under the most diverse conditions. D. can be a congenital phenomenon, for example, malformations (hence the term "monstra per defectum"), various forms of mental deficiency, but more often acquired conditions, when on the basis of degenerative, necrobiotic, inflammatory processes, injuries, there occurs a loss of tissue substance; in these latter cases, tissue regeneration and closure of D. usually subsequently occur. Physical D. in tissues are not always perceptible in a functional respect, and conversely: many obvious functional D., for example in the nervous system, find no explanation in the form of any physical defects; the latter may be absent.
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Cite this page
“Defect.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/defect/