Lability
Historical document, translated for reference. It reflects medical knowledge of the 1920s–30s and is not medical advice.
Summary
Lability refers to the instability of substances or phenomena, contrasting with stability. The term is often modified to specify instability to particular factors, such as thermolability or photolability.
Encyclopedia entry (1928–1936)
LABILITY (from Latin labilis - unstable), a widely used term indicating the instability of a particular substance or the non-persistence of a phenomenon. For example, one notes the labile psyche of subjects prone to psychopathic conditions. Lability is opposed to the stability or persistence of phenomena or substances under the influence of various factors. Often, by adding a prefix to the word lability, one simultaneously defines the instability of a substance to a specific factor. For example, one speaks of thermolability, i.e., instability under the action of high temperatures, photolability - under the action of light, etc.
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“Lability.” Soviet Medical Encyclopedia. English translation of Bolshaya Meditsinskaya Entsiklopediya, 1st ed. (Moscow, 1928–1936), ed. N. A. Semashko. https://sovietmedicalencyclopedia.pages.dev/article/lability/