Of, relating to, or characterized by abscesses or the condition of forming abscesses.
From apostema (abscess) + the adjectival suffix -ous. Another variant form emphasizing the quality or characteristic of being abscess-prone or suppurative.
The abundance of similar words—apostematic, apostematous, apostemous—in medical texts shows how doctors were obsessed with finely categorizing pus-related conditions before they understood germ theory; it's like describing different colors of smoke from a fire without knowing what's burning.
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