An archaic or obsolete term for an abscess or collection of pus, especially one forming under the skin.
From Old French apostume, derived from Latin apostema, which came from Greek apostema (apo- + stasis, standing apart). The word described matter 'standing apart' from healthy tissue.
Medieval doctors called infected wounds 'apostumes,' which makes sense—the pus literally stood apart from the healthy tissue—but the term sounds more like a fancy spell than a medical condition!
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