[ad. L. succussio, -ōnem, n. of action f. succuss-, succutĕre to SUCCUSS. So F.] The action of shaking or condition of being shaken, esp. with violence; an instance of this.
1622. Wotton, Lett. (1907), II. 259. He was taken with a trembling and sudden succussion.
1660. Stanley, Hist. Philos., XIII. IV. ii. (1687), 880/1. We see whole Houses shake, by reason of the jumbling, and succussion of Carts and Chariots.
1713. Derham, Phys.-Theol., III. iii. 69. Dreadful Succussions and Convulsions of the Earth.
1733. Cheyne, Engl. Malady, II. ix. § 2 (1734), 206. Vomits … by their Succussions and Action … open the Obstructions.
1824. J. Macculloch, Highl. Scotl., II. 319. The very act of riding, serves, by its fundamental succussions, to nail and fix the observations in the sensorium.
1867. Bloxam, Chem., 205. The acid boils with succussion or violent bumping.
1885. W. Roberts, Urin. & Renal Dis., III. xiv. (ed. 4), 678. Violent running, dancing, riding, or severe muscular effort or succussion of the body.
1898. P. Manson, Trop. Diseases, xxiii. 359. This blood comes from the wall of an abscess jarred and torn by the succussion of the harassing cough.
b. spec. (Med.) An act or method of diagnosis in pneumothorax, etc., which consists in shaking the thorax to detect the presence of fluid.
1747. Gentl. Mag., XVII. 77/2. If the infirm cannot stir out of their bed or chair,… they may make a succussion by heaving up and letting down their shoulders.
1833. Cycl. Pract. Med., I. 222/1. The operator stopping the succussion suddenly, and listening for the sound of fluctuation.
1858. Copland, Dict. Pract. Med., III. II. 933/2. Laennec first clearly demonstrated the conditions upon which the evidence furnished by succussion depends.
1865. Athenæum, No. 1975. 307/3. The operation of succussion, as Hippocrates used to perform it, at Larissa.
1866. A. Flint, Princ. Med., 148. Succussion in most cases develops a splashing sound frequently having the same kind of musical intonation as the respiration, voice, and tinkling sounds.
attrib. 1883. F. T. Roberts, Th. & Pract. Med. (ed. 5), 358. Succussion-signs…. The signs produced by shaking a patient are:—1. A splashing-sensation felt by the hand. 2. A splashing-sound.
1886. Fagge, Princ. Med., I. 940. Another sign of pneumothorax … is that which is termed ‘succussion-splash.’
1897. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., IV. 661. This succussion sound … is specially interesting as having been observed by Hippocrates.
