a. (sb.) [ad.F. symptomatique or late L. symptōmāticus (cf. Gr. συμπτωματικός exposed to chance), f. symptōmat-, symptōma SYMPTOM: see -IC.]
1. Path. Of the nature of, or constituting, a symptom of disease; spec. applied to a secondary disease or morbid state arising from and accompanying a primary one (opp. to idiopathic).
1698. Floyer, Asthma, iii. (1717), 110. I shall next describe those Symptomatic Asthma’s, which succeed Cephalic Diseases.
1710. T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp., 64. Fevers … accompanied with a Symptomatic Flux of the Belly.
1742. Fielding, J. Andrews, I. xiii. If his fever should prove more than symptomatic, it would be impossible to save him.
1802. Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), III. 166. This will give what doctors call a symptomatic indication.
1822–7. Good, Study Med. (1829), IV. 245. This … is … sometimes denominated symptomatic amaurosis, being the mere effect of another disease, which is the primary one.
1834. J. Forbes, Laennec’s Dis. Chest (ed. 4), 451. The symptomatic dropsy may accompany almost every disease.
1877. F. T. Roberts, Handbk. Med. (ed. 3), I. 296. Symptomatic Parotitis differs from the idiopathic form in its great tendency to end in suppuration.
b. Const. of.
1814. L. Hunt, Feast Poets, Notes (1815), 100. Symptomatic of a weak state of stomach.
1831. Scott, Cast. Dang., x. A species of dotage of the mind, which is sometimes found concomitant with and symptomatic of this disorder.
1874. Carpenter, Mental Phys., I. iv. (1879), 156. The flashes of light which are symptomatic of disease of the Retina or of the Optic nerve.
2. Relating to or concerned with symptoms.
1767. S. Paterson, Another Trav., I. 321. The symptomatic art … the learned faculty of medicine have an undoubted right to.
1843. R. J. Graves, Syst. Clin. Med., ix. 101. The mere symptomatic practitioner would be unable to acquire anything more than a loose and undefined notion. Ibid., 758. [Epilepsy] received from our ancestors the apt symptomatic name of the ‘falling-evil’ or ‘falling-sickness.’
3. gen. That is a symptom of something; accompanying and indicating some condition, quality, etc.; characteristic and indicative of.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pickle (1779), IV. xc. 84. The friendship … had of late suffered several symptomatic shocks.
1803. Edin. Rev., Jan., 497. Symptomatic of rather a rancourous spirit of controversy.
1837. Hallam, Lit. Eur., I. I. i. § 80. He shows … a regard to profane literature, unusual in the darker ages, and symptomatic of a more liberal taste.
1847. J. Martineau, Chr. Life (1867), 326. The symptomatic smoke has puffed up from the social volcano.
1878. C. J. Vaughan, Earnest Words, 120. All that remains is symptomatic—this is essential.
¶ Misused for or confused with symbolic or emblematic. (Cf. SYMPTOM ¶.)
1852. Dickens, Bleak Ho., xlviii. With ashes (or hair-powder) on their heads, symptomatic of their great humility.
1881. Manch. Guard., 27 Jan. [He] referred to the right hon. gentleman’s red stockings as being ‘symptomatic of the seas of gore’ through which the Government meant to wade in Ireland.
B. sb. in pl. Symptomatics = SYMPTOMATOLOGY.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., xlvi. (1804), 315. Wagtail … harangued upon prognostics, diagnostics, symptomatics.
1830–2. Carleton, Traits (1842), I. 135. The differential symptomatics between a Party Fight … and one between two Roman Catholic Factions.
