carphology


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Related to carphology: floccillation, subsultus tendinum

carphology

(kɑːˈfɒlədʒɪ)
n
the action of grasping at imaginary objects or plucking at one's bed linen, a characteristic of people affected by delirium
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

carphology

the motions of delirious or senile patients, especially motions of searching for and grasping at imaginary objects, plucking at bedclothes, etc. Also called floccilation.
See also: Disease and Illness
-Ologies & -Isms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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Helped back to his bed by Derville, Gobseck dies in what is arguably, despite his "carphology," a final gesture of controlled letting go: "il etendit son bras sec et sa main osseuse sur la couverture qu'il serra comme pour se retenir, il regarda son foyer, froid autant que l'etait son oeil metallique, et il mourut avec toute sa raison" (1011).
From Gobseck's Chamber to Derville's Chambers: retention in Balzac's Gobseck

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