Although the digraph rh occurring at the beginning of a syllable in a word of Greek origin is ordinarily changed to rrh when a prefix or other lexical element is placed before it, the r is not doubled in this word. (1) Denoting an agent that suppresses manifestations of rheumatic disease; usually applied to antiinflammatory agents or agents that are capable of delaying progression of the basic disease process in inflammatory arthritis. (2) An agent possessing such properties (e.g., gold compounds).
