Definitions
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The root of Ipomæa (Convolvulus) Turpethum, a plant of Ceylon, Malabar, and Australia, which has a cathartic property. (See Indian jalap, under jalap.) It is sometimes called vegetable turpeth to distinguish it from mineral turpeth.
- n. Turpeth-mineral.—
Wiktionary
- n. Operculina turpethum, a plant in the morning glory family.
- n. chemistry, obsolete A heavy yellow powder with chemical formula Hg3O2SO4.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Bot.) The root of Ipomœa Turpethum, a plant of Ceylon, Malabar, and Australia, formerly used in medicine as a purgative; -- sometimes called
vegetable turpeth . - n. (Chem.) A heavy yellow powder, Hg3O2SO4, which consists of a basic mercuric sulphate; -- called also
turpeth mineral .
Etymologies
- Ultimately from Persian. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“Dissolved in vitriolic acid, called turpeth mineral, or hydrargyrus vitriolatus.”
“But turpeth root is seldom used alone, for its action is so uncertain that Sir W. O'Shaughnessy pronounced the plant unworthy of a place in the Pharmacopoeia of”
“The following treatment has been found very effectual in membranous croup, and is recommended by the highest authorities: Yellow subsulphate of mercury, or turpeth mineral, three to five grains, depending upon the age of the child, for one dose.”
“If the turpeth mineral cannot be obtained, sulphate of copper or sulphate of zinc may be given instead, as directed under the head of Emetics, in”
“Action of sulphuric acid, and preparation of the super-sulphate and sub-sulphate -- turpeth mineral.”
“As one grain of turpeth mineral (vitriolic calx of mercury) mixed with ten grains of fine sugar.”
“As by stimulating one branch of lymphatics into inverted motion, another branch is liable to absorb its fluid more hastily; suppose strong errhines, as common tobacco snuff to children, or one grain of turpeth mineral, (Hydrargyrus vitriolatus), mixed with ten or fifteen grains of sugar, was gradually blown up the nostrils?”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘turpeth’.
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root tips and other ends
stolon, circinate, calyptrogen, meristem, verticil, fusiform, telomere, skirret, relbun, turpeth, galangal, vetiver and 54 more...
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The Aubrey/Maturin List I'm Gonna Mak...
I'm wading through Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin novels one by one, and someday, I'll wade through them again and list all the words I learned while reading them.
Edit: I started ma...studdingsail, carronade, mumchance, grumlin-futtocks, crosscat-harpings, holystone, sennit, orlop, orchitis, negus, kevel, altumal and 1112 more...
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Zamboni Palin
My imaginary lexicon for future megastar and visionary Zamboni Palin.
strewth, curple, speshly, ugly tree, whupping, nar'n, swain, sneezeweed, sciencey, snarleyyow, jackpudding, squanch and 304 more...
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Wordie/Wordnik Curio Cabinet
Oddments culled from my "main" lists that belong in a display cabinet of their own, plus sundry other curiosities. :-)
zeugma, ziggurat, xiphoid, xeric, whizgigging, whangdoodle, viviparous, vivific, vinolent, verjuice, vellicate, velleity and 1193 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for turpeth.
chained_bear "'He was given a bolus of a scruple of musk with two grains of opium; then a composition of fifteen grains of musk, one of turpeth mineral... and an embrocation of two ounces of laudanum...'"
--Patrick O'Brian, The Truelove, 143 Mar 11, 2008