paregoric, a. and n.
(pærɪˈgɒrɪk)
Also 8 para-.
[ad. late L. parēgoric-us, a. Gr. παρηγορικ-ός encouraging, soothing, f. παρήγορος consoling, soothing, f. παρα- para-1 beside, on the side of + -αγορος in sense ‘speaking’, f. ἀγορά assembly of the people; cf. ἀγορεύειν to speak in the assembly. In F. parégorique.]
A. adj. Of medicines: Assuaging pain, soothing.
| 1684 tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. vi. 190 The fury of the bloud is restrained..by a paregorick draught of Diacodium. 1744 Berkeley Siris §75 It [tar-water] is..both paregoric and cordial. 1784 T. Colby in Med. Commun. II. 18, I directed a paregoric draught to be taken at night. |
b. spec. paregoric elixir, a camphorated tincture of opium flavoured with aniseed and benzoic acid.
Formerly, also, the ammoniated tincture of opium (Scotch paregoric elixir); see Buchan Dom. Med. ed. 1790, App. 698.
| 1751 Stark tr. Mead's Med. Precepts v. 113 Of all this tribe [anodynes] I know no better medicine than the paragoric elixir. 1857 Mayne Expos. Lex., Paregoric Elixir, name for the Tinctura opii camphorata, or English paregoric elixir, to distinguish it from the Tinctura opii ammoniata, which was formerly also called paregoric elixir. 1893 in Syd. Soc. Lex. |
B. n. A medicine to assuage pain, an anodyne.
| 1704 J. Harris Lex. Techn. I, Anodynes..are sometimes also called Paragoricks. 1780 Grant in Phil. Trans. LXX. 129 Taking only a paregoric at night. 1815 Mr. John Decastro I. 36 This acted like a paregoric for a little time. |
b. spec., in the British Pharmacopœia = paregoric elixir: see A. b.
| 1875 tr. von Ziemssen's Cycl. Med. I. 457 The above mentioned mixture of paregoric and wine of opium. 1885 ‘F. Anstey’ Tinted Venus xv. 180, I never sell paregoric to children. 1892 Daily News 1 Nov. 6/5 In the third reprint of the [British Pharmacopœia], issued in November, 1888, the Council drew attention in a prefatory notice to their insertion of paregoric—on page 411. 1898 Allbutt's Syst. Med. V. 154 We endeavour..to relieve cough, particularly at night, by paregoric and other anodynes. |