turpeth--prophetes.ai

turpeth, turbith
  (ˈtɜːpɪθ, -bɪθ)
  Forms: α. 5 turbyte, 5–8 -bit, 6 torbith, turbythe, pl. -bithes, 7–9 turbeth, 6– turbith; β. 7– turpith, -peth.
  [a. OF. turbit, -ith, turpet (F. turbith) or ad. med.L. turbith(um, turpethum, turpetum, ad. Pers. and Arab. turbid, -bed, whence also Pg., Sp. turbit. Turbith was the preponderant Eng. form to the 18th c., till assimilated to med.L. turpethum.]
  1. A cathartic drug prepared from the root of East Indian jalap, Ipomœa Turpethum, an Indian and Australian plant; also, the plant itself, or its root.
  † Garganic turbith: see quot. 1760.

α c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 180 He mote ofte purge fleume with turbit. 1460–70 Bk. Quintessence 16 Þo laxatyues þat purgen flewme & viscous humouris, as a litil of euforbie, or turbit, or sambucy. 1545 Rates of Custom-ho. C vj b, Torbith the pounde, xij d. 1567 J. Maplet Gr. Forest 63 Tvrbit whose Leafe is like the Laurell, groweth in ægypt..It is giuen to purge fleume. 1652 Culpepper Eng. Physic. (1809) 261 For choler, rhubarb; for phlegm, turbith; for watery humours, scammony. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 330 Garganic Turbith, Thapsia. Ibid., Indian Turbith, or of the Shops, Convolvulus. 1785 Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xvi. (1794) 185 This genus contains several remarkable plants; as..Turpethum or Turbith.

β 1658 Rowland Moufet's Theat. Ins. 1119 The Turpeth drives them from their nests. 1758 J. S. Le Drau's Observ. Surg. (1771) A a iv b, Turpeth, Hermodactyles, Polypody of the Oak. 1905 H. D. Rolleston Dis. Liver 262 Turpeth, the Ipomœa turpethum of the Colonial and Indian Pharmacopœias, is recommended in 20 grain doses.

b. Montpellier turpeth, common name for Globularia alypum, the decoction of the leaves of which acts as an active but gentle purgative.

1860 in Mayne Expos. Lex.

2. turpeth or turbith mineral (mineral a. 4): basic sulphate of mercury (HgSO₄·2HgO), obtained as a lemon-yellow powder from the normal sulphate by washing with hot water.
It has emetic, cathartic, and sternutatory properties, but is no longer used internally.

α 1616 Bullokar Eng. Expos., Turbith minerall, a certaine red powder..which is vsed against the French disease. 1669 W. Simpson Hydrol. Chym. 60 Dissolving quicksilver in oyl of vitriol, according to what is done in making turbith mineral. 1685 Boyle Enq. Notion Nat. vi. 233 A patient, who..could not be brought to salivate, neither by the gentler ways, nor by turbith-mineral and other harsher medicines. 1758 Reid tr. Macquer's Chym. I. 402 Wash this yellow matter in five or six warm waters, and it will be what is called in medicine Turbith mineral; that is, a combination of the Vitriolic Acid with Mercury, five or six grains whereof is a violent purgative, and also an emetick; qualities which it possesses in common with the vegetable Turbith, whose name it hath therefore taken. 1849 D. Campbell Inorg. Chem. 236 This yellow powder is a subsulphate [of mercury] (3HgO,SO₃), and is known as turbeth mineral. 1874 Garrod & Baxter Mat. Med. (1880) 110 The yellow subsulphate above mentioned, under the name of Turbith Mineral, has been employed as an errhine.

β 1716 M. Davies Athen. Brit. II. 352 Turpith Mineral, made of Hydrargyry and Oil of Vitriol. 1815 J. Smith Panorama Sc. & Art II. 795 King's yellow, turpith mineral, and Dutch pink, all form very bright yellows. 1868 Watts Dict. Chem. V. 925 Turpeth or turbith mineral, an old name for basic mercuric sulphate, HgSO₄·2HgO. 1899 Allbutt's Syst. Med. VIII. 516 Native mercurous sulphate (turpeth mineral) is much used in France.

† 3. ellipt. = prec. sense. Obs.
black turpeth: see quot. 1895.

α 1658 Phillips, Turbith,..a red Mineral, which being beaten to powder, is used in physick. 1675 Phil. Trans. X. 299 Mercury..having been..reduced into water, turbith and ashes. 1707 Curios. in Husb. & Gard. 325 Olaus..tormented some Quicksilver..into Water, Turbith and Ashes.

β 1678 Phillips (ed. 4), Turpith, a Chymical preparation of Mercury, and the Oyl of Vitriol, whereby the Mercury is precipitated into a sweetnesse. 1800 Phil. Trans. XC. 215 Not only the pure red oxide, but the red nitrous oxide, and turpeth, may be substituted. 1895 Funk's Standard Dict. s.v., Black turpeth, black mercurous acid: old name.

4. attrib., as t. plant, turpeth root, turpeth vomit.

1773 T. Percival Ess. II. 163 The powerful effects of Turpeth vomits in white swellings of the joints. 1860 Mayne Expos. Lex., Turbeth Plant, common name for the Convolvulus turpethum. 1868 Watts Dict. Chem. V. 925 Turpeth or turbith root.