‖ Euphorbium
(juːˈfɔːrbɪəm)
Also 4 euf-, eufforbium.
[a. L. euphorbeum = euphorbea.]
† 1. = Euphorbia. Obs.
| 1607 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iv. ii. (1605–7) iii. 67 His Shield..freng'd about with sprigs of Scammonie, And of Euphorbium, forged cunningly. 1626 Bacon Sylva (1631) §639 Euphorbium also hath a Milke..not very white, which is of a great Acrimony. 1712 E. Cook Voy. S. Sea 326 The Trees I observ'd here, were Lignum Vitæ, Birch..Euphorbium. 1767 J. Abercrombie Ev. Man his own Gard. (1803) 130 Succulent kinds..such as..euphorbiums. |
2. A gum resin obtained from certain succulent species of Euphorbia. It is an extremely acrid substance, formerly used as an emetic and purgative. The powder causes violent sneezing.
| c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. (MS. A) 43 To drie bodies he muste be medlid wiþ a litil euforbium [printed enforbium]. c 1530 Hickscorner in Hazl. Dodsley I. 178 He..spake To a prentice for a penny-worth of euphorbium. 1653 Urquhart Rabelais ii. xvi, Another [pocket] he had all full of Euphorbium very finely pulverised..shaking it [his handkerchief] hard at their nose [he] made them sneeze for foure hours without ceasing. 1760 Willis in Phil. Trans. LI. 663 She took..two ounces of the tincture of euphorbium. 1860 Sir W. Hooker & Arnott Brit. Flora 291 Euphorbia officinarum, antiquorum and canariensis give the euphorbium of the shops. |