‖ diaˈgrydium Pharm.
Also 5 -gredie, 7 -gredium.
[L. diagrydium (Cælius Aurelianus ? 5th c.), according to Littré a corruption, through association with names of drugs in dia-, of Gr. δακρυδίον ‘a kind of scammony’, dim. of δάκρυ tear, drop. In F. diagrède.]
An old name for a preparation of scammony, used in pharmacy.
| 1436 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 173 Wee shulde have no nede to skamonye, Turbit, euforbe, correcte, diagredie. a 1600 Customs Duties (Brit. Mus. Add. MS. No. 25697), Digredum, the pounde. vis. viijd. 1625 Hart Anat. Ur. ii. xi. 127 Mingled with..powder of Diagridium. 1651 Biggs New Disp. ¶106 They hide Scammony under the name of diagredium. 1741 Compl. Fam. Piece i. i. 66 Take..Diagridium and Tartar-Vitriolate a Dram. 1825 Brande Man. Pharmacy 157 In some old Pharmacopœiæ..methods of correcting the acrimony of scammony are described, and to such preparations they gave the name of diagridia. |
Hence diaˈgrydiate a., made with diagrydium. Also as n.: see quots.
| 1657 Phys Dict, Diagridiates, medicines that have scammony or diagridium in their composition. 1684 tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. iii. 99 With diagrydiate Purges. a 1734 Floyer, All cholerick humours ought to be evacuated by diagrydiates. 1755 Johnson, Diagrydiates, strong purgatives made with diagrydium. |