Definition

Noun: * A medicinal preparation consisting of a mixture of powders (typically sodium bicarbonate, Rochelle salt, and tartaric acid) that effervesces when mixed with water. It was historically used as a saline cathartic to relieve constipation.

Usage

• The term is used to refer to the specific compound laxative preparation. It is often mentioned in historical or medical contexts.
• Example: "The 19th-century doctor prescribed seidlitz powder for the patient's ailment."

Advanced Usage

• The name is derived from the town of Sedlitz (now Sedlec, Czech Republic), known for its natural mineral waters with purgative properties. The manufactured powder was designed to mimic the effects of this water.
• It is considered an archaic or historical remedy, largely replaced by modern pharmaceuticals.

Variants and Related Words

• Seidlitz powders (plural form).
• Effervescent powder: A general term for any powder that fizzes in water.
• Saline cathartic: A type of laxative that works by drawing water into the intestines.

Synonyms

• Effervescent cathartic
• Saline purgative (in a general medical sense)

Related Phrases/Idioms

• A dose of seidlitz powders: Can be used figuratively to describe something that causes a sudden, vigorous, or cleansing reaction.
  • Example: "The scandalous report was like a dose of seidlitz powders for the stagnant political system."

Noun

1. an effervescing salt containing sodium bicarbonate and Rochelle salt and tartaric acid; used as a cathartic