dover's powder
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: - A medicinal powder composed primarily of ipecac and opium, historically used as an analgesic to relieve pain and as a sudorific to induce perspiration.
Usage
- Historical Medical Context: The term is used almost exclusively to refer to a specific, now largely obsolete, pharmaceutical preparation. It is typically discussed in historical or medical history contexts.
- Dover's powder was a common remedy in the 18th and 19th centuries for fevers and pain.
- The physician prescribed Dover's powder to induce sweating and alleviate the patient's discomfort.
Advanced Usage
- "Dover's powder" is a proper noun referring to a specific formulation named after the English physician Thomas Dover (1660–1742). Its use is archaic in modern medicine due to the risks associated with opium and the development of safer alternatives.
Variants and Related Words
- Ipecac (noun): A plant-derived emetic, one of the active ingredients in Dover's powder.
- Opium (noun): A narcotic drug obtained from poppies, the other primary ingredient in Dover's powder.
- Analgesic (noun): A type of drug that relieves pain.
- Sudorific (noun/adj): A substance that induces sweating.
Synonyms
- Compound powder of ipecacuanha and opium (formal/technical synonym)
- Dover's (informal shortening in historical texts)
Notes on Meaning
This term has a single, specific historical meaning. It does not have different modern meanings, idioms, or phrasal verbs associated with it.
Noun
- a medicinal powder made essentially of ipecac and opium; formerly used to relieve pain and induce perspiration