scammony
/'skæməni/
Definition
Noun: 1. A twining plant: A perennial climbing plant (Convolvulus scammonia or Ipomoea orizabensis) native to Asia Minor, with heart-shaped leaves and funnel-shaped flowers ranging from cream to purple. 2. A medicinal resin: A powerful cathartic (purgative) resin obtained from the dried root of the scammony plant, historically used as a strong laxative in medicine. 3. A related plant: Refers to certain tropical American morning glory vines that yield a similar resin.
Usage
- As a plant name:
- The scammony is a vigorous climber found in the eastern Mediterranean region.
- Botanists collected a specimen of scammony for the herbarium.
- As a medicinal substance:
- In traditional pharmacy, scammony was a common but potent ingredient in purgative preparations.
- The use of scammony as a laxative has largely been replaced by safer modern drugs.
Advanced Usage
- Historical/Pharmaceutical Context: The term is primarily used in historical, botanical, or pharmacological texts rather than in everyday conversation.
- The 19th-century pharmacopoeia listed detailed instructions for preparing scammony resin.
Variants and Related Words
- Scammony resin: The specific purgative substance derived from the plant.
- Mexican scammony: Refers to the resin from the related tropical American plant .
Synonyms
- Purgative resin: A general term for a resinous substance that causes bowel evacuation.
- Jalap (in historical context): Another plant-derived purgative resin, sometimes mentioned alongside or compared to scammony.
Related Phrases/Compounds
- Scammony root: The part of the plant from which the resin is extracted.
- The merchant sold dried scammony root to the apothecary.
Noun
-
twining plant of Asia Minor having cream-colored to purple flowers and long thick roots yielding a cathartic resin
-
resin from the root of Convolvulus scammonia
-
tropical American morning glory
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