gelsemium

[jel-see-mee-uh m]

noun, plural gel·se·mi·ums, gel·se·mi·a

[jel-see-mee-uh] /dʒɛlˈsi mi ə/.

the dried rhizome and root of yellow jasmine, formerly used as a sedative in the form of a powder, tincture, or fluid extract.

Origin of gelsemium

1870–75; < New Latin < Italian gelsom(ino) jasmine + Latin -ium -ium

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Examples from the Web for gelsemium

Historical Examples of gelsemium

Gelsemium is a very powerful agent for depressing the pulse and the functional activity of the spinal cord.
Insomnia; and Other Disorders of Sleep
Henry M. Lyman
Gelsemium is sometimes a very satisfactory remedy—especially in the febrile attacks to which children are liable.
Insomnia; and Other Disorders of Sleep
Henry M. Lyman
Feverish and irritable conditions yield frequently to aperients, or to gelsemium and quinine.
Insomnia; and Other Disorders of Sleep
Henry M. Lyman
The British Pharmacopoeia contains a tincture of gelsemium, the dose of which is from five to fifteen minims.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 5
Various

British Dictionary definitions for gelsemium

gelsemium

noun plural -miums or -mia (-mɪə)

any climbing shrub of the loganiaceous genus Gelsemium, of SE Asia and North America, esp the yellow jasmine, having fragrant yellow flowers
the powdered root of the yellow jasmine, formerly used as a sedative

Word Origin for gelsemium

C19: New Latin, from Italian gelsomino jasmine

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012