scammony

American  

[skam-uh-nee] / ˈskæm ə ni /

noun

plural

scammonies

1. a twining, Asian convolvulus, Convolvulus scammonia.

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scammony British  

/ skæˈməʊnɪɪt, ˈskæmənɪ /

noun

1. a twining Asian convolvulus plant, Convolvulus scammonia, having arrow-shaped leaves, white or purple flowers, and tuberous roots

2. a resinous juice obtained from the roots of this plant and having purgative properties

3. any of various similar medicinal resins or the plants that yield them

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Other Word Forms

• scammoniate adjective

Etymology

Origin of scammony

before 1000; Middle English scamonie, Old English < Latin scamōnia < Greek skamōnía

Example Sentences

It is not scammony that causes purging but a property that scammony has that requires further investigation.

From Textbooks • Jun. 15, 2022

Castor oil, senna, jalap, jalapine, and scammony are simple aperients.

From The Mother's Manual of Children's Diseases by West, Charles

Each fluid ounce contains: sulp. magnesia one drachm, senna two drachms, scammony six grains, liquorice one drachm, ginger three grains, coriander, five grains, with flavoring ingredients.

From The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) Cooking, Toilet and Household Recipes, Menus, Dinner-Giving, Table Etiquette, Care of the Sick, Health Suggestions, Facts Worth Knowing, Etc., Etc. The Whole Comprising a Comprehensive Cyclopedia of Information for the Home by Gillette, F. L. (Fanny Lemira)

The duty received for scammony, in 1842, was £607.

From The Commercial Products of the Vegetable Kingdom Considered in Their Various Uses to Man and in Their Relation to the Arts and Manufactures; Forming a Practical Treatise & Handbook of Reference for the Colonist, Manufacturer, Merchant, and Consumer, on the Cultivation, Preparation for Shipment, and Commercial Value, &c. of the Various Substances Obtained From Trees and Plants, Entering into the Husbandry of Tropical and Sub-tropical Regions, &c. by Simmonds, P. L.

Her method consisted in giving from one to three drams of the powdered root, after using a clyster, and following the dose up with a purge of scammony and calomel.

From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by Fernie, William Thomas