Antimonials, in pre-modern
medicine
Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...
, were remedies principally containing
antimony
Antimony is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Sb () and atomic number 51. A lustrous grey metal or metalloid, it is found in nature mainly as the sulfide mineral stibnite (). Antimony compounds have been known since ancient t ...
, used chiefly for
emetic
Vomiting (also known as emesis, puking and throwing up) is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose.
Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis, preg ...
purposes. They might also have qualified for
cathartic
In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that ''accelerates'' defecation. This is similar to a laxative, which is a substance that ''eases'' defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathar ...
,
diaphoretic
Perspiration, also known as sweat, is the fluid secreted by sweat glands in the skin of mammals.
Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and Apocrine sweat gland, apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distribu ...
, or simply alternative uses. Such treatments were considered unparalleled in their strength.
Metaphorical usage
The following passage illustrates the use of the word ''antimonial'' to mean ''emetic'' in common (as well as medical) terms:
See also
*
Antimony pill
*
Antimonial cup
*
Pentavalent antimonial
External links
*
Antimonials
See also
*
Antimonial cup
*
Pentavalent antimonial
References
Emetics
Antimony
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