A friend introduced me to the word "excipient." He said it meant, "In making compressed tablets, the medication has something like milk sugar added to give it suitable bulk and ability to be molded into and hold desired shape," which is related to the common definition on dictionaries, "a usually inert substance that forms a vehicle, as for a drug." However, interestingly, the online OED only has these 3 definitions:

1) adj. "that takes exception; objecting
2) n. "one who takes up or receives in succession. rare."
3) n. "The material or surface that receives the pigments in painting."

Strange that the OED doesn't have the definition that most of the dictionaries in Onelook have, don't you think? Do you know this word? Definition number 3, I suppose, could be related to the more common definition.

I've heard the word - probably in one of William F. Buckley's tirades ( ) but had only thought of it as a binding agent. Now I'm curious as to whether "accipiter," which is a type of hawk, isn't a related word, both using "capere" (taking) in a different way. Those of you who have the time and knowledge to look it up, whaddaya say?

Back to the old trusty dictionary Kalleh!

1726 - Adjective. That takes exception.
1753 - That ingredient in a compound medicine which takes up or receives the rest, as the syrup in boluses etc.
1852 - One who takes up in succession (rare)
1855 - The material or surface that receives the pigments in painting.

quote:

the syrup in boluses

boluses??? Never heard of it. This led me on a chase through OED.

1753 CHAMBERS Cycl. Supp., Excipient..that ingredient in a compound medicine, the business of which is to receive all the rest; such is the conserve in electuaries, the syrup in bolusses, &C (Notice that the plural bolusses was spelled with a double-s; Doad has modernized it.)

bolus: [from L. and Gk. for 'clod, lump of earth'] 1. a. A medicine of round shape adapted for swallowing, larger than an ordinary pill. ("1603: I will not have a Bolus, or a glister.") Often contemptuous. Also fig., e.g "1878 Resolved not to swallow your Home Rule bolus." (also, a similar use arising much later, 1967)
2. A small rounded mass of any substance.

Uh... wait a moment. If a bolus is like a pill, a solid rather than a liquid, doesn't this conflict with the Chambers quote that referred to "the syrup in bolusses"? I checked for old meaning of 'syrup' or 'pill', but found nothing that would resolve this conflict.

Anyhow, continuing, the quotes give us two more questions. What's an electuary? And what's a glister?

• OED says, electuary: - a medicinal conserve or paste, consisting of a powder mixed with honey, preserve, or syrup."
  Huh? This says a electuary is a type of conserve. But the Chalmers quote above says that the conserve is only a certan part of the electuary. Which is it?
  
• OED says 'glister' is an old form of 'clyster', which in turn basically means a suppository or an edema. Clyster has another, obsolete meaning: "a contemptuous name for a medical practitioner". How fitting.

Whew!

I've missed this discussion! Asa, "accipiter," according to the OED, comes from the word, "L. accipiter, f. accipre to take to oneself: see accept."

Bolus in nursing and medicine can be a liquid. In fact, I haven't seen it used to describe a pill; I have only seen it used to describe a large dose of a liquid medication. When, for example, someone is in a lot of pain, we will give him a bolus of morphine (intravenously).

Interesting about "electuary" and "glister." I am not at home now and don't have my Taber's. However, "glister" doesn't appear in any of Onelook's medical dictionaries. "Electuary," however, is in Dorland's and means, "electuary (elec·tu·a·ry) (e-lek¢tu-ar-e) [L. electuarium, from e out + legere to select] a medicinal preparation consisting of a powdered drug made into a paste with honey or syrup; a confection. Called also lincture and linctus." I haven't heard of it before.

quote:

Originally posted by Kalleh:
I've missed this discussion!

How could you miss it? You started it!

Tinman

quote:

Bolus in nursing and medicine can be a liquid. In fact, I haven't seen it used to describe a pill; I have only seen it used to describe a large dose of a liquid medication.

I was surprised at this, as I'd only heard it used to refer to a large pill, or a lump of masticated food. However, the medical dictionaries referenced by OneLook bear out what you say.

May I assume that someone has access to the on-line OED, the one that is undergoing it's projected 20-year (or whatever) upgrade? The pill definition may be there.

From the OED Online:

quote:

bolus
1. Med. a. A medicine of round shape adapted for swallowing, larger than an ordinary pill. (Often used somewhat contemptuously.)

b. A single dose of a drug, contrast medium, etc., introduced rapidly into a blood-vessel.

2. A small rounded mass of any substance.

3. A kind of clay; = BOLE2 1.

bole2

1. The name of several kinds of fine, compact, earthy, or unctuous clay, usually of a yellow, red, or brown colour due to the presence of iron oxide.

b. spec. bole armeniac, formerly also armoniak, etc.: an astringent earth brought from Armenia, and formerly used as an antidote and styptic.

2. A large pill, a BOLUS; also fig. Obs.

So a bolus can be a larg pill, a lump of a "substance" (that could be anything), a liquid medicine introduced intravenously, or a lump of clay.

Tinman

quote:

How could you miss it? You started it!

Tinman, I was referring to the recent discussion. Sorry for the confusion!

I can only tell you that in my nursing practice (there may be regional differences of course) I have never seen a "bolus" to be a large pill; I have only seen it has a large intravenous dose of a medication.