STRYCHNINED

STRYCHNINE

Strych"nine, n. Etym: [L. strychnos a kind of nightshade, Gr. strychnine.] (Chem.)

Definition: A very poisonous alkaloid resembling brucine, obtained from various species of plants, especially from species of Loganiaceæ, as from the seeds of the St. Ignatius bean (Strychnos Ignatia) and from nux vomica. It is obtained as a white crystalline substance, having a very bitter acrid taste, and is employed in medicine (chiefly in the form of the sulphate) as a powerful neurotic stimulant. Called also strychnia, and formerly strychnina.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

5 October 2024

FUTON

(noun) mattress consisting of a pad of cotton batting that is used for sleeping on the floor or on a raised frame


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Coffee Trivia

Coffee has initially been a food – chewed, not sipped. Early African tribes consume coffee by grinding the berries together, adding some animal fat, and rolling the treats into tiny edible energy balls.

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