v. Chiefly Med. [f. ppl. stem of mod.L. vesicare: see VESICA and -ATE.]
1. trans. To cause to rise in a blister or blisters; to raise blisters on (the skin, etc.).
1657. G. Starkey, Helmont’s Vind., 173. He will perhaps apply pigeons or the like to the feet or vesicate the external members for revulsion sake.
1676. Wiseman, Surg. Treat., VI. viii. 435. Celsus proposes, that … the externall Parts be vesicated, to make more powerfull Revulsion from within.
1720. Quincy, trans. Hodges’ Loimologia, 189. The Parts thus vesicated were never suffered to heal till the Malignity of the Disease was spent.
1753. Phil. Trans., XLVIII. 149. If … this bark is stripped off with their teeth, it inflames and vesicates their lips and gums.
b. In pa. pple. Covered with, converted into, blisters.
1676. Wiseman, Surg. Treat., I. vi. 38. I saw [the arm] swelled, the Cuticula vesicated, and shining with a burning heat of a citron colour.
1802. Jenner, Instr. Vaccine Inoculation (1884), 59. A little red spot will appear on the third day … which … becomes perceptibly vesicated.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 482. Outbursts of persistent wheal-like formations, sometimes vesicated.
2. absol. To produce blisters.
1809. Phil. Trans., XCIX. 343. The fluid effused by vesicating with cantharides.
1816. Kirby & Sp., Entomol. (ed. 2), I. 315. In America the Lytta cinerea and vittata … are said to vesicate more speedily and with less pain.
1843. R. J. Graves, Syst. Clin. Med., xii. 133. Blisters [applied] would be doubtful, and the probability was that the patient would sink before they vesicated.
1864. Garrod, Mat. Med. (ed. 2), 41. Liquor ammoniæ fortior … will vesicate rapidly, if evaporation is prevented.
3. intr. To become blistered.
1899. J. Hutchinson’s Arch. Surg., X. 120. It [i.e., an eruption] consists of erythematous patches which vesicate at their borders and spread.
Hence Vesicated ppl. a., Vesicating vbl. sb. (also attrib.) and ppl. a.
In quot. 1703 app. meaning ‘having large air-cells’: cf. VESICULATED a.
1703. Phil. Trans., XXIII. 1393. The Lungs of these Water Lizards being *vesicated, and not vesiculated.
1806. Med. Jrnl., XV. 44. Blistering plasters were applied, and the vesicated parts treated as above.
1843. R. J. Graves, Syst. Clin. Med., ix. 102, note. Dressing the vesicated surface with the French blistering paper.
1663. Boyle, Usef. Exp. Nat. Philos., II. ii. 61. The Chirurgion, unknown to me, made use of Cantharides, among other ingredients of his *vesicating plaister.
1771. T. Percival, Ess. (1777), I. 196. Neither mustard,… nor any other vesicating stimulus but cantharides, excite this complaint.
1836. Penny Cycl., VI. 249/1. A yellow viscid matter … which has no vesicating power.
1872. T. G. Thomas, Dis. Women (ed. 3), 297. There are two preparations of vesicating collodion.
