Obs. [ad. L. adūstiōn-em n. of action f. adūr-ĕre: see ADURE. In the medical vocabulary of most modern lang. in 16th c. (see sense 3), and possibly in Eng. immed. from Fr.]
1. The action or process of burning, scorching, heating to dryness, or parching.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., 3. The more you distil at once … the oyles will be in lesse daunger of adustion.
1601. Holland, Pliny (1634), I. 424. The faults and imperfections of pitch … are known by … the very adustion thereof.
1673. in Phil. Trans., VIII. 6128. The Peripateticks, who derive the Saltness of the Sea from the Adustion of the water by the sun-beams.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Gravel, Turpentine-powder, made by Way of Adustion, or drying in the Sun.
2. The state of being burnt, or scorched; parched dryness.
1559. Morwyng, Evonymus, 218. Fire in destillation dothe more procure the savoure of adustion and brentnesse.
1650. Ashmole, Chymical Coll., 103. Decoct it in Dung, because by Inhumation, Adustion is taken away.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Distilling, The least Savour of Smoke or Adustion.
3. The state of being ADUST in sense 3; hotness and dryness of the humours of the body.
1533. Elyot, Castel of Helth (1541), 6. The lyver in hete distempered hath moche blacke choler toward age by adustion of red choler.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. iii. III. (1651), 207. Adustion of humours makes men mad.
1658. Culpepper, Astrol. Judgem. Dis., 90. Such diseases as come of adustion of blood, as the Pestilence.
