Forms: α. 5 turbyte, 5–8 -bit, 6 torbith, turbythe, pl. -bithes, 7–9 turbeth, 6– turbith; β. 7– turpith, -peth. [a. OF. turbit, -ith, turpet (F. turbith) or ad. med.L. turbith(um, turpethum, turpetum, ad. Pers. and Arab. turbid, -bed, whence also Pg., Sp. turbit. Turbith was the preponderant Eng. form to the 18th c., till assimilated to med.L. turpethum.]
1. A cathartic drug prepared from the root of East Indian jalap, Ipomœa Turpethum, an Indian and Australian plant; also, the plant itself, or its root.
† Garganic Turbith: see quot. 1760.
α. c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 180. He mote ofte purge fleume with turbit.
1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, 16. Þo laxatyues þat purgen flewme & viscous humouris, as a litil of euforbie, or turbit, or sambucy.
1545. Rates of Custom-ho., C vj b. Torbith the pounde, xij d.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 63. Tvrbit whose Leafe is like the Laurell, groweth in Ægypt … It is giuen to purge fleume.
1652. Culpepper, Eng. Physic. (1809), 261. For choler, rhubarb; for phlegm, turbith; for watery humours, scammony.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 330. Garganic Turbith, Thapsia. Ibid. Indian Turbith, or of the Shops, Convolvulus.
1785. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xvi. (1794), 185. This genus contains several remarkable plants; as … Turpethum or Turbith.
β. 1658. Rowland, Moufet’s Theat. Ins., 1119. The Turpeth drives them from their nests.
1758. J. S., Le Dran’s Observ. Surg. (1771), A a iv b. Turpeth, Hermodactyles, Polypody of the Oak.
1905. H. D. Rolleston, Dis. Liver, 262. Turpeth, the Ipomœa turpethum of the Colonial and Indian Pharmacopœias, is recommended in 20 grain doses.
b. Montpellier Turpeth, common name for Globularia alypum, the decoction of the leaves of which acts as an active but gentle purgative.
1860. iin Mayne, Expos. Lex.
2. Turpeth or turbith mineral (MINERAL a. 4): basic sulphate of mercury (HgSO4 . 2 HgO), obtained as a lemon-yellow powder from the normal sulphate by washing with hot water.
It has emetic, cathartic, and sternutatory properties, but is no longer used internally.
α. 1616. Bullokar, Eng. Expos., Turbith minerall, a certaine red powder … which is vsed against the French disease.
1669. W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 60. Dissolving quicksilver in oyl of vitriol, according to what is done in making turbith mineral.
1685. Boyle, Enq. Notion Nat., vi. 233. A patient, who … could not be brought to salivate, neither by the gentler ways, nor by turbith-mineral and other harsher medicines.
1758. Reid, trans. Macquer’s Chym., I. 402. Wash this yellow matter in five or six warm waters, and it will be what is called in medicine Turbith mineral; that is, a combination of the Vitriolic Acid with Mercury, five or six grains whereof is a violent purgative, and also an emetick; qualities which it possesses in common with the vegetable Turbith, whose name it hath therefore taken.
1849. D. Campbell, Inorg. Chem., 236. This yellow powder is a subsulphate [of mercury] (3HgO.SO3), and is known as turbeth mineral.
1874. Garrod & Baxter, Mat. Med. (1880), 110. The yellow subsulphate above mentioned, under the name of Turbith Mineral, has been employed as an errhine.
β. 1716. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., II. 352. Turpith Mineral, made of Hydrargyry and Oil of Vitriol.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, II. 795. King’s yellow, turpith mineral, and Dutch pink, all form very bright yellows.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 925. Turpeth or turbith mineral, an old name for basic mercuric sulphate, HgSO4 . 2HgO.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 516. Native mercurous sulphate (turpeth mineral) is much used in France.
† 3. ellipt. = prec. sense. Obs.
Black turpeth: see quot. 1895.
α. 1658. Phillips, Turbith,… a red Mineral, which being beaten to powder, is used in physick.
1675. Phil. Trans., X. 299. Mercury … having been … reduced into water, turbith and ashes.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 325. Olaus … tormented some Quicksilver … into Water, Turbith and Ashes.
β. 1678. Phillips (ed. 4), Turpith, a Chymical preparation of Mercury, and the Oyl of Vitriol, whereby the Mercury is precipitated into a sweetnesse.
1800. Phil. Trans., XC. 215. Not only the pure red oxide, but the red nitrous oxide, and turpeth, may be substituted.
1895. Funk’s Standard Dict., s.v., Black turpeth, black mercurous acid: old name.
4. attrib., as t. plant, root, vomit.
1773. T. Percival, Ess., II. 163. The powerful effects of Turpeth vomits in white swellings of the joints.
1860. Mayne, Expos. Lex., Turbeth Plant, common name for the Convolvulus turpethum.
1868. Watts, Dict. Chem., V. 925. Turpeth or turbith root.
