Obs. [a. F. colliquation (Paré): cf. prec. and -ATION. L. had liquātiōn-em.
1. The action or process of melting together.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. (1653), 269. Colliquation, or Colliquefaction, is the conjunction of many fusils or liquables to make one compound by eliquation on the fire.
1667. Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual., 54. When Sand and Ashes are well melted together … there is generated by the colliquation that sort of Concretion we call Glasse.
1681. trans. Willis’ Rem. Med. Wks., Vocab., Colliquation, A melting together.
2. The action or process of making or of becoming liquid; reduction to (or towards) the consistence of a liquid; the state of being so reduced; melting, fusion.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. vii. § 4. Fire is the cause of colliquation but respectiue to waxe.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., II. i. 51. That which is coagulated by a fiery siccity, will suffer colliquation from an aqueous humidity.
fig. a. 1631. Donne, Serm., cxviii. V. 90. This … colliquation of the inwardest bowels of his soul.
1744. Armstrong, Preserv. Health, IV. 393. The colliquation of soft joys.
3. spec. in Old Phys. and Path.
a. ‘The melting down or solution of solid parts, as in an abscess; the excessive fluidification of the humours of the body, esp. the blood’ (Syd. Soc. Lex.).
1662. H. Stubbe, Ind. Nectar, v. 82. Their Rheums have been encreased by a colliquation of the humours.
1693. J. Beaumont, On Burnet’s The. Earth, I. 6. The tainted parts, as in Bodies ulcerated, by degrees, bringing the rest to a general Colliquation.
1710. T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp., 50. The Colliquation and Substraction of the Humours.
b. The wasting away of the solid parts of the body; consumption.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXII. xxiii. II. 134. For colliquations and such as are … far gone in a consumption.
1625. Hart, Anat. Ur., II. v. 82. The colliquation or wasting of the kidneyes.
1651. Biggs, New Disp., 85. The colliquation of our bodie, and stealing away our strength.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, III. 157. [For] great colliquation … these waters are not found beneficial.
c. concr. A product of liquefaction or solution.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 278. Much lesse is it a Colliquation. For a Colliquation is a thing beside Nature.
