[ad. (directly or through Fr. affusion, 16th c. in Littré.) L. *affūsiōn-em n. of action f. affund-ĕre: see AFFUSE.]
1. A pouring on or into; as of water upon the body. Hence used of one method of administering baptism.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 33. As it were an affusion or confluence of blood.
1652. French, Yorksh. Spa, iv. 45. Water is used outwardly … by way of aspersion or affusion (i. e.) sprinkling or pouring on.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm. (1716), II. 227. God anointed him not with an external affusion of material oil.
1780. Kirwan, in Phil. Trans., LXXI. 26. Growing milky on the affusion of pure distilled water.
1800. Henry, Epit. Chem. (1808), 238. Wash … with repeated affusions of warm water.
1872. O. Shipley, Gloss. Eccl. Terms, 245. Affusion being allowed only when the child or person to be baptized is weak in health.
2. Med. A remedy in fevers, consisting in pouring on the patient a quantity of water, varying in temperature according to his state, but usually from 50° to 60° or 70° Fahr. Also fig.
1803. W. Taylor, in Ann. Rev., I. 273. From the eruptive fever of democratic effervescence, countries recover by slight and temperate affusions of concession.
1844. T. Graham, Dom. Med., 752. In very acute attacks of yellow fever … we resort to the use of purgatives, and the cold affusion.
† 3. A swelling or development of anything pulpy. Obs. rare.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 127. A Parenchyma … or a fleshy affusion, very soft, thin, loose, and spongious.
