The name of a town in Surrey.

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  1.  attrib. and Comb., as Epsom-water, the water of a mineral spring at Epsom; Epsom-salt (colloq. -salts), originally the salt (chiefly composed of magnesium sulphate) obtained from this water; now the popular name of magnesium sulphate however prepared.

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1770.  trans. Cronstedt’s Min., 137. This may be called English or Epsom salt.

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1811.  A. T. Thomson, Lond. Disp., II. (1818), 245. First artificially obtained in England in 1675, from the evaporation of the water of the Epsom spring: whence it was named Epsom salt.

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1876.  Page, Adv. Text-bk. Geol., xv. 282. The manufacture of magnesia and Epsom salts.

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  2.  Short for Epsom salt.

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1803.  Ann. Rev., I. 871/1. Even allowing Mr. K. the use of the term epsom, instead of sulphat of magnesia.

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1854.  Pharmac. Jrnl., XIII. 622. The sulphate of magnesia forming the ‘rough Epsoms’ of the alum-maker.

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