a. and sb. Obs. Also 7 essurine. [ad. mod.L. ēsurīn-us, app. irreg. f. ēsuriēs hunger; used by Paracelsus in the sense ‘promoting appetite,’ with reference to medicaments of an acid nature; subsequently (in pre-scientific chemistry) used as the distinctive epithet of mineral acid salts, and sometimes interpreted as ‘eating, corrosive.’]
A. adj. a. Promoting appetite; also, inclined to eat; (of the appetite) voracious. b. Having the nature of a mineral acid; corrosive. Esurine salts: ‘such as are of a fretting or eating quality’ (Bailey).
[a. 1541. Paracelsus, Buch v. den Tartarischen Kranckh. (1589), 246. Nuhn ist Esurinum Acetosum ein Artzney die von ihrer Natur den Magen so hungerig machet dass er begert zu essen vnessentliche Speiss, und aber was er begert das verzehrt er.
a. 1644. Van Helmont, Paradoxa, III. § 10, Wks. (1704), 650. Sal quoddam hermaphroditicum metallorum, quod defectu nominis esurinum sive acetosum re et nomine vocari cœpit.]
1651. Biggs, New Disp., 218. Digestible, esurine and depascent ferment.
1652. French, Yorksh. Spa, vi. 55. By esurine salt I understand … a certain acid vapour applicable to all Metals and Minerals.
1662. H. Stubbe, Ind. Nectar, vii. 156. Whatever will saturate that esurine [printed esurive] Humour upon the Stomach.
1669. W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 2. Every vitriol is made of an essurine salt.
1676. Wiseman, Chirurg. Treat., IV. iv. 255 (J.). Air there [Hampsted] is always something esurine and acid.
1687. P. Madan, Tunbr. Waters, in Harl. Misc., I. 591. If at dinner you have an esurine appetite, take care not to eat too much.
† B. sb. Obs. A medicine that provokes appetite or causes hunger.
1775. in Ash; hence in mod. Dicts.
