[L.; = bath.]
1. A bath or bathing.
1652. French, Yorksh. Spa, iv. 45. Water is used … first by way of Balneum, or bathing the whole body. Ibid., 49. A cold Balneum.
2. Alch., Chem. and Cookery (short for the fuller Balneum Mariæ, erron. Maris): = BAIN MARIE. (The L. ablative balneo, occurring after ‘in,’ was occas. taken as the name of the vessel.)
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., in Ashm. (1652), Ep. 116. Then in Balneo of Mary togeather let them be circulat.
1594. Plat, Jewell-ho., II. 23. You must have a large Balneo, wherein you may place sixe or eight glasse bodies at once.
1641. French, Distill., i. (1651), 14. A Balneum as hot as ashes. Ibid., iv. 96. Digest them in a temperate Balneo.
1796. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, xxv. 378. Distil them in a glass still, balneum Mariæ.
1811. Hooper, Med. Dict., Balneum Mariæ, Balneum Maris, a warm water bath.
