LAUDANUM  , originally the name given by See also:

• PARACELSUS (c. 1490-1541)

Paracelsus to a famous medical preparation of his own composed of See also:

• GOLD
• GOLD [symbol Au, atomic weight 195.7(H = 1),197.2(0 =16)]

gold, pearls, &c . (See also:

• OPERA (Italian for " work ")

Opera, 1658, i . 492/2), but containing See also:

• OPIUM (Gr. amov, dim. from Orbs, juice)

opium as its See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief ingredient . The See also:

• TERM

term is now only used for the alcoholic See also:

• TINCTURE (Fr. teinture, Lat. tinctura, tingere, to dye, stain)

tincture of opium (q.v.) . The name was either invented by Paracelsus from See also:

• LAT

Lat. laudare to praise, or was a corrupted See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of " ladanum " (Gr . Xi76avov, from Pers. ladan), a resinous juice or See also:

• GUM (Fr. gomme, Lat. gommi, Gr. Kµµ1, possibly a Coptic word; distinguish " gum," the fleshy covering of the base of a tooth, in O. Eng. gbma, palate, cf. Ger. Gaumen, roof of the mouth; the ultimate origin is probably the root gha, to open wide, seen in

gum obtained from various kinds of the Cistus See also:

• SHRUB

shrub, formerly used medicinally in See also:

• EXTERNAL

external applications and as a stomachic, but now only in See also:

• PERFUMERY (Lat. per, through, and fumare, to smoke)

perfumery and in making fumigating pastilles, &c .