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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Aperient

Aperient \A*pe"ri*ent\, a. [L. aperiens, p. pr. of aperire to uncover, open; ab + parire, parere, to bring forth, produce. Cf. Cover, Overt.] (Med.) Gently opening the bowels; laxative. -- n. An aperient medicine or food.
--Arbuthnot.

Wiktionary
aperient

a. Having a gentle laxative effect. n. A laxative, either in the form of a medicine or a food such as hops or asparagus, which has the effect of moving the bowels, or aiding digestion and preventing constipation.

WordNet
aperient
  1. adj. mildly laxative

  2. n. a purging medicine; stimulates evacuation of the bowels [syn: purgative, cathartic, physic]

Usage examples of "aperient".

The circumstances and conditions of the system increase or diminish the effects of medicine, so that an aperient at one time may act as a cathartic at another, and a dose that will simply prove to be an anodyne when the patient is suffering great pain will act as a narcotic when he is not.

Should it be necessary, however, to employ an aperient to relieve the constipation, Dr.

However, should it prove too mild in its aperient effects, small doses of Dr.

The juice of its berries is aperient, without being irritating, and is well suited as a laxative for persons of delicate constitution.

Lately a certain aperient medicine has become highly popular with both doctors and patients in this country, the same being known as Cascara Sagrada.

The root of the Wild Celery, Smallage, or Marsh Parsley, was reckoned, by the ancients, one of the five great aperient roots, and was employed in their diet drinks.

When eaten raw, dried Figs prove somewhat aperient, and they are apt to make the mouth sore whilst masticating them.

When the bark of the main stems is wounded, a gum will exude, and may be collected: it possesses astringent and mildly aperient properties.

In France these Psyllium seeds, given in a dessertspoonful dose, are widely prescribed as a laxative in lieu of mineral aperient waters, or the morning Seidlitz.

The bark is mildly aperient and causes no nausea, whilst at the same time stimulating the liver somewhat freely.

Its fresh root is bitter, and a milky juice flows from the rind, which is somewhat aperient and slightly sedative, so that this specially suits persons troubled with bilious torpor, and jaundice combined with melancholy.

Officinally apothecaries mix the pulp with senna as an aperient confection.

It exercises some aperient action, and the liquid in which turnips are boiled will increase the flow of urine.

She is very flushed and overheated, and Sister has had her drink an aperient, but I fear the child is not co-operating as she might.

Whitehead's program: twelve fluid ounces of water per day, jogging two hours a night round the garden, ear-bending aperients, two thousand shin-touching exercises every morning, no food whatever.