Category:Cathartic

Ca*thar"tic, Ca*thar"ic*al, a. Etym: [Gr. chaste.]

1. (Med.)

Defn: Cleansing the bowels; promoting evacuations by stool; purgative.

2. Of or pertaining to the purgative principle of senna, as cathartic acid.

cathartic Ca*thar"tic, n. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)

Defn: A medicine that promotes alvine discharges; a purge; a purgative of moderate activity.

Note: The cathartics are more energetic and certain in action that the laxatives, which simply increase the tendency to alvine evacuation; and less powerful and irritaint that the drastic purges, which cause profuse, repeated, and watery evacuations. -- Ca*thar"tic*al*ly, adv. -- Ca*thar"tic*al*ness, n.