| 释义 |
quassia|ˈkwæsɪə, ˈkwæʃ-, ˈkwɒʃɪə|
Also 8 quassi, quassy, quasi, (quaciæ).
[Named by Linnæus, about 1761, after a Surinam Negro, Graman (= grand man) Quassi or Quacy (= Quashee), who discovered the virtues of the root in 1730.
Quassi communicated his discovery to C. G. Dahlberg, by whom it was made known to Linnæus: see C. M. Blom in C. Linnæi Amœnitates Academicæ VI. (1764) 420, and Stedman Surinam II. xxix.]
1. a. The wood, bark, or root of a South American tree (Quassia amara), found esp. in Surinam, and of some other trees, esp. the bitter ash (Picræna excelsa) of Jamaica, and the bitter damson (Simaruba amara) of the West Indies and S. America. b. The bitter decoction prepared from this, used for medicinal and other purposes.
The quassia now in use is chiefly that obtained from the bitter ash, commonly sold in the form of chips.
1765[cf. 3]. 1770Gentl. Mag. XL. 227 The quasi was administered in decoction. 1803Davy in Phil. Trans. XCIII. 268 The infusions of quassia..are scarcely affected by muriate of tin. 1830Herschel Stud. Nat. Phil. 86 An intense and pure bitter like quassia. 1878T. Bryant Pract. Surg. (1879) II. 59 An enema of some bitter vegetable infusion, such as quassia.
2. Any of the trees yielding quassia, esp. the Quassia amara of Surinam.
1766[cf. 3]. 1797Encycl. Brit. XV. 753/1 Dr. Wright found this tree to be a species of quassia. 1859All Year Round No. 32. 127 Why not..cultivate..quassia, which is such a handsome shrub? 1876Harley Mat. Med. (ed. 6) 673 Quassia bears some resemblance to the common ash, attains a height of 50, 60, or even 100 feet.
3. attrib., as quassia-bark, quassia-chips, quassia extract, quassia-root, quassia-tree, quassia-wood; quassia cup, a drinking cup made of quassia wood, a ‘bitter cup’.
1765Ann. Reg. 114 Linnaeus..has lately recommended..a new medicine, called quassi-wood. 1766Ibid. 76 They write from Pensacola that the true Quassi medicinal tree has lately been discovered in the western parts of that province. 1767Harley in Phil. Trans. LVIII. 81 At last I tryed the Quassi Root. 1834T. J. Graham Dom. Med. (ed. 6) 70 Quassia wood comes from Jamaica and the Caribbean islands. 1860Piesse Lab. Chem. Wonders 171 The purest bitter principle is yielded by the quassia tree. 1884A. J. Wilson Vashti xxiv. 237, I have been forced to drink out of quassia-cups until my whole being has imbibed the bitter. 1900G. S. Saunders in E. T. Cook Century Bk. Gardening 508 Quassia chips should be soaked..and then boiled. Ibid. 509 Quassia extract may be bought... This is a very useful insecticide. 1926Army & Navy Stores Catal. 479/2 Quassia Chips -lb. -/5. 1965M. Thomas Grannies' Remedies 14 A 7/8 oz. of quassia chips boiled in a pint of water and mixed with 4 oz. of treacle draws flies and kills them. 1969E. H. Pinto Treen 39 Quassia chips were formerly used for washing lousy heads. |