Originally: the cleansing of the body of waste material, an excess of a humour, etc. In later use: spec. the emptying of the bowels, esp. by the use…

Medicine. Elimination or expulsion of waste or harmful material, ingested food, etc., from the body; spec. the act of emptying the bowels or the…

Mild purgation by laxatives. Obsolete.

= purgation, n. 4a. rare.

Treatment by fluxing: see flux, v. 1.

A purging or purgation.

The action of purging the bowels. †Also concrete, a purgative medicine.

Purgation of the excrements of the body; esp. evacuation of the bowels.

The use of a purgative or emetic.

plural (formerly also singular). The liquid that has been used to wash something; matter removed when something is washed. Also washing-out.

A washing, spec. in Medicine a cleansing of the stomach by means of emetics administered in large quantities of water.