saleratus
/ˌsaləˈreɪtəs
/noun [mass noun] US dated
Sodium bicarbonate (or sometimes potassium bicarbonate) as the main ingredient of baking powder.Saleratus was adopted by the medical community as a safe and effective treatment for acid stomach....
- Industrially saleratus was made by combining pearlash with carbonic acid. However pioneers heading west did manage to stumble across naturally-occurring deposits of it from time to time (Saleratus Lake, Wyoming was one such place).
Origin
Mid 19th century: from modern Latin sal aeratus 'aerated salt'.