epsom salts
Preserved but no longer current.
Magnesium sulphate; used medicinally as a purgative, etc., and so called because it was originally (from 1618) obtained by the evaporation of the water of a mineral spring m the vicinity of Epsom, Surrey.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “epsom salts” mean?
Magnesium sulphate; used medicinally as a purgative, etc., and so called because it was originally (from 1618) obtained by the evaporation of the water of a mineral spring m the vicinity of Epsom, Surrey.
Is “epsom salts” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.