Matthew's pilln.
/ˈmaθjuːz ˌpɪl/, U.S. /ˈmæθjuz ˌpɪl/ Now historical.
A pill sold as an antidote to various poisons.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > healing > medicines or physic > medicines of specific form > pills, tablets, etc. > [noun] > pill > specific type of pill
aggregative1588
Matthew's pill1663
blue pill1670
silver-pill1753
multi1984
1662 R. Mathews Unlearned Alchymist (new ed.) 2 This pill is a Corrector of all Vegetative poysons.]
1663 Newes 10 Sept. 15 An advertisement of a book. The unlearned Alchymist his Antidote... Matthew's Pill, according to his own practice, recorded in writing.
1674 R. Godfrey Var. Injuries in Physick 191 For Matthews's Pill, which in many Apothecarys shops in the Country is call'd Magisterium Anodynum, and in which the Opium is six times better corrected than in the Laudanum, is not only at a chance so great an enemy to the life as to destroy it: But also frequently a great causer of Thirst, Costivenes, and head-Ach the morning following.
1734 S.-Carolina Gaz. 6 Apr. 5/1 A Catalogue of Medicins lately imported by Daniel Crawford, and to be sold by him at his Store..: viz. Discordium..Matthew's and Lockyer's Pills, [etc.].
1954 Notes & Queries June 246 (title) Mathews Pills & the Pilgrim's Progress.
1994 W. R. Newman Gehennical Fire v. 195 The tract opens with a fusillade against Matthew's Pill and culminates in Starkey's chagrined response to the means used to promote it.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, March 2001; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1663