remedy

remedy n Remedy, cure, medicine, medicament, medication, specific, physic are comparable when they mean something prescribed or used for the treatment of disease.

Remedy applies to a substance or treatment that is known or regarded as effective in bringing about recovery or restoration of health or the normal functioning of the body

{

patent medicines and cold remedies

}

{

a toothache remedy

}

{

much has been written on the subject of fear and many inspirational and emotional remedies have been suggested— Reilly

}

{

psychoanalysis as a remedy for mental ills

}

Cure, more positive than remedy in implying complete recovery or restoration of health, is a common term to designate anything advocated as being or thought to be conducive to complete recovery

{

the climate was advertised during the eighties as a cure for tuberculosis— Amer. Guide Series: Minn.

}

{

reaching into the medicine cabinet for a cure for the baby— Reilly

}

{

all current surgical intervention in mental disease is not proposed as a cure—Collier's Yr. Bk.

}

Medicine is the ordinary term for a substance or preparation taken in-ternally in treating a disturbance of the normal functions of the body

{

most medicines are alleviative in their action and not definitely curative— Morrison

}

{

the witch doctor is there to give them some magic medicine to drink— Frazery

}

Medicament and medication are general terms used especially by doctors and pharmacists for all medicinal substances and preparations whether taken internally or applied externally

{

doctors admit that they can do more for their patients now that they do not have to worry about the size of their bills and the cost of medicaments— New Statesman

}

{

made the rounds of her five patients with a medicament of her own—a quart of Grandfather's best bonded bourbon— Maxwell

}

Sometimes, however, medicament is applied specifically to a medicinal substance or compound that is the active ingredient of a remedy

{different medicaments may be added for specific types of ulcers: sulfanilamide for streptococci, ethyl aminobenzoate for painful ulcers— Science News Lettery and medication, to a compounded remedy containing one or more medicaments together with adjuvants (as flavoring agents and vehicles)

{

ordinary cold cream or any similar medication—Fishbein

}

Specific is applied to something, usually a drug, known to be effective in curing a specific disease

{

var- ious rheumatism specifics containing cinchophen, found to have notably injurious effects on the liver— Encyc. Americana

}

Physic is an old-fashioned equivalent of medicine

{

his first revolt against authority took the form of refusing physic when he was ill— Repplier

}

but in modern use it has specialized to become synonymous with purgative or cathartic.

remedy vb

1 *cure, heal

2 *correct, rectify, emend, amend, redress, reform, revise

Analogous words: *relieve, assuage, alleviate, lighten, mitigate: restore, *renew, refresh

Contrasted words: *intensify, aggravate, heighten