noun
- Plural of emetin; alkaloid compounds derived from ipecac root, formerly used as an emetic and in treating dysentery.
Usage: medical/pharmaceutical; chiefly historical
Examples
- Emetins were extracted from ipecac and used in early 20th-century medicine.
- The pharmacist studied the properties of emetins in the laboratory.
- Emetins induced vomiting and were prescribed for certain poisonings.
- Modern medicine has largely replaced emetins with safer alternatives.