The 'Italum acetum' was employed by the Romans as a weapon of controversy with the view of damaging an adversary and making either himself or the cause he represented appear ridiculous and contemptible.

Thus a favorite expectorant mixture contains carbonate of ammonia five grains, acetum ipecac, ten minims, and solution of saccharin in each dose.

Digitalis to be taken every night for six nights, and a saline draught with forty drops of acetum scillit. twice in the day.

The word occurs often in a sense in which acetum is the best representative, associated with verjuice and vinegar.

The water having been thus entirely evacuated, he was ordered saline draughts with acetum scilliticum and pills of salt of steel and extract of gentian.