dulsies, plural noun

/ˈdəlsis//ˈdœlsis/
Forms:
Also dulcis.
Origin:
AfrikaansShow more Afrikaans (earlier dulcis, shortened form of nitri dulcis, spiritus nitri dulcis sweet nitre).
Usually with distinguishing epithet, as brown dulsies or bruindulsies/ˈbreɪn-//ˈbrœɪn-/ [Afrikaans], red dulsies, white dulsies or (most commonly) wit dulsies/ˈvət-/, or witte dulsies/ˈvətə-/ [Afrikaans]: a patent medicine used for the treatment of a variety of ailments, especially colds and influenza. See also (old) Dutch medicine (Dutch adjective sense 2).
1919 Dunell, Ebden & Co.’s Price List Oct. 20Essence Dulcis 3/6.
1919 Dunell, Ebden & Co.’s Price List Oct. 20Witte [printed Witie] Dulcis 3/6.
1931 H.C. Bosman in V. Rosenberg Almost Forgotten Stories (1979) 13There was something the matter with her which rooi-laventel, wit dulsies and other Boer remedies could not cure.
1949 L.G. Green In Land of Afternoon 44Halle medicines, advertised in the ‘Cape Town Gazette’ in 1817, included ‘wonder essence, Dulcis, Amara, cramp drops and red powder.’
1958 E.H. Burrows Hist. of Medicine 191Bruindulsies: used for colds and wet weather...Witdulsies:..used as a tonic..for heart complaints, fever, ’flu and head colds.
1971 Evening Post 6 Nov. 3Mix together 4 drops white iodine, 3 drops wit dulsies (sweet nitre — an old Dutch remedy); 4 drops oil of cloves in a little milk, and drink morning and evening.
1978 A.P. Brink Rumours of Rain 245The place was crammed to capacity by wares...Snuff and cigarettes, medicine (Vicks and Aspro and all the thin bottles familiar from Ma’s dispensary: red and white dulcis and Haarlem drops, chlorodyne, wonder essence, Jamaica ginger, chest drops, cascara).
1984 B. Johnson-Barker in Wynboer Feb. 64Thys Denyssen, who had a compassionate nature, so far forgot his own advice as to recommend witdulsies — half a teaspoonful three times a day in a wine glass of water.
1989 D. Smuts Folk Remedies 23Childlessness,..1 small bottle bruindulsies (if the fault lies with the woman; if the fault lies with the man, leave out the bruindulsies and add witdulsies).
Usually with distinguishing epithet, as brown dulsies or bruindulsies/ˈbreɪn-//ˈbrœɪn-/ [Afrikaans], red dulsies, white dulsies or (most commonly) wit dulsies/ˈvət-/, or witte dulsies/ˈvətə-/ [Afrikaans]:a patent medicine used for the treatment of a variety of ailments, especially colds and influenza.
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Afrikaans
duiweltjie, nounn.dumela, interjectionint.
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