Men"stru*um (?), n.;
pl. E. Menstruums (#), L. Menstrua (#). [L.
menstruus. See Menstruous.]
Any
substance which dissolves
a solid body; a solvent.
The proper menstruum to dissolve metal.
Bacon. All liquors are called
menstruums which are
used as dissolvents, or to extract the virtues of ingredients by infusion or decoction.
Quincy. &fist; The
use is supposed to have originated in some notion of the
old chemists about the influence of the moon in the preparation of dissolvents.
Johnson.
Hear it pronounced