Axungia

Encyclopedia : A : AX : AXU : Axungia

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Axungia is a kind of fat—that which is claimed to be the softest and moistest of any in the bodies of animals. It is different from lard, which is a firm fat, and from suet, or adeps, which is a kind of dry fat.

The Latins distinguish fat into pinguedo, also called axungia, and adeps, or servum; but writers often interchange the terms.

In pre-modern medicine, physicians made use of the axungia of the goose, the dog, the viper, and some others, especially that of humans, which was of extraordinary service in the drawing and ripening of tumors, etc. (see attrahent)

The word is supposed to be formed from the phrase, ab axe rotarum quae unguntur, or "that which oils a wheel's axle", due to the fat's use as an axle grease.

The term is also used to specifically refer to pork fat.

References

1. This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain. [link]

 

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