In medicine or pharmacy, a draft or potion; a liquid medicinal dose meant to be swallowed.
From Latin 'haustus' (a drinking, a draft), past participle of 'haurire' (to drink or draw up). This word was used in medical Latin throughout the medieval and Renaissance periods for prescribed drinks.
Medieval doctors prescribed 'haustus' like modern doctors write prescriptions—but these were often actual potions with bizarre ingredients like ground pearls or mercury! The word survived in medical texts but sounds delightfully archaic now.
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