purging

That purges; cleansing.

Purging flax (Bot.), an annual European plant of the genus Linum (L. catharticum); dwarf wild flax; -- so called from its use as a cathartic medicine.

Pur·ging
n.

(Med.) The act of cleansing; excessive evacuations; especially, diarrhea.

1. The process of voiding a pipe of fuel gas and replacing it with air.
2. The process of replacing the air in a gas pipeline with fuel gas.

Pertaining to purge.

• p. ball — a bolus given periodically to horses by owners and trainers in the belief that a good clean-out is good for a horse, especially if it is racing poorly. Usually contains aloes; 7 to 14 g (2 to 4 drachms) is the usual dose. Anthraquinone purgatives are more reliable in their action but the procedure is basically empirical and is not recommended by veterinarians. Called also physic ball.
• p. buckthorn — rhamnus cathartica.
• p. flax — linum catharticum.
• p. nut — jatropha curcas.