a town of Surrey, about fifteen miles south-west of London; much resorted to on account of its medicinal waters; from which the bitter purging salt being first extracted, got the name of Epsom-salt. At present, however, the bitter purging salt is procured from the bittern, remaining after the crystallization of common salt; and this is found to answer all the purposes of that first obtained from Epsom-waters, and goes by its name. See CHEMISTRY.