in the materia medica, the root of a species of orchis. See Orchis.

Salep should be chosen clean, firm and hard; it is very little liable either to decay or sophistication. The salep differs very little from the common orchis in virtue. Its appearance is owing to the manner of preparing it, and consequently this may be done from the roots of orchis of our own growth. To prepare these in imitation of salep, Mr. Geoffroy chose the largest, fairest, and plumpest roots he could find; these he nicely skinned; then throwing them into cold water, he suffered them to macerate there for some time: after this he lightly boiled them, and then taking them out of the water and draining them, he had them strung upon threads to be dried in a warm dry air: when the roots were thoroughly dried, they were very transparent, and resembled pieces of tragacanth, and continued dry and hard. The roots thus prepared may be reduced to powder, which will dissolve away in boiling water; and a scruple of it will make a bason full of jelly, in the manner of the Turkish salep. This jelly is an admirable medicine in all cases in which salep is prescribed; and the powder may be given with great success in affections for diseases of the breast.