This adjective for a scathing comment or review literally refers to sulfuric acid
... Glucic acid is a honey-like mass easily soluble in alcohol 
and water ; it is ..... boiling vegetable gluten with dilute sulphuric acid, or casein 
with hydro- boil, boy; ...... To go down : (1) Literally : (a) To descend in any 
manner from a higher to a ... (3) To read, to peruse, to study, to view or review ; to 
examine.