Green’s Dictionary of Slang

urine standing in a chamberpot.

1571		A dictionarie French and English n.p.: Vrine, vrine, chamber lye, pisse.
1577		B. Googe Heresbach’s Husb. III. (1586) 135b: Take Chamberly, and Salte, and seeth them to gether, and washe the places where the skinne is cut of.
1581		L. Mascall The husbandlye ordring and gouernmente of poultrie n.p.: [T]ake the [...] the offall of dregges of the bryne tubbe, & then take lome drye and put them togeather, & worke it like a morter, then put thereto olde chamber lye, and so make thereof Loues.
c.1597		Shakespeare Henry IV Pt 1 II i: Your chamber-lie breeds fleas like a loach.
1608		A closet for ladies and gentlevvomen 132: If a cowes vdder be stung or bitte with a snake [...] Take Lauender, [...] and seeth it in chamber-lye a good while, and wash it euening and morning warm, you may put a little fresh butter in it.
1614		G. Markham Cheape and good husbandry 85: If your Goats be troubled with an Itch [...] you shall wash their skinnes with old Chamber-ly.
1628		J. Taylor Wit & Mirth chargeably collected n.p.: VVIll Backstead the Player cast his Chamber-lye out of his window in the night.
1634		J. Bate The mysteryes of nature [A]s soone as [coals] are all through on fire, quench them in chamber lye: after take them out, and put them in faire water: .
1641		T. Vicary The English-mans treasure 194: For a Ciatica [...] Take a la•full of Nettles, another of Neppe, séethe them in Chamber-lye, and put therein a handfull of Bay-salt,.
1659		R. Sharrock The history of the propagation [...] of vegetables 91: I have seen half the Trees in a Codlinghedge killed, by watering them over-much with Chamber-lye.
1664		C. Cotton Virgil Travestie (1765) Bk I 51: For know that she / Still wash’d her Hands in Chamber-lee.
1676		J. Halfpenny The gentlemans jockey 1230: [A]s soon as you have pulled out the Soal, you may wash it with Chamber-lye.
1681		E.R. The experienced farrier 320: [T]o break a Fistula, take Brooklyme, Mallows, Arsmart, of each alike, boiled in Chamber-Lye till they be soft, and apply it to the Swelling.
1690		‘Teague’ Teagueland Jests I 98: She threw a full Pot of Chamber-lee upon him.
1699		N. Ward London Spy III 65: We peep’d into another Room, which smelt as strong of Chamber-Lie as a Bottle of Sal Ammoniac.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum.
1864		Confederate Army notice, Montgomery (AL) in Randolph & Legman Ozark Folksongs and Folklore (1992) II 659: The ladies of Montgomery are respectfully requested to save all the chamber lye that accumulates on their premises [etc.].
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
2000		S. Harvey Bound for Shady Grove 51: Fill up the gallon glass jug with chamber-lye from your bed pot.