A Table explaining the 
Terms of Art and other Words, which are
 not in the reach of Vulgar 
 Capacities. 
A. 

ABdomen, the Belly or Paunch. 

Absurdity, Unreasonableness. 

Abstergent, Cleansing. 

Actual heat, Is a heat that can be felt with the hand, 
as in the fire, or things heated by it, or in the body 
of one in a Feaver. 

Actual cold, Understand it as the former. 

Accidentally, By hap, or chance. 

Acrimony, Sharpness. 

Accident, Is a symptome, or something happening in a 
Disease. 

Access, Addition, joyning to. 

Acute, Sharp, violent; a Disease that soon ends. 

Adventitious, Not natural springing from external 
causes. 

Adstriction,  Binding together, shutting up. 

Adust, Burned. 

Adjacent, Lying near. 

Adverse, Contrary to. 



Adjunct causes of a Disease, Are such qualities are joy­
ned with it. 

Adjuvant causes,  are such as assist the principal cause. 

Adnata, The outmost panicle of the Eye.

"Panicle" lacks this sense in the OED.

 

Affected,  Diseased, troubled, disordered. 

Afflux, Flowing to. 

Agglutinative, Joyning, glewing, souldering together. 

Aliment, All kind of Nourishment. 

Alexipharmacal Medicines,  are such as resist the Plague, 
and all venemous Diseases. 

Albugo, The White of the Eye. 

Alteratives,  Are such Medicines, as alter the quality 
of the Body and the Humours, by heating or coo­
ling, moistning or drying. 

Animal Faculties,  Are Imagination, Judgment, Memo­
ry; the Senses, Hearing, Seeing, Smelling, Tasting, 
Feeling, Going, Standing, and all voluntary Mo­
tion. 

Antecedent cause,  Is the cause afore-going, of any Dis­
case. The antecedent cause of an Erysipelas, or 
Cholerick Tumour, is Choler abounding in the Bo­
dy: The conjunct cause is Choler gathered in 
the part. 

Anodines, Medicines which asswage pain. 

Aneurism,  Is when the internal coat of an Artery is 
broken, and the external coat swelled. 

Antepileptical Medicines,  Are such as are good against 
the Falling-Sickness. 

Anus, The Fundament. 

Analogically,  Proportionably, conveniently, equally. 

Apophlegmatisms,  Medicines which draw Flegm from 
the Head. 

Apozeme, A Medicine made of the decoction of divers 
Hearbs, altering and purging; sometimes Syrups 



mixed therewith, to prepare, and gently to purge the 
Humours.  

Apoplectick Medicines,  Are such as are to be admini­
stred in the Apoplexy. 

Apply, Lay on. 

Aquæ Acidulæ, The Spaw Waters; they are of the na­
ture of Tunbridge, Epsome, and Barnet. 

Aranea Tunica, The sixth Tunicle of the Eye, which is 
like a Cobweb. 

Articulate Voice,  Is Human Voice, or Speech. 

Aromatized,  Spiced, perfumed, sented. 

Artery, Is a Sinew, or Vein, wherein passeth the Spirit 
of Life with the Blood, or Vital Blood. 

Arteria Venosa, Is an Artery, or rather a Vein; which
 from the right and left Region of the Lungs, car­
ries Blood, and Air, to the left Ventricle of the
 Heart. 

Arteriosa, is a Vein from the right Ventricle of the
 Heart, administers blood to the right and left part 
 of the Lungs. 

Aspera Arteria, The rough Artery, or Wind-pipe. 

Ascent, Going up. 

Astringents,  Medicines that bind together, and straiten 
the pores and passages of the body. 

Astriction, Straitening, or binding together. 

Asthmatical, Trouble for want of Breath. 

Atracting, Drawing together. 

Attest, Witness, declare. 

Atrophya, When the body pines away for want of nou­
rishment. 

Attenuating,  Making thin. 

Augment, Is when a Disease encreaseth, and is not at 
the height. 



Autumn, Harvest, or Fall of the Leaf. 

Axiome,  An undoubted Truth. 
 

B. 
BAlneum Mariæ, Is when a Still standeth in warm 
water. 

Bolus, Signifieth a Morsel: it is a Medicine to be ta­
ken upon the point of a knife. 

Bellilucanæ Thermæ, Hot Bathes in France. 

Bituminous Bathes,  come from a fat Clay, of the nature 
of Brimstone. 

Bronchia, The Branches of the Wezand and Wind­
pipe, which spread themselves through the Lungs.

"Bronchia" antedates the earliest OED citation (1675).

 
 

C. 

CAruncle, is a piece of flesh growing upon any 
part. 

Catarrh, is a defluxion or distillation of Humours upon 
the Lungs, or other parts from the Brain. 

Cataphora, Dead sleep. 

Catalepsis, Congelation or stiffness of the body.

"catalepsis" not found in OED (but see "catalepsy", and used as early as 1393 in one OED quotation).

 

Causticks,  are Medicines which burn the Skin and 
Flesh to make Issues. 

Cautery actual, is burning with a red hot iron. 

Cataplasm, A Pultiss. 

Cavity, Hollowness: 

Carus, Foulness, Corruption, Rottenness.

"Carus" dates from 1605 in the OED, but not in this sense.

 

Calcine, To burn to ashes in a Crucible. 

Cacochymical, Abounding with evil humours. 

Cardialgia, Pain at Heart, Heart-griefs. 



Cardiogmos, Heart-burning.

"cardiogmos" not found in OED.

 

Carminative, are such medicines as break-Wind. 

Catheter, A hollow Instrument to open the passage of 
the Urine, to draw Urine from the Bladder, or to 
remove the Stone. 

Cartilages,  are Gristles. 

Cataract, is a Disease of the Eye: See the 11th Chap. 
Book 2. 

Callous, The skin or flesh grown hard, or unsensible. 

Cerates, are Medicines made of Wax, softer then a 
Plaister, and stiffer then an Ointment. 

Cephalick,  Capital, of, or belonging to the Head. 

Chalybeated, Water, Milk, or Wine; as when red hot
 Steel is quenched therein: also when a tincture of 
 Steel is drawn by Wine, &c. 

Chylus, a certain white substance wrought by the dige­
stive faculty of the Stomach, and is carryed to the 
Liver. 

Chirurgeon, Surgeon. 

Cicatrize, To bring to a scar, to skin a Wound, or Ul­
cer. 

Circumvolution, Turned round. 

Condense, To make thick. 

Congelation, Freezing, or joyning with cold. 

Chorion, The skin that covers the child in the Womb. 

Constipation, Stopping up. 

Collyries,  Eye-salves. 

Contraction, Drawing together. 

Cornea, a coat of the Eye like a horn. 

Compression, Thrusting together. 

Contusion, Bruising, bruise. 

Cold Seeds,  The greater are the Seeds of Citrul, Cu­
cumber, Gourd, Molone. The other are the Seeds of 
Endive, Succory, Lettice, Purslane. 



Confirmed,  is when a Disease is perfect. 

Couched,  is when any film is pressed down, or taken out 
of the Eye with a Needle. 

Continuity, Ioyning together. 

Compact, Firmly united. 

Concoct, is when the blood is separated and made 
pure; or when Flegm, or other Humours, are sepa­
rated from the blood, or other mixtures. 

Connatural infirmity,  is that which is born with a 
Man: as to be born with one hand, is a connatural 
Disease. 

Convex, Bunching out. 

Conjunct cause: See antecedent cause. 

Constriction, a drawing together. 

Congestion, a gathering together. 

Conjoyned matter, See conjunct cause. 

Corroding,  Eating knawing, biting. 

Consolidation, closing of a wound. 

Commissura, The Mold of the Head, where the Skull 
is united. 

Consistence, a Body or Substance. 

Complication of Diseases,  is a mixture of divers Disea­
ses in the body. 

Coalition, Healing up of a wound. 

Coincide, That happeneth together. 

Co-indicants, are divers considerations in a sick body, 
which call for one and the same Remedy. 

Contra-indicants, are such as disswade a Remedy. 

Coction of Humours:  See concoct. 

Commemorative, Remembring what is past. 

Contumacy, Rebellious, stubborn. 

Corroborate, To strengthen. 

Costiveness, Is when the body is hard bound, and sel­
dom goeth to stool.



Columella, is a loose spungie piece of flesh; it sticks to 
the roof of the mouth just at the swallow. 

Coagulate, is to thicken any thing by heat. 

Coronal Suture, is the Seam where the two sides of the 
Skull close, running through the Crown. 

Crude Humours,  are such as are not well digested in 
the Stomach. 

Critical Evacuation,  is, when by bleeding at the Nose, 
Mouth, by Vomit, &c. the humours offending are
 sent forth by the strength of Nature. 

Crystalline Humour,  is that part of the Eye, which is 
like Crystal. 

Chronical Diseases,  are such as last long. 

Critical day, in Feavers, is that day as the Moon 
comes to the square of her place of the decumbi­
ture, or first falling sick, which for the most part 
happeneth on the 7th day.

"decumbiture" antedates the first citation of the OED (1670).

 

Cupping-Glasses,  are Glasses fastened with lighted tow, 
or flax, to draw forth blood, by scarifying of the 
place. 

Cumulation: See congestion. 
 

D. 
DEcoction, the Liquor wherein hearbs and other 
ingredients are boiled. 

Defluxion, A flowing of humours from the brain to 
other parts: also humours gathering into any part 
causing a Tumor. 

Delirium, Dotage, talking idly, raving in sickness. 

Declination of a Disease,  is, when the Symptomes de­
cay, and the Patient begins to recover. 



Derived,  Turned away from. 

Demonstrated,  proved by Argument. 

Depravations,  Marrings, hurting, spoiling. 

Depressed,  Made flat, hollow, or dented. 

Debility, Weakness. 

Derivations,  Is to draw the humour that offends from 
the grieved part, to another near it. 

Diureticks,  are medicines that provoke Urine. 

Distillation of Humours:  See Defluxion. 

Diagnosis, The knowledge of a Disease by the signes 
thereof. 

Diminished,  Lessened. 

Discuss, is to dispel invisibly, when a swelling is wasted 
without breaking. 

Diverting Medicines,  are such as hinder the defluxion 
of humours to any part. 

Dislocation, is putting out of its place. 

Diffuse, spread abroad. 

Dissipate, scatter abroad. 

Dilated,  made wider. 

Distorted,  crooked, writhed, wrested. 

Digestive Medicines,  are such as prepare humours 
for Evacuation. 

Dissolved,  Melted, or consumed. 

Distention, Stretching. 

Diaphragma, the Midriff. 

Diagrydiates, such Medicines that have Scammony 
in them. 

Dissolution of natural heat,  is a decay of Nature. 

Diaphoreticks,  are such Medicines as provoke sweat. 

Dura mater, is the hard membrane which covers the 
brain, and lyeth next to the skull. 

Dung-gate, is the Fundament, or Arse-hole. 

Dyspnæa, is shortness of breath.

"dyspnæa" antedates the first OED citation (1681).

 
 



E. 

EBullition, boiling of the blood or humours. 

Egression, coming forth. 

Empyema, A corrupt matter between the Breast and 
the Lungs, following a Pleurisie. 

Emunctuaries,  The ways and passages of Nature finds 
to drive ill humours into. 

Emollients,  such things as soften. 

Embrochated, Bathed, moistned, bedewed. 

Emplastick Diet, such meats as are of a clammy sub­
stance: as Gellies, Tripes, Feet of Beasts, and such 
like. 

Emulgent veins,  which bring the wheyish excrements 
to the Kidneys. 

Emulsions, are milks made of Almonds, or the cold
seeds. 

Epipastick, a plaister to draw a blister.

"epipastic" is not a sense in the OED wordentry, and antedates its earliest citation.

 

Epithemes, are certain powders put in bags, wet in 
wine, and applyed to the Region of the Heart, Li­
ver, Spleen, &c. 

Epidemical, are Diseases which arise over a whole Na­
tion; as the Plague, small Pox, &c. 

Errhines, are Liquors to be snuffed up to purge the 
Brain. 

Eruption, Breaking forth. 

Eroded,  Eaten, or eaten asunder. 

Eradicate, To pluck up by the Roots. 

Escharoticks: See, potential Cauteries. 

Eschar, is the Core that falls from the place, where a 
Caustick hath been applyed. 



Evacuation, Is purging, emptying, or voiding. 

Evaporation, A steaming forth by Vapours, as boiling 
water doth. 

Eventilated,  The body purged by exercise, which opens 
the pores of the body, and purgeth the body; as 
Corn is purged by Fanning. 

Excrement, is the Dregs of Digestion, voided by Dung, 
Urine, and Sweat. 

Expulsion, Driving forth. 

Extinguished,  Put out, or quenched. 

Extension, Stretching out. 

Extenuating,  Making thin. 

Excrementitious, Of, or belonging to Excrements. 

Expressed,  Squeezed out. 

Extraction, Pulling out. 

Exquisite, Perfect. 

Exasperated,  Vexed, pained, molested. 

Excrescencie, is any supernatural growing of flesh. 

Exuberation, is the same with an Ulcer. 

Expectorating,  Spitting any thing from the Breast, 
Stomach, or Lungs. 
 

F. 
FAbrick,  Composition, making up, or frame. 

Fæces, Are the Dregs, or such things which settle in 
the bottom. 

Fermentation, is the working of the Humours. 

Fistula, A hollow, deep, and narrow Ulcer. 

Filtration, Straining any liquid thing thorough a 
brown Paper, or by a piece of cloth hanging out of 
one vessel into another. 



Fluid, That runs like Water. 

Flatuous, is windy. 

Fluxive, The same with Fluid. 

Fomentation, Is when Linnen Clothes, dipped in some 
warm Decoction of Liquor, is applyed to the disea­
sed part, and often renewed. 

Five opening Roots,  are the Roots of Smallage, Spa­
ragus Fenel, Parsley, and Knee-Holly. 

Fortified,  Strengthned. 

Fracture, is a breaking of the Skull, Arm, Leg, &c. 

Frictions,  Rubbings. 

Frontal vein, is the vein of the Fore-head. 

Fumigations,  Perfumes; or things burnt to sweeten a 
Chamber. 

Fuliginous, Smoaky, or sooty. 
 

G. 
GArgarisms,  Medicines to wash the Mouth and 
Throat. 

Gangrene, is a Corruption of the part, tending to 
mortification. 

Generating,  Breeding, begetting. 

Glandules,  Kernels, such as are about the Throat, and 
are called the Almonds of the Ears. 

Glutinous, Clammy, or gluy. 
 



H. 
HAbit of the body,  Is the whole substance thereof. 

Hemiplegia, The Palsie on one side. 

Hereditary, From Father or Mother. 

Hemorrhoids,  Are the Veins in the Fundament. 

Hemorrhagies, Is bleeding from any part. 

Hermetical Doctrine,  Is that which is delivered by 
Physitians, who have made up their Medicines by 
Chymistry, or Distillation. 

Horrours,  Shiverings. 

Hyppocras Bag, A Bag that is made of Woollen-cloth,
 in form of a Funnel, to strain Medicines. 

Hypochondria, The parts beneath the Ribs. 

Hypogastrium, That part of the Belly which reacheth 
from the Navel, to the Hair of the Privy-Parts.

"hypogastrium" antedates the earliest citation in the OED (1681).

 

Hydromel, Honey and Water. 

Hysterical Sickness,  Is Womb-sickness, or Fits of the 
Mother. 
 

I. 
INanition, Emptiness. 

Inflammation. Great Heat. 

Irritation, Provoking 

Infusion, Steeping. 

Impulsive cause,  Is the moving cause. 

Intervene, Come between. 

Inversion, Turning the in-side out. 

Intermission, By bits, ceasing, leaving off. 

Incarnate, To breed flesh. 

Incision, To cut, or lay open. 

Impact, Thrust, setled, wedged in.