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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · English Edition

Gerhard Dorn and John French

A Chymical Dictionary

An Expanded Diotimos Lexicon of Paracelsian and Alchemical Language

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A Chymical DictionaryCorrosiva

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English Edition · Branch 482 of 740

Corrosiva

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A Chymical Dictionary

p. 482

Corrosiva

Body disease and historical medicine · A Chymical Dictionary

At a Glance

The word. Surgical preparations classified by removal of excess flesh.

In the book. Consolidativa is associated with healing and drying wounds and ulcers; Incarnativa with breeding flesh and skin.

A place to read. The historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 18; facsimile PDF page 346.

Historical Definition

Corrosiva are medicines used by surgeons to eat away superfluous flesh.

Meaning

The reported action is removal: the medicines eat away flesh described as superfluous. The entry gives the historical field of use, surgery, but identifies no ingredient or preparation. Its place in the dictionary is therefore that of an effect-based class rather than a recipe.

“Superfluous” expresses the historical judgement made about the tissue. The commentary retains that qualification rather than expanding the definition into a rule about which bodily tissue should be removed.

Use in the Book

Consolidativa is associated with healing and drying wounds and ulcers; Incarnativa with breeding flesh and skin. These contrasting actions help explain why a historical surgical passage may distinguish removal, drying and production of tissue. Coleritium and Aqua corrodens show that corrosive language can also describe material preparations outside this specific surgical class.

Places to Read

Aqua corrodens. A liquid category defined by corrosive action, including vinegar.

Coleritium. A compound liquid characterised by metallic materials and corrosive action.

Consolidativa. External surgical preparations classified by healing and drying.

In This Edition

The entry supplies terminology for reading historical practice. It gives no operational conditions or criteria for applying a corrosive preparation.

Historical source: 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 18; facsimile PDF page 346 — Facsimile

Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary 1650, s.v. Corrosiva

See also. Aqua corrodens; Coleritium; Consolidativa; Incarnativa

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About This Reading Edition

The complete 706 historical definitions of the 1650 English dictionary, modernised and accompanied by expanded Diotimos commentary, reading routes, 15 textual notes and complete linked indexes.

Historical Text

A Chymicall Dictionary, London 1650, English version associated with John French, based on Gerhard Dorn’s Dictionarium Theophrasti Paracelsi. The containing volume also prints Sendivogius and Paracelsus; neither neighboring work changes this dictionary’s attribution.

About This Edition

Complete 706 definition paragraphs with new introduction, commentary, reading guides and indexes; Diotimos Editions, 2026.

Rights

The historical 1650 English text is in the public domain. New introduction, commentary, reading guides and indexes are © 2026 Diotimos Editions and published with the site owner’s authorization.