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← ExitThe Anatomy of Melancholy

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Contextual Lexicon

In Burton. Diet can overthrow the body’s temperature, while grief can alter its complexion. Burton uses temperament and crasis in explaining individual symptoms, and temperatures in explaining why foods affect people differently. The digression on springs extends temper to the constitution of the earth. These uses concern composition and disposition, not simply measured heat, facial colour or a person’s current mood.

The places. Eating and drinking can disturb bodily balance. (p. 42–43; DJR-012-11.) Galen’s ideal constitution is compared with other ideal descriptions. (p. 44; DJR-012-23.) Passion alters bodily constitution. (p. 13; DJR-023-16.) A heading treats disorders of particular parts. (p. 174; DJR-057-01.) Symptoms vary with temperament and crasis. (p. 190 [first occurrence]; DJR-060-02.) Different constitutions respond differently to diet. (p. 236; DJR-071-21.) The earth has an inherent temper. (p. 246; DJR-073-29.)

In this edition. “temperature of his body” → “body’s balance” (DJR-012-11); “Temperament” → “balanced bodily constitution” (DJR-012-23); “complexion” → “bodily constitution” (DJR-023-16); “Distemperature” → “Disorders” (DJR-057-01); “Crasis” → “bodily constitution” (DJR-060-02); “temperatures” → “constitutions” (DJR-071-21); “innate temper” → “inherent constitution” (DJR-073-29). The equivalents explain constitution or balance where a familiar modern sense would mislead. Temperament is retained alongside the explanation of crasis in the symptom passage.

See also. Humour.

Conceit

Source forms: conceited; conceit; conceipt; conceited in discourse; conceipted; conceits

The word. Conceit and its related forms can mean a thought, idea or imagining, or the wit and ingenuity displayed in speech. They need not suggest excessive self-esteem.

In Burton. Burton calls a tale conceited because it is amusing. In discussing imagination, a strong conceit is a powerful idea or impression; elsewhere conceipt joins fear in bringing a prediction to pass. Conceited discourse and conceipted scoffers belong to wit and conversation. The vain conceits from which treatment seeks to divert the mind are empty fancies. The word family ranges from inventive ability to distressing mental content.

The places. An anecdote is described as amusing. (p. 79–80; DJR-036-16.) A strong idea is credited with bodily effects. (p. 95; DJR-039-21.) Imagination accompanies fear of predictions. (p. 166; DJR-055-09.) Conversation is witty and imaginative. (p. 191; DJR-060-19.) Scoffers show wit. (p. 199; DJR-062-08.) Treatment seeks diversion from empty fancies. (p. 289; DJR-083-03.)

In this edition. “conceited tale” → “amusing tale” (DJR-036-16); “strong conceit or apprehension” → “strong idea or impression” (DJR-039-21); “conceipt” → “imagination” (DJR-055-09); “conceited in discourse” → “imaginative in conversation” (DJR-060-19); “conceipted” → “witty” (DJR-062-08); “vain conceits” → “empty fancies” (DJR-083-03). Different equivalents preserve the shift between a mental conception and an engaging manner of speaking.

See also. Imagination; Wit; Fond.

Concoction

Source forms: crudity; concoction; elixation; assation; semiustulation; sanguification; crudities

The word. Concoction means digestive transformation or processing. Crudity can mean indigestion; crudities are incompletely digested or processed matter. Elixation and assation are boiling and roasting within the historical account, semiustulation incomplete roasting, and sanguification conversion into blood.

In Burton. Burton explains digestion through natural heat and cooking analogies, then distinguishes a sequence running from chewing through chyle and blood to assimilation. Crudity names a failure of such processing, whether associated with distress or with exercise after meals. The vocabulary makes bodily nourishment a succession of transformations rather than a single act in the stomach.

The places. Distress is followed by impaired digestion and crudity. (p. 13; DJR-023-16.) Concoction appears in the account of acquired humours. (p. 14; DJR-023-28.) Natural heat supplies the model for digestion. (p. 20; DJR-024-27.) Boiling, roasting and incomplete roasting are distinguished. (p. 20–21; DJR-024-29.) A fourfold sequence includes conversion into blood. (p. 21; DJR-024-30.) Exercise is discussed in relation to undigested matter. (p. 84–85; DJR-037-17.)

In this edition. “crudity” → “indigestion” (DJR-023-16); “concoction” → “digestive processing” (DJR-023-28); “Elixation” → “Boiling” (DJR-024-29); “Assation” → “Roasting” (DJR-024-29); “Semiustulation” → “incomplete roasting” (DJR-024-29); “Sanguification” → “sanguification” (DJR-024-30); “crudities” → “undigested matter” (DJR-037-17). The cooking terms remain literal equivalents of Burton’s analogy. Sanguification is retained with its explanation in the surrounding sentence.

Concupiscence

Source forms: concupiscence

The word. Concupiscence is disordered desire in the theological passage cited here. Its scope is broader than sexual appetite alone.

In Burton. Burton describes the unregenerate will as turned away from God and its powers as confused. Eating, drinking and sexual desire appear together among the natural matters into which temperament and unruly appetite drive people. Concupiscence supplies the wider name for this disorder of desire.

The places. Natural concupiscence enters the account of the will and spiritual disorder. (p. 29; DJR-026-38.)

In this edition. “natural concupiscence” → “natural concupiscence” (DJR-026-38); “inordinate appetite” → “unruly appetite” (DJR-026-38). The theological term remains, while the surrounding examples and unruly make its force intelligible.

See also. Appetite; Venery; Impotent.

Concupiscible and irascible

Source forms: concupiscible; irascible; irascible appetite

The word. Concupiscible and irascible name two powers of appetite. The concupiscible seeks pleasant or desired goods and recoils from the unpleasant; the irascible concerns resistance or struggle, including anger and indignation.

In Burton. The initial account gives the pair the English names coveting and anger that attacks or resists. The later discussion of passions reports a division into six passions of the desiring faculty and five of the faculty of struggle. Burton places sorrow first within the irascible appetite, showing why irascible cannot be reduced to ordinary bad temper.

The places. Appetite is divided into two powers. (p. 24–25; DJR-025-27.) The Thomist elevenfold division is reported. (p. 97 [scan p. 197]; DJR-040-02.) Sorrow is placed within the irascible appetite. (p. 96 repeated [scan p. 198]; DJR-040-07.)

In this edition. “Concupiscible” → “concupiscible” (DJR-025-27); “Irascible” → “irascible” (DJR-025-27); “Coveting” → “desiring faculty” (DJR-040-02); “Invading” → “faculty of struggle” (DJR-040-02); “Irascible appetite” → “irascible appetite” (DJR-040-07). The technical names remain linked to explanatory English. Concupiscible is not confined to sexual desire, nor irascible to anger alone. Burton’s placement of sorrow does, however, differ from the Thomist classification he has just reported.

See also. Appetite.

Confection

Source forms: confection; confections

The word. Confection means a compounded medicinal preparation. The word concerns the combining or preparation of medicines, not necessarily a sweet food.

In Burton. Burton cites Ecclesiasticus to justify medicines made from the earth and the apothecary’s production of a confection. Later chemical confections include preparations associated with potable gold and mercury. The two passages place compounding within both a scriptural defence of medicine and a debate over chemical practice.

13433.Edited source passages: p. 79–80 (DJR-036-16); p. 95 (DJR-039-21); p. 166 (DJR-055-09); p. 191 (DJR-060-19); p. 199 (DJR-062-08); p. 289 (DJR-083-03). Existing edition notes: DJR-036:E12, DJR-055:E09, DJR-060:E18, DJR-062:E07, DJR-083:E02. The national generalization and claims about imagination’s bodily effects remain Burton’s reported assertions, not findings established by this article.

13434.Edited source passages: p. 13 (DJR-023-16); p. 14 (DJR-023-28); p. 20 (DJR-024-27); p. 20–21 (DJR-024-29); p. 21 (DJR-024-30); p. 84–85 (DJR-037-17). Existing edition notes: DJR-023:E11, DJR-023:E20, DJR-024:E24, DJR-024:E26, DJR-024:E27, DJR-037:E11. The sequence and physiology are historical. The entry preserves the source’s own classifications, including its reference to first concoction in the liver, without harmonizing them into a modern digestive model.

13435.Edited source passages: p. 29 (DJR-026-38). Existing edition notes: DJR-026:E29. The assertions about regeneration and the will are those of Burton’s theological argument; the definition reports their sense.

13436.Edited source passages: p. 24–25 (DJR-025-27); p. 97 [scan p. 197] (DJR-040-02); p. 96 repeated [scan p. 198] (DJR-040-07). Existing edition notes: DJR-025:E19, DJR-040:E02, DJR-040:E05. DJR-040:E02 identifies Aquinas’s division and explains the faculties. DJR-040:E05 notes that Aquinas places sorrow in the concupiscible faculty; Burton’s different placement is preserved. Source locators retain the repeated and irregular pagination.

13437.Edited source passages: p. 230 (DJR-070-02); p. 372 (DJR-100-44). Existing edition notes: DJR-070:E01, DJR-100:E37. The approval of mineral medicines is attributed to Mattioli. Naming their historical category does not establish their safety or efficacy.