The Anatomy of Melancholy

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.