The Anatomy of Melancholy

The word. Splenitic or splenatic means associated with the spleen or suffering from a disorder attributed to it. In these passages the adjective is anatomical and medical, rather than simply a description of ill temper.

In Burton. Laurentius’s classification names a form of melancholy after the spleen, alongside liver and mesentery. The treatment passage then discusses apples in disorders of that organ and in the form of melancholy under consideration, with their supposed humoral qualities to be corrected.

The places. Splenitic melancholy is one of the forms named after an organ. (p. 177; DJR-057-39.) Splenatic describes a spleen disorder in the discussion of apples. (p. 399; DJR-106-27.)

In this edition. “Splenitick” → “splenic” (DJR-057-39); “in Splenatick” → “in disorders of the spleen” (DJR-106-27). Splenic gives the corresponding adjective; disorders of the spleen makes the compressed second construction explicit. These are historical disease classifications.

See also. Hypochondria.

Stibium

Source forms: stibium

The word. Stibium is the name paired with antimony in Burton’s discussion of chemical medicines. The passage distinguishes administering the material itself from an infusion.

In Burton. Burton introduces a substance highly praised by chemical physicians and frequently prescribed for melancholy. Mattioli’s claim and examples supply the reported justification. The vocabulary belongs to that therapeutic controversy and its historical account of black bile.

The places. Antimony or stibium is introduced as a remedy praised by chemical physicians. (p. 377; DJR-102-01.)

In this edition. “Antimony or Stibium” → “Antimony, or stibium” (DJR-102-01); “in substance or infusion” → “as the substance itself or as an infusion” (DJR-102-01). The material’s two names remain together. The modern text explicitly attributes the therapeutic claims to Mattioli rather than adopting them.

See also. Receipt.

Still

Source forms: still; still running

The word. Still can mean continually or always, but it can also mean silent. The latter sense survives in still rhetoric, eloquence that works without speech.

In Burton. The imagined frogs croak continually; rivers run continuously even where navigation is obstructed; the lover’s heart is always with the beloved. Beauty’s still rhetoric instead persuades silently. Temporal persistence and absence of sound must remain distinct.

The places. Still crying describes continual imagined croaking. (p. 6; DJR-003-09.) Still running describes the rivers’ continued flow. (p. 52; DJR-014-05.) Still rhetoric is persuasion without speech. (p. 454–455; DJR-117-30.) The lover’s heart is always with the beloved. (p. 529; DJR-131-08.)

In this edition. “still crying” → “continually crying” (DJR-003-09); “still running rivers” → “ever-flowing rivers” (DJR-014-05); “still rhetorick” → “silent rhetoric” (DJR-117-30); “his heart is still with her” → “his heart is always with her” (DJR-131-08). Continually, ever-flowing and always express duration; silent identifies the separate sense. Obstructed rivers do not become motionless merely because Burton criticizes their lost usefulness for transport.

See also. Waking; Present; Happily.

Strangury

Source forms: strangury

The word. Strangury means difficult and painful passage of urine. It is a historical disease term whose range should not be assumed identical to one present diagnostic category.

In Burton. Burton includes strangury in a catalogue of conditions physicians allegedly cannot cure. The term identifies the complaint, while the categorical claim about incurability belongs to his debate over medical skill.

The places. Strangury appears among the conditions claimed to resist cure. (p. 364; DJR-099-17.)