From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordA name used both for a medicine and for yellow material in flowers.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 5; facsimile PDF page 333.
Historical definition
Antera is a medicine extracted from hyacinths; it is also the yellow material growing in the middle of lilies and similar flowers.
Meaning
The two clauses must be kept separate. One concerns an extracted medicine named through hyacinths; the other identifies yellow material in the centre of lilies and comparable flowers. The shared headword does not prove that both clauses describe the same preparation. Nor does this brief wording settle every possible meaning of “hyacinths” in historical technical usage.
For interpretation, first decide whether the passage is describing an extraction or a visible flower part. The difference is between a prepared product and something identified in its growing form. Adding a modern species or medicinal action would require more evidence than the dictionary supplies.
Places to read
- AnteraRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 5; facsimile PDF page 333 — Facsimile