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 skull-opening instrument named in a historical surgical context.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 14; facsimile PDF page 342.
Historical definition
Cenigdam, or Ceningotam, is a surgical instrument used to open the skull during fits of epilepsy.
Meaning
The definition gives the object, its action and the condition in which it was said to be employed. It does not supply an instrument design or establish that the intervention was effective. The final clause is evidence for the source’s historical account of treatment, not a present-day recommendation.
Both spellings should be preserved in the index. A reader can then recognize the term as an instrument rather than search for a medicine or material with a similar name. The exact action described—opening the skull—is necessary to distinguish it from surgical tools generally.
Places to read
- CenigdamRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 14; facsimile PDF page 342 — Facsimile