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 plant name identified through Cataputia and spurge.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 15; facsimile PDF page 343.
Historical definition
Cherva is Cataputia: that is, the herb spurge.
Meaning
The definition gives two linked identifying names. Cataputia is immediately explained by spurge, so the reader does not need to treat it as a second unexplained ingredient. Both names should remain findable beside Cherva.
The entry supplies no plant part, preparation or purpose. In a passage, those distinctions must be taken from the author’s actual description. A historical name family can include more than one practical form of a material, and this brief gloss does not support a precise botanical determination beyond the name it provides.
Places to read
- ChervaRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 15; facsimile PDF page 343 — Facsimile