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 for sudden death.
- In the bookLapsus Demotinus reverses the order of the words and adds that the sudden death is more dangerous than an apoplexy.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 19; facsimile PDF page 347.
Historical definition
Demotinus lapsus is sudden death.
Meaning
The gloss describes suddenness without assigning a cause. It does not identify a particular disorder or explain how death is recognised. That limited scope is important when the term appears among more detailed medical labels.
Use in the book
Lapsus Demotinus reverses the order of the words and adds that the sudden death is more dangerous than an apoplexy. The two entries make a clear naming relationship, but the additional comparison belongs to that other definition. It should not be silently inserted into the wording printed here.
Places to read
- Demotinus lapsusRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- Lapsus DemotinusSudden death named by comparison with apoplexy.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 19; facsimile PDF page 347 — Facsimile