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 medicine classified by its reported production of sweat.
- In the bookAnodyna and Mitigativa illustrate other effect-based medical classes, associated respectively with sleep and the allaying of pain.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 19; facsimile PDF page 347.
Historical definition
Diaphoreticum is a sweating medicine.
Meaning
The defining feature is a bodily effect, not an ingredient. The entry places the medicine in a class through sweating, without naming the preparation or stating which condition it is meant to address.
Use in the book
Anodyna and Mitigativa illustrate other effect-based medical classes, associated respectively with sleep and the allaying of pain. The comparison helps readers understand the organisation of the vocabulary: a remedy can be named by a reported action without the dictionary telling us its composition or establishing its efficacy.
Places to read
- DiaphoreticumRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- AnodynaA class of medicines grouped by their intended sleep-producing effect.
- MitigativaA class of surgical medicines defined by easing pain.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 19; facsimile PDF page 347 — Facsimile