From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordSmall bodily swellings described by comparison with warts.
- In the bookFicus cutis specifically names a wart on the skin of a horse’s legs.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 23; facsimile PDF page 351.
Historical definition
Formicæ are small abscesses like warts.
Meaning
The comparison supplies an appearance rather than a cause. The entry calls the swellings small and like warts; it does not declare that they are the same thing as every wart or give a location.
Use in the book
Ficus cutis specifically names a wart on the skin of a horse’s legs. Essaræ identifies wheals. These parallels show how short historical descriptions can focus on size, resemblance or location. The added details in another entry should not be used to manufacture a more exact diagnosis under Formicæ.
Places to read
- FormicæRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- EssaræA short identification with wheals.
- Ficus cutisA bodily growth named with an additional historical medicinal use.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 23; facsimile PDF page 351 — Facsimile