From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordMedicines grouped through the action attributed to their odour.
- In the bookNarcotica are grouped by causing sleep and Mitigativa by easing pain.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 36; facsimile PDF page 364.
Historical definition
Odorifera are medicines which expel diseases through their smell, whether pleasant or unpleasant.
Meaning
The pleasantness of the smell is not the criterion. The definition expressly includes good and bad odours, assigning medicinal action to either. It does not specify whether a particular preparation is inhaled, applied or otherwise used.
Use in the book
Narcotica are grouped by causing sleep and Mitigativa by easing pain. Odorifera differs by naming a sensible property through which an action is said to occur. The distinction concerns the compiler’s classification of medicines, rather than a list of common ingredients.
Places to read
- OdoriferaRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- NarcoticaMedicines classified through a sleep-producing effect.
- MitigativaA class of surgical medicines defined by easing pain.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 36; facsimile PDF page 364 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymical Dictionary 1650, 1650 dictionary, facsimile PDF page 364, Odorifera