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Body disease and historical medicine

Ragadiæ

A historical name for swellings of the genitals.

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 historical name for swellings of the genitals.
  • In the bookCompare Rana, defined by a swelling beneath the tongue, and Sephirus, characterized as hard and dry.
  • A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 39; facsimile PDF page 367.

Historical definition

Ragadiæ are swellings or abscesses of the private parts.

Meaning

The location distinguishes this entry from other short definitions of apostemes. Aposteme is rendered as swelling or abscess so that the older diagnostic vocabulary remains understandable. The entry does not distinguish different causes or clinical courses.

Use in the book

Compare Rana, defined by a swelling beneath the tongue, and Sephirus, characterized as hard and dry. The compiler can organize disease names by bodily site, visible form or felt quality.

Places to read

  1. RagadiæRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
  2. RanaA swelling identified by its position beneath the tongue.
  3. SephirusA swelling characterized by hardness and dryness.

Source note

Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 39; facsimile PDF page 367 — Facsimile

Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Ragadiæ; 1650 facsimile PDF p. 367; compare Rana, Sephirus