Lenitive

Use in the book

Burton’s regimen turns to art where natural evacuation fails, listing lenitive electuaries among other preparations. The adjective identifies gentle action, while electuaries identifies form. The preceding qualification of evacuation by a middle course prevents this passage from becoming a simple demand for the greatest possible discharge.

The later treatment order distinguishes lenitives, preparatives and purgers. Burton reports a common progression through these stages while recording Bruel’s different starting point; he then says purges must be avoided altogether if the illness can otherwise be relieved. His account calls for beginning gently, allowing nature rest, and moving to stronger remedies only if gentler ones do not prevail. Lenitive is a relative therapeutic designation within this historical system, not a claim that every such preparation is harmless.

At the close of the hypochondriacal treatment, lenitives are named conditionally against costiveness in this or either of the other two kinds. The category crosses the distribution of melancholy but retains a specified problem to address.

Scripture, by contrast, is likened to an apothecary’s shop containing different remedies for every infirmity of the mind. Lenitives complete a list that includes purgatives, cordials, alteratives and corroboratives. The shared idea is relief; the precise action is soothing within the spiritual comparison rather than bowel evacuation. Burton, citing Augustine, requires the sick person to take the draught God has prepared; the margin says not to refuse it. The attribution remains the supplied text’s, not an independently authenticated quotation.

Related entries

Alteratives

Electuaries

Purging

Costiveness

Comfort and consolation

Evacuation and retention

Places to read

1. Member 2. Retention and Evacuation Corrected · paragraph 27Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
2. Member 2. Retention and Evacuation Corrected · paragraph 28The adjective qualifies a preparation used to assist ordinary evacuation when nature fails.
3. Member 2. Retention and Evacuation Corrected · paragraph 29Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
4. Member 4 Exercise of Body and Mind Regulated · paragraph 34Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
5. Member 4 Exercise of Body and Mind Regulated · paragraph 35Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
6. Member 4 Exercise of Body and Mind Regulated · paragraph 36The Scriptural apothecary-shop image distinguishes soothing from purging, altering and strengthening.
7. Member 4 Exercise of Body and Mind Regulated · paragraph 37Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
8. Member 4 Exercise of Body and Mind Regulated · paragraph 38Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
9. Subsection 2 Bloodletting · paragraph 29Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
10. Subsection 3 Preparatives and Purgatives · paragraph 30Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
11. Subsection 3 Preparatives and Purgatives · paragraph 31The noun marks the first and gentler stage in the reported sequence of medical preparations.
12. Subsection 3 Preparatives and Purgatives · paragraph 32Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
13. Subsection 3 Preparatives and Purgatives · paragraph 33Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
14. Subsection 3 Preparatives and Purgatives · paragraph 34Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
15. Subsection 3 Preparatives and Purgatives · paragraph 35Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
16. Subsection 2 Corrective Medicines to Expel Wind. Against Constipation, and So On · paragraph 56Surrounding argument or qualification for the cited medicinal use.
17. Subsection 2 Corrective Medicines to Expel Wind. Against Constipation, and So On · paragraph 57The term supplies a cross-cutting response to constipation in any of the three forms of melancholy.

In this edition

“lenitive electuaries” becomes “laxative electuaries”, making the bodily action explicit while the note preserves its gentle force. The noun “lenitives” becomes “soothing remedies” in the Scriptural comparison and “gentle laxatives” in the treatment of costiveness. The larger sequence “lenitives to preparatives, and so to purgers” becomes “gentle laxatives to preparatives, and then to purgatives”. These local equivalents preserve a significant difference in application.

Lenitive · lenitive

Printed “lenitive” (English; lemma).

Gently laxative in medicinal action.

Here: The adjective qualifies a preparation used to assist ordinary evacuation when nature fails.

Context: Burton’s historical regimen, following a qualification about the middle course rather than unrestricted evacuation.

Source: original body

Source wording and original alignment: lenitive electuaries

Modern rendering: laxative electuaries

Word and construction: The indexed form names or supplies gently laxative in medicinal action in this expression.

Alignment conventions: Alignment convention.

Lenitive · lenitives · local use 1

Printed “lenitives” (English; lemma).

A remedy that eases or soothes.

Here: The Scriptural apothecary-shop image distinguishes soothing from purging, altering and strengthening. The continuation attributes to Augustine a condition that the sick person take God’s prepared draught; the margin says not to refuse it.

Context: Burton’s theological comparison; the medicine prepared by God is not a physical drug. The Augustine attribution is Burton’s and remains uncollated.

Source: original body

Source wording and original alignment: lenitives

Modern rendering: soothing remedies

Word and construction: The indexed form supplies a remedy that eases or soothes in this expression.

Alignment conventions: Alignment convention.

Lenitive · lenitives · local use 2

Printed “lenitives” (English; lemma).

A gentle laxative medicine.

Here: The noun marks the first and gentler stage in the reported sequence of medical preparations.

Context: Burton attributes this order to the common practice represented by Mercurialis and Montaltus; Bruel’s initial enema is a separately reported alternative.

Source: original body

Source wording and original alignment: lenitives to preparatives, and so to purgers

Modern rendering: gentle laxatives to preparatives, and then to purgatives

Word and construction: The indexed form supplies a gentle laxative medicine in this expression.

Alignment conventions: Alignment convention.

Lenitive · lenitives · local use 3

Printed “lenitives” (English; lemma).

A gentle laxative medicine.

Here: The term supplies a cross-cutting response to constipation in any of the three forms of melancholy.

Context: Burton’s conditional clause applies if costiveness troubles the patient; the forms are the historical head, whole-body and hypochondriacal types.

Source: original body

Source wording and original alignment: lenitives

Modern rendering: gentle laxatives

Word and construction: The indexed form supplies a gentle laxative medicine in this expression.

Alignment conventions: Alignment convention.