From the book
Nine Books on the Nature of Things
Attributed to Paracelsus · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Meaning
Os in this passage means mouth, not bone. The text contrasts large and small mouths and then distinguishes drawn-in lips and a large lower lip, attaching derogatory character claims to some forms. The anatomical contrast is the lexical evidence; the evaluative claims are historical physiognomy, not accepted criteria of intelligence, manners, courage, or human worth.
Places to read
- Book 9 · Signature · Passage 30Latin“Os magnum amplumque”