On Subtlety

Book: On Subtlety
Language: Latin
Signature: C

Guanabana fruit Original: "Guanabanus fructus," also known as soursop.. 270
How to see the throat and the womb. 108

H

Spanish hematite and its use Original: "Hæmatites Hispanus." Hematite is a reddish-black mineral of iron ore, often used as a pigment or for its supposed medicinal properties in stopping bleeding.. 151
Halcyonium A substance found on the seashore, historically described as calcified sea foam or the nests of kingfishers.. 191
The purification of saltpeter. 67
Saltpeter makes a louder noise than sulfur Saltpeter, or potassium nitrate, was a key ingredient in gunpowder.. 67
Saltpeter. 134
It generates saltpeter. 134
Halo. See: Crown.
Types of sand. See: Sands.
A longer stroke of spears. See: Spear strike.
Praise of Heber Original: "Hebri laus," likely referring to the biblical figure Heber, traditionally considered the ancestor of the Hebrews and the preserver of the original language after the Tower of Babel.. 315
The star of Helen announcing a sinking Original: "Helenæ sydus." This refers to a single flash of St. Elmo's Fire, which sailors traditionally viewed as a bad omen, unlike the double flash (Castor and Pollux) which signaled safety.. 30
Heliotrope Original: "Heliotropium," which could refer to the gemstone (bloodstone) or the plant that turns toward the sun.. 171
The one-leafed herb. See: Enophyllum.
An herb floating on the sea. 210
An herb that excites sexual intercourse seventy times a day. 214
The wonder of the herbs of the Pleiades Original: "Herbarum Virgiliarum." "Virgiliae" was a common name for the Pleiades constellation; these herbs were thought to be influenced by those stars.. 116
Herbs with thick leaves. See: Plant leaves.
The Herculean stone. See: Magnet Original: "Herculei lapidis," an ancient name for the lodestone..
The temple of Hercules, why neither fly nor dog enters it. 245
Heron’s machine. See: Machine Refers to the inventions of Heron of Alexandria, a pioneer of steam power and hydraulics..
Joyfulness. See: Joy.
Where swallows hide in winter Refers to the ancient belief that swallows hibernated in the mud or underwater during winter rather than migrating.. 341
The history of a stone. See: Stone’s history.
The porcupine. 227
Men of divine counsel. 245
Men differ in four ways. 251
Mutilated men are wicked A reference to physiognomy, the belief that a person's physical appearance or deformities reflected their inner character.. 271
A man having milk in his nipples. 263
Men who eat human flesh. See: Man-eaters Original: "Anthropophagi.".
How great men, admirable by nature, are procreated. 256
Why men similar in nature and way of life are allotted different spans of life. 260
Men excellent in smell are talented and see only a short distance. 280
Why all men agree almost only in sounds, but not in tastes, smells, or colors. 278
How those who rise during sleep [sleepwalkers] are cured. 346
Why men fear in the dark. See: Darkness.
Why teeth fall out for a man. 268
Why teeth fall out for a man due to age. 268
For man, nothing is more difficult than knowledge of the future. 313
On fattening men. 354
Three principal gifts of man. 251
The life of man is 120 years. 268
The threefold kind of men. 250
The two greatest gifts of men that can happen to them. 262
Miraculous effects of men. 292
How a man stays on top of the water lying on his back. 22
Man alone among land animals does not see at night, and why. 246
Why man was made. 247
How man is the most temperate and the hottest. 250
Man was made for four reasons. 250
A large man in our age of the length of three cubits Original: "trium brachiorum," literally "three arms." A "brachium" was a unit of measure roughly equivalent to a cubit or a yard.. 256
Why a man is of bad character. 261
Why man is the most deceitful of animals. 262
Why man has the largest feet. 263
Why man is soft Likely referring to the lack of protective fur, hide, or scales compared to other beasts.. 266
A man carries another man more easily when taken onto his shoulders. 345
Why a man becomes mute when a wolf is seen A common folk belief from antiquity: if a wolf sees a man before the man sees the wolf, the man is struck speechless.. 345
Why man is delighted by understanding. 290
A man lacking hands doing everything Refers to several contemporary accounts of individuals born without arms who used their feet to write, sew, or fight.. 331
How a man in the sea or unknown lands can distinguish where he is. See: Region.
The proportion of a man’s parts. 258
The face of man endowed with three greatest miracles. 264
The order of a man’s parts in their fineness. 265
The narrower passages of man. See: Passages.
The greatest trials of a man’s strength. 256
The fates of men hang by a very thin thread. 334
What is more admirable in the human body. 264
The account of human teeth. 263
The intellect of man is shadowy Original: "umbratilis," meaning it is like a shadow or a reflection rather than the full, direct light of absolute truth.. 366