mens-answer-1674-commentary.htm
The Mens Answer to the Womens Petition against Coffee (1674)
Glossary and Notes -- by Janet Clarkson
Ambuscade: Ambush (OED).
Aretine: Aretine's Postures was a popular sex manual of the time.
Cits. = Common abreviation referring to citizens of London.
Limbeck = Alembic (OED): An apparatus formerly used in distilling, consisting of a cucurbit or gourd-shaped vessel containing the substance to be distilled, surmounted by the head or cap, or alembic proper, the beak of which conveyed the vaporous products to a receiver, in which they were condensed. It is now superseded by the retort and worm still -- so used figuratively in this case.
Cantharides = The pharmacopoeial name of the dried beetle Cantharis vesicatoria or Spanish Fly. Used externally as a rubefacient and vesicant; internally as a diuretic and stimulant to the genito-urinary organs, etc. Formerly considered an aphrodisiac (OED).
Cullis = A strong broth, made of meat, fowl, etc., boiled and strained; used especially as a nourishing food for sick persons (OED).
Diasatyrion = a preparation or mixture of three sorts of ingredients (?).
Bononia sawsage = Bologna sausage?
Tranguin = Trangum ? from An odd or intricate contrivance of some kind; a knick-knack, a puzzle; a toy, trinket; a gewgaw, trumpery ornament. Applied to anything which the speaker views with contempt (OED).
Catholicon = An electuary supposed to be capable of evacuating all humours; a universal remedy or prophylactic; panacea. arch. (OED).
Bull's Feather = Bulls horn; Knight of the bull Feather = a cuckold. (Dictionary of Vulgar Language 1811).
Whetstones Park, "by Lincolns Inn Fields, L. 'Twas formerly a Receptacle of wanton Does, till in the Reign of King Charles the Second they were routed out by the Mob; to suppress which Riot, the King's Life Guard were obliged to go in Arms against them" (from <ADD SOURCE>).
Moorfields : An area notorious for prostitution, particularly male. In the eighteenth century there was an infamous area in Moorfieds called Sodomite's Walk.
Bonny Clabber = milk naturally curdled (OED).
Tetrachymagogon = a patent medicine "cure-all".
From: Isaac Bickerstaff, by Richard Steele (of The Tatler):
" … Ordinary quacks and charlatans are thoroughly sensible
how necessary it is to support themselves by these collateral
assistances, and therefore always lay their claim to some supernumerary
accomplishments, which are wholly foreign to their profession.
About twenty years ago, it was impossible to walk the streets
without having an advertisement thrust into your hand, of a doctor
"who was arrived at the knowledge of the 'Green and Red Dragon,'
and had discovered the female fern-seed." Nobody ever knew
what this meant; but the "Green and Red Dragon" so amused
the people, that the doctor lived very comfortably upon them.
About the same time there was pasted a very hard word upon every
corner of the streets. This, to the best of my remembrance, was
TETRACHYMAGOGON,
which drew great shoals of spectators about it, who read the bill
that it introduced with unspeakable curiosity; and when they were
sick, would have nobody but this learned man for their physician".