A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Ulcus, gen.sg. ulceris (s.n.III), abl. sg. ulcere, acc. sg. ulcus, nom. & acc. pl. ulcera, gen.pl. ulcerum: a sore, an ulcer, a sore spot, an excrescence on trees; sometimes spelled hulcus,-eris; cf. cancer, canker; see ulcer (Eng.noun); see cacoethes,-is (s.n.III); see gangraena,-ae (s.f.I); see phagedaena,-ae (s.f.I), an eating ulcer, a cancer; in Pliny “a favorite word with Pliny, usually used in the plural. ‘Ulcera manantia’ are ‘running’ sores, and ulcera putrescentia (serpentia) include gangrene and superficial malignant diseases” (Jones).

Canker (Eng.noun), q.v.: cancer, gen. sg. canceris (s.m.III).

Sore (Eng.noun): a painful, especially infected, area on the body’s surface.

- crusta,-ae (s.f.I) ulcerum, the scab, the ‘crust’ of the ulcers; see scab.

- ulcus tangere, to touch a sore spot, touch on a delicate subject (Lewis & Short).

- [Lichen fontanus major “the great water liverwort” (Dill.)] pondere librarum duarum ejus decoctionis, quo remedio reiterato per multos dies sanatos multos vidi ex maligna scabie & ulceribus exedentibus (Dill.), I have seen, from the weight of two pounds of a decoction of it, by which remedy, repeated throughout many days, many people recovered from virulent scab [i.e. mange caused by the itch mite] and wasting ulcers.

Gangraena,-ae (s.f.I): gangrene (Eng.noun) (= Gk. gangraina, an eating ulcer), a disease ending in putrid decay” (Jackson).

Ulcera cacoethe, gen.pl. ulceris cacoethum, malignant sores or growths; see cacoethes,-is (s.n.III).

Ulcera manantia (nom.pl.III), abl.pl. ulceribus manantibus; weeping or running sores.

Ulcera putrescentia (nom.pl.III), abl.pl. ulceribus putrescentibus: rotting, decaying sores, “putrescent sores, including gangrene, and superficial malignant diseases” (Jones); also called ulcera serpentia, serpentine sores.

NOTE: in medicine, as in ulcer serpens, or a serpent sore, the word may not refer to a flexuose sore, nor a reference to a serpent-shape, but a sore that is slowly spreading, a creeping or crawling sore.

Ulcera serpentia, (gen.pl.) ulceris serpentium, serpent ulcers.