Dan'l answers “This book uses the phrase "facies...”

Julie-Anne asked this question about Foucault’s Pendulum:

This book uses the phrase "facies hermeticae" a few times and I've yet to figure out what it means in the given context. The top google results are quotations from the book, can anyone explain what Eco means by this?

Dan'l Wikipedia says: "In medical contexts, a facies is a distinctive facial expression or appearance associated with specific medical conditions. It comes …moreWikipedia says: "In medical contexts, a facies is a distinctive facial expression or appearance associated with specific medical conditions. It comes from the Latin word for 'face'." "Hermeticae" means relating to Hermetic or occult philosophy. The characters are joking among themselves that occult types are afflicted with a particular facial expression. It is not complimentary.(less)

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Foucault’s Pendulum

by Umberto Eco

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