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Sal nitrum
Salts solvents and liquid preparations · A Chymical Dictionary
At a Glance
The word. A salt obtained from earth associated with organic deposits.
In the book. Sal petre is described separately through growth upon stones and congealing by cold air.
A place to read. The historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 41; facsimile PDF page 369.
Historical Definition
Sal nitrum is salt boiled out of the earth, especially rich earth, as in stables or any place of excrement.
Meaning
The gloss specifies extraction from earth and emphasizes particular places. Fat means rich or fertile in this description; it does not establish that the earth contains an isolated substance identical to culinary fat.
Use in the Book
Sal petre is described separately through growth upon stones and congealing by cold air. This distinction records the compiler’s account of materials and origins, even where later readers may use related names differently.
Places to Read
Sal petre. A salt described through cold air and growth on stone.
Sal practicum. A named mixture of saltpetre and sal ammoniac.
Historical source: 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 41; facsimile PDF page 369 — Facsimile
See also. Sal petre; Sal practicum