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Liquor Mercurii
Body disease and historical medicine · A Chymical Dictionary
At a Glance
The word. A mercurial liquor defined as the seat of healing power.
In the book. Liquor salis is called Nature’s balm and is assigned a preservative action.
A place to read. The historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 30; facsimile PDF page 358.
Historical Definition
Liquor Mercurii is the balm of things, in which the power of curing or healing resides.
Meaning
The explanation gives a role rather than a recipe. Balm names what carries the curative power of things; it does not identify one starting ingredient or specify a physical consistency. The possessive Mercurii must therefore be read alongside this functional account, rather than treated as sufficient proof of ordinary mercury.
Use in the Book
Liquor salis is called Nature’s balm and is assigned a preservative action. Together the entries show balm-language organising claims about the maintenance or restoration of bodies, while the attached names distinguish particular expressions.
Places to Read
Liquor salis. A saline liquor understood through its preservative action.
Historical source: 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 30; facsimile PDF page 358 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymical Dictionary 1650, 1650 dictionary, facsimile PDF page 358, Liquor Mercurii
See also. Liquor salis