A Chymical Dictionary

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

Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Sal nitrum; 1650 facsimile PDF p. 369; compare Sal petre, Sal practicum

See also. Sal petre; Sal practicum