From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordA salt named through Mercury or the philosophers.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 3; facsimile PDF page 331.
Historical definition
Alembroth is salt of Mercury, or salt of the philosophers.
Meaning
The alternative descriptions identify a historical family of preparation while leaving its exact composition unspecified. Neither “Mercury” nor “philosophers” should be treated as a complete modern material specification. The useful reading step is to follow the particular writer’s preparation and the qualities assigned to its salt. The neighbouring entry Alembrot purified shows how a qualification can redirect the identification toward tartar and its magistery. Preserve that difference rather than flattening the two entries into a single recipe.
Places to read
- AlembrothRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- AlembrotA purified preparation identified with salt of tartar and its magistery.
- Sal MercuriiA salt name locally identified with intoxicating spirit of wine.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 3; facsimile PDF page 331 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Alembroth ; compare Alembrot, Sal Mercurii