From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordColoured melted glass, also named smaltum or terra Sarasenica.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 4; facsimile PDF page 332.
Historical definition
Anatrum is glass melted into various colours, which they call smaltum or terra Sarasenica.
Meaning
The distinguishing feature is the material’s processing and colour. Unlike Anathron, a nearby salt term, Anatrum is expressly placed in the glass family. Keeping the words separate avoids a particularly easy error when consulting unfamiliar spellings. The added names are part of the historical identification and belong in a finding index.
The definition does not specify which colour, colouring material or final form is intended. A passage may concern the glass itself or a further use of it, but those details cannot be supplied from the entry alone. Its secure contribution is the connection among glass, melting and varied colour.
Places to read
- AnatrumRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 4; facsimile PDF page 332 — Facsimile