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 balsam defined through extraction from flesh.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 10; facsimile PDF page 338.
Historical definition
Balsamum de Mumiis is what is extracted from flesh.
Meaning
This qualified name identifies its source rather than repeating the whole account under Balsamum. Flesh is the stated starting material, and extraction is the action. The entry gives no particular body, solvent or resulting form. It therefore cannot support a narrower recipe without another passage.
The general balsam entry concerns preservation and distinguishes internal from external forms. That context helps locate the name within the dictionary, but the present sentence only states the extraction from flesh. Mumia-related expressions must be read with their qualifications: elsewhere they can identify bone marrow or other bodily preparations.
Places to read
- Balsamum de MumiisRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- BalsamumA preservative substance described in both bodily and external forms.
- MumiaBalmed flesh, expressly extending beyond human flesh.
- Axungia de MumiaTwo expressions identifying bone marrow.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 10; facsimile PDF page 338 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Balsamum de Mumiis ; compare Balsamum, Mumia, Axungia de Mumia