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 pitch-like earthly material described through texture and origin.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 11; facsimile PDF page 339.
Historical definition
Bitumen is a kind of slimy mud extracted from water, resembling pitch; it is, as it were, the pitch of the earth.
Meaning
The definition begins with slime or mud and water, then turns to a comparison with pitch. “As it were” marks an analogy. The material is made intelligible through something familiar without the author asserting that every bitumen and every prepared pitch are identical. The texture and origin language should remain part of the explanation.
Asphaltum provides a close comparison, likewise connecting earth, water and a pitch-like substance. Æthna places resin and bitumen in an account of subterranean fire. Together the entries show the dictionary relating material appearance, source and combustibility. These are historical explanatory links, not a substitute for a modern geological identification.
Places to read
- BitumenRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- AsphaltumA pitch-like bitumen identified through its earthly and watery source.
- ÆthnaAn underground fire explained through sulphur, resin and bitumen.
- Resina terræAn earth resin name for sulphur.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 11; facsimile PDF page 339 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Bitumen ; compare Asphaltum, Æthna, Resina terræ