From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordAn iron or steel preparation named through crocus vocabulary.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 13; facsimile PDF page 341.
Historical definition
Calx Martis is crocus of steel or iron.
Meaning
The historical definition offers steel and iron as the material family and crocus as the prepared identifying term. It does not state a single procedure or modern composition. Preserve both material alternatives, rather than choosing one merely because a later recipe is more familiar.
The neighbouring Calx compounds show why the complete name matters. Each has its own gloss, and their products should not be collapsed into one generic ash. A passage describing the preparation, colour or treatment of iron can clarify the particular crocus intended.
Places to read
- Calx MartisRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- HadidA dictionary name for iron.
- Calx IovisA tin-related calx name glossed as a spirit.
- Calx SolisGold distinguished by calcination.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 13; facsimile PDF page 341 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Calx Martis ; compare Hadid, Calx Iovis, Calx Solis