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 plant name with an attributed blister-producing effect.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 16; facsimile PDF page 344.
Historical definition
Citrinula is a blistering herb called crowfoot.
Meaning
The identifying name and the reported effect both belong to the definition. Crowfoot supplies the plant vocabulary; “blistering” characterizes what the historical author attributes to it. The entry gives no species, plant part or preparation that would justify a narrower botanical determination.
The spelling must also be kept distinct from Citrinulum and Citrinulus. Those neighbouring terms are defined as a salt and a crystal, respectively. Their similar appearance is a lookup difficulty, not evidence that they name the same substance.
Places to read
- CitrinulaRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- CitrinulumA vitriol-derived salt identified through transparency and preparation.
- CitrinulusA crystal identified through a pale appearance.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 16; facsimile PDF page 344 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary (1650), s.v. Citrinula ; compare Citrinulum, Citrinulus