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 vitriol-derived salt identified through transparency and preparation.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 16; facsimile PDF page 344.
Historical definition
Citrinulum is a transparent salt made from calcined vitriol.
Meaning
The entry states a sequence: vitriol is calcined, and a transparent salt is made from it. The starting material and the final salt should not be treated as the same state merely because they share a source. Transparency supplies an appearance clue, not a complete composition.
Calcanthum provides a direct route to vitriol vocabulary. Citrinula and Citrinulus are important spelling comparisons, since one names an herb and the other a pale crystal. Reading the final letters carefully prevents a material identification from drifting into the wrong neighbouring entry.
Places to read
- CitrinulumRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- CalcanthumA historical term identified with vitriol.
- CitrinulaA plant name with an attributed blister-producing effect.
- 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. Citrinulum ; compare Calcanthum, Citrinula, Citrinulus