From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
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At a Glance
- The wordA vitriolic quintessence qualified by rectification with tartar.
- In the bookEssentia quinta explains quintessence through extraction, purification and a claim of incorruptibility.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 26; facsimile PDF page 354.
Historical definition
Ignis pruinus adeptus is the quintessence of vitriol rectified with tartar.
Meaning
The entry identifies a prepared subject through material and treatment. Vitriol supplies the stated source of the quintessence, while tartar enters the qualification concerning rectification. The definition does not give proportions, stages or a final physical appearance.
The fire name therefore leads to preparation vocabulary rather than directly to the element or a visible flame. Retaining the full headword is important because the neighbouring Ignis entries concern different subjects.
Use in the book
Essentia quinta explains quintessence through extraction, purification and a claim of incorruptibility. Tartarum itself has a broad range, from wine-vessel dregs to bodily stones. Colcothar gives another vitriolic preparation with a different stated condition. These comparisons clarify the vocabulary while leaving the specific preparation under this heading uncompleted.
Places to read
- Ignis pruinus adeptusRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- ColcotharVitriol named through calcination or through the residue of its oil.
- Essentia quintaQuintessence described through extraction, purification and claimed incorruptibility.
- Ignis leonisA fire name directly identified with the element.
In this edition
“Rectified with tartar” remains a historical relation of treatment. The edition supplies no reconstruction or analytical identity beyond the wording of the source.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 26; facsimile PDF page 354 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymicall Dictionary 1650, s.v. Ignis pruinus adeptus