From the book
A Chymical Dictionary
Gerhard Dorn and John French · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Orientation
At a Glance
- The wordAshes identified through their use in soap-making.
- In the bookLaterium describes the strong lyes used by soap-boilers and then connects them with a surgical caustic.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 28; facsimile PDF page 356.
Historical definition
Kali is soap ashes.
Meaning
The definition points to a material associated with a craft. Ashes are named through their employment by soap-makers, without a specification of the plant, fuel or process that produced them. It is a historical material category rather than a statement of one chemical composition.
Use in the book
Laterium describes the strong lyes used by soap-boilers and then connects them with a surgical caustic. Kali names ashes; Laterium names a liquid preparation in that craft setting. The relation is useful, but the two definitions should remain distinct.
Places to read
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 28; facsimile PDF page 356 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymical Dictionary 1650, 1650 dictionary, facsimile PDF page 356, Kali