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 separated scum from the purification of three named metallic materials.
- In the bookCaput mortuum likewise identifies a material through its residual relation to an operation, although it specifies distillation and sublimation.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 30; facsimile PDF page 358.
Historical definition
Lethargyrium in Paracelsus is the scum of mercury, silver or lead, separated when they are refined and purified.
Meaning
The entry identifies the material by its position within refining: it is something separated from mercury, silver or lead. The list prevents the headword from being restricted without qualification to one of those materials. Spume names the scum, not the purified metal remaining after separation.
Use in the book
Caput mortuum likewise identifies a material through its residual relation to an operation, although it specifies distillation and sublimation. Martath leads to litharge through another naming route. The particular operations and subjects in each definition should remain visible.
Places to read
- LethargyriumRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- Caput mortuumThe material left behind by distillation or sublimation.
- MartathTwo forms leading to litharge.
In this edition
The phrase in Paracelsus marks the scope of the attribution. It does not establish that every later use of the word covers the same three materials.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 30; facsimile PDF page 358 — Facsimile
Sources. A Chymical Dictionary 1650, 1650 dictionary, facsimile PDF page 358, Lethargyrium