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 philosophical lead name identified through antimony extraction.
- In the bookStibium supplies the dictionary’s direct antimony equivalent.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 38; facsimile PDF page 366.
Historical definition
Plumbum Philosophorum is that which is extracted from antimony.
Meaning
The compound qualification matters. The gloss does not simply equate the expression with ordinary lead; it identifies something extracted from antimony.
Use in the book
Stibium supplies the dictionary’s direct antimony equivalent. The two entries give a source material and a preparation-related name, respectively. Their relation should remain visible when a passage describes an extraction.
Places to read
- Plumbum PhilosophorumRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- StibiumA historical name equated with antimony.
In this edition
No modern composition is inferred from the familiar lead word. The historical subject and extraction govern the explanation.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 38; facsimile PDF page 366 — Facsimile