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 salt obtained from earth associated with organic deposits.
- In the bookSal petre is described separately through growth upon stones and congealing by cold air.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 41; facsimile PDF page 369.
Historical definition
Sal nitrum is salt boiled out of the earth, especially rich earth, as in stables or any place of excrement.
Meaning
The gloss specifies extraction from earth and emphasizes particular places. Fat means rich or fertile in this description; it does not establish that the earth contains an isolated substance identical to culinary fat.
Use in the book
Sal petre is described separately through growth upon stones and congealing by cold air. This distinction records the compiler’s account of materials and origins, even where later readers may use related names differently.
Places to read
- Sal nitrumRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- Sal petreA salt described through cold air and growth on stone.
- Sal practicumA named mixture of saltpetre and sal ammoniac.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 41; facsimile PDF page 369 — Facsimile