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 male goat named with an attributed power of its blood.
- In the bookThe entry connects an animal material with hard mineral substances.
- A place to readThe historical definition below, 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 48; facsimile PDF page 376.
Historical definition
Yrcus is a male goat whose blood is said to soften glass and flints, and the like.
Meaning
The definition identifies the animal and then reports an effect said to belong to its blood. Is said preserves the original qualification; the effect is a claim transmitted by the compiler.
Use in the book
The entry connects an animal material with hard mineral substances. It does not give a preparation or specify the conditions under which the attributed softening would occur.
Places to read
- YrcusRead the complete historical definition and its commentary.
- SperniolumA frog-associated liquid described by its mucilaginous consistency.
- VegetabiliaGrowing things described through rootedness and branching.
In this edition
The claim is retained as historical material lore, with no experimental result invented to confirm it.
Source note
Historical source. 1650 dictionary, unnumbered definition page 48; facsimile PDF page 376 — Facsimile