Babylon

Meaning

Babylon occurs in the Philosophical Summary's threatening image of a dragon's head rising with poisonous vapour. It is associated with a circuit or extent of two or three miles, but the clause does not provide a securely identified geographical location. The image follows a description of harmful, foul-smelling smoke and magnifies its dangerous character. It should not be converted into a claim that an actual historical city was the site of an experiment. The English makes the rising and encompassing image readable while preserving the unresolved name; the lexicon likewise leaves the allusion open rather than supplying a speculative code-key.