Michael Hunter, Charles Littleton, Glossary of terms used in the work-diaries of Robert Boyle

This glossary is compiled from those appearing at the end of each volume of the Works and Correspondence of Robert Boyle. It elucidates various technical terms and obsolete words used by Boyle in his work-diaries and other works. It makes no claims to being comprehensive. As it is based on existing glossaries compiled for other portions of Boyle's corpus it does not contain all the technical terms found in the work-diaries, especially as the work-diaries were intended more for Boyle's private use. This is seen as a continuing work, and we would appreciate comments from readers concerning other terms that we should include in this collection. The present glossary is thus one step in building up a comprehensive view of Boyle's terminology and vocabulary across his entire corpus, both published and manuscript, and continuing work on the glossary will only increase its scope.

The policy in compiling the glossaries for the Works and Correspondence, of which this present one is a composite, is as follows. We generally exclude words that appear in the Concise Oxford English dictionay (9th edition (1995) and subsequent editions) unless they are highly unfamiliar or are used to mean something not indicated there. Neither do we include words which Boyle himself indicates that he perceived as unusual and which he elucidates in the text, usually terms specific to a particular country or craft. Readers need also to make some allowance for unfamilar spellings of familiar words, in particular considering alternative ways in which a word might be rendered phonetically, as we have tended not to include such variants; for example, Boyle's variation between using 'baulm' and 'balm', 'soader' (or 'soder') and 'solder', etc. We are also sparing in including neologisms on Boyle's part the meaning of which is obvious, even if the word in question is not in common use. What are included in the glossary are numerous Latin and English technical terms which frequently recur, such as 'per deliquium', 'syrup of violets' or 'sugar of Saturn'. In elucidating them, we have used a variety of sources, ranging from contemporary works to nineteenth-centuiry compendia and twentieth-century studies. We have not noted here the sources used for our definitions.

There is one major category of words which do not receive much treatment here, partly because they appear only in the work-diaries, and partly because we cannot always be certain how to gloss them. These are the Decknamen, the cypher and code words which Boyle used to conceal the materials he was dealing with in his experiments from outside eyes. A few work-diaries, principally XXIII, XXXIV and XXXV, consist of series of entries dealing with materials such as 'negerus', 'durca', 'tassafa', 'banasis', etc. Lawrence Principe has examined Boyle's cypher carefully and discusses its nature in L.M. Principe, Robert Boyle's Alchemical Secrecy: Codes, Ciphers and Concealments, Ambix, 39 (1992), 63-74. An example of a section of this code, with a 'translation' based on Principe's deciphrement can be found in Michael Hunter and Charles Littleton, The Work-diaries of Robert Boyle: a Newly Discovered Source and its Internet Publication, Notes and Records of the Royal Society, 55 (2001), 373-90. However, for the moment, we have not been able to compile a complete glossary of the Deckname and their definitions. By making these work-diary entries more accessible to scholars and, we hope, chemists, we would like to facilitate further discussion on the meaning of these code words and the intent of the recipes in which they appear. For the moment, though, we must keep most of the terms in this code undefined (except for a few, for which see the glossary)

Another category of words which are not glossed here are the highly abbreviated Latin terms for substances used in medicinal preparations -- often roots, leaves or barks of plants, gums, resins, tinctures, etc. -- found in VII and especially X. Our treatment of these terms and our rationale for leaving them abbreviated is further spelled out in the section on 'Abbreviations' in the Statement of Editorial Policies. Some of the more common terms may be defined here, where there is overlap with the existing printed glossaries. Readers who wish to have access to definitions of these Latin terms may wish to view the work-diaries on the Perseus Project website, at www.perseus.tufts.edu, where they can easily access a lexicographical gloss on the Latin words which appear in the entries.

Further confusion when reading Boyle's chymical recipes in the work-diaries may arise from the various possible meanings of the terms salt, sulphur and mercury, which in the seventeenth century had both their current, modern meaning and a contemporary (and Paracelsian) sense. According to Paracelsus each substance consisted of three components, each unique to that substance, into which it could be analysed and divided: Salt, the fixed and solid part; Sulphur, the inflammable and combustible; and Mercury, the vaporous or liquid. Thus when Boyle writes of 'mercury' he may be referring to the known chemcial substance quicksilver (Hg), or he may be referring to this putative vaporous component of a substance.

For comments or additions to the glossary, please contact Prof. Michael Hunter at m.hunter@bbk.ac.uk

Glossary

acetum

acid

acetum minerale

'mineral acid', i.e. one of the three acids so considered - sulphuric, nitric, and hydrochloric (muriatic); also generically, any sour or acidic liquid prepared from a mineral body

acetum quernicum

'acid of oak', presumably made by the distillation of oak bark or wood

ad siccitatem

to the point of dryness

aeolipile

a pneumatic instrument illustrating the force with which vapour generated by heat in a sphere rushes out of a narrow aperture, akin to the 'engine' of Hero of Alexandria (c. 60 AD)

affusion

a pouring on or into

alcalisate

alkaline

alcool

an essence, or spirit obtained by distillation, or a very fine powder

alcool of wine, alcool vini

alcohol of wine, pure or rectified spirit of wine

alembic

an apparatus formerly used for distillation, consisting of a cucurbit or gourd-shaped vessel, containing the substance to be distilled, surmounted by the head, or alembic proper, the beak of which conveyed the vaporous products to a receiver, in which they were condensed

allum

see roch-allom

althea

the marsh-mallow, used in many medicinal preparations

amel

enamel

amianthus

asbestos

ana

'equal amounts of each', used in medicinal recipes

antimony, butter of, butyrum antimonii

white crystalline antimony trichloride, made by dissolving antimony trisulphide (the native form of the antimony ore) in hydrochloric acid and distilling it, or by distilling a mixture of the antimony ore with corrosive sublimate (mercuric chloride)

antimony, flowers of

any sublimate prepared from antimony trisulphide (the native ore), these flowers are generally white when the sublimation is carried out in the air (antimony oxides), but sometimes red or black (antimony sulphides) when the sublimation is done in closed vessels

antimony, glass of

a vitreous material composed mostly of antimony oxide and sulphide, obtained by roasting antimony trisulphide (the native form of the antimony ore) and fusing the resultant 'ash'; used as an emetic; also known as vitrum antimonii (Laurence Principe, "Chemical translation" and the role of impurities in alchemy, Ambix 34 (1987), 21-30)

antimony, regulus of

the pure metallic antimony, separated from the sulphur with which it is joined in the ore

antimony, sulphur of

i.e., the putative combustible component of antimony; Basil Valentine claimed to extract this substance from glass of antimony by acetic acid. See L. Principe, "Chemical translation" and the role of impurities in alchemy, Ambix, 34 (1987), 21-30

aqua cinamonii

'water of cinammon', an aromatic beverage prepared with cinammon, acting as a carminative and restorative

aqua fortis

'strong water', a corrosive acid, usually nitric acid

aqua mirabilis

'wondrous water', a cordial distilled from a mixture of various spices and aromatics with alcohol

aqua pugilum

'water of the fighters', a liquid which Basil Valentine described in the second key of his Zwolf Schlssel (Twelve Keys), which is used to volatilise gold and extract its 'tincture'; Boyle's menstruum peracutum (q.v.) is based on this (L. Principe, The Gold Process, in Alchemy Revisited, ed. Z. van Martels (Leiden, 1990), pp. 200-5, on p. 204)

aqua regia, aqua regis, aqua regalis

'royal water', a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric (muriatic) acids; one of the few solvents which can dissolve gold

arcanum

secret; often used to refer the hidden preparation of a particularly precious secret substance

aurum fulminans

'fulminating gold', an easily explosive powder made by precipitating gold from its solutions with an ammonia compound

aurum potabile

'potable gold', a widely-sought medicament made from gold

balneum arenae

'bath of sand', a method of heating a substance by placing its container in sand and heating the sand from below

balneum Mariae

'bath of Mary', hot-water bath, a vessel of water in which another vessel is heated; named after an alleged Jewish alchemist of the first century; sometimes referred to simply as 'Balneum'

balsam

a name given to certain resinous and odorous substances, often procured by making an incision in the bark of plants. It was believed to have the power to preserve substances from putrefaction. Also used to refer to any thick, syrupy medicinal preparation used as a salve

balsam of sulphur

a balsam made from sulphur and olive oil, used largely to relieve catarrh and other chest infections

balsamus sulphuris terebinthinati

'balsam of therebinthated sulphur', a balsam for chest afflictions made from sulphur and turpentine digested and distilled together

barachid/barakid

Boyle's code word, appearing under a variety of related spellings, for 'silver' (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

Barbados tar

a greenish petroleum

benjamin

i.e. gum benjamin, benzoin

bezoardum minerale/bezoar minerale

an oxide of antimony used medicinally, generally made by digesting butter of antimony (q.v.) with aqua fortis (q.v.)

bezoardic

having the properties of bezoar, an antidote

bloodstone

i.e. haematite, a native iron oxide, used against haemorrhages and fluxes

bole

any of several varieties of friable earthy clay

bole-armoniack, bolus armeniae, bolus armeneus

a red, iron-impregnated, astringent clay from Armenia, used medicinally as a styptic

Bologna stone, Bolonian stone, Bononian stone, bologna phosphorous

a dense white stone, the naturally occurring form of barium sulphide. In 1603 Vincenzo Cascariolo discovered that a sample of this stone collected near Bologna, after some chemical preparation, remained phosphorescent after being exposed to the sun for a period of time

boracite

a mineral composed predominantly of magnesium borate

butter of antimony, butyrum antimonii

see antimony, butter of

calcination

reduction by fire to a calx, powder or friable substance, by subjecting a substance to a roasting heat

calibash

a gourd or similar large fruit that can be used as a container for liquid

calx

a powder or friable substance produced by roasting

calx viva

quick-lime (calcium oxide)

campanam, per

see per campanam

cantharides

a genus of coleopterous insects of the family Trachelidae. The species used in pharmacy (Spanish fly) has golden-green elytra

caput mortuum

'dead head', the substance remaining at the bottom of the retort after distillation

caranna

a soft and tenacious rosin derived from a West Indian tree and used in balsams and plasters

carduus benedictus

'the blessed thistle', a bitter and astringent Mediterranean plant used medicinally as a tonic and universal antidote

caryophill

cloves

cassiteros

Boyle's code word for 'tin', from transliterated Greek term (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

Castile soap

a fine hard soap made with olive oil and soda, also called Spanish soap

cerussa

white lead, i.e., a mixture of carbonate and hydrate of lead

cinnabar

the native mineral cinnabar, the ore of mercury, mercuric sulphide

cochineal

a dye-stuff consisting of the dried body of the insect Coccus cacti which is found on several species of cactus in Mexico

cohobation

the repeated distillation of a material, done by pouring the distillate back upon the residue

colcothar (of vitriol)

the brownish red iron or copper oxide which remains behind after green or blue vitriol have been strongly roasted. Often the residue left in the retort after the distillation of sulphuric acid from iron sulphate

colliquation

the action or process of melting together

colophony

a type of resin

concinnity

internal harmony or congruity; mutual adaptation of parts

contrayerva

a name given, in general use, to the root stock and scaly rhizome of species of Dorstenia, native of tropical America and used as a stimulant and tonic

cornu cervi

hartshorn (q.v.)

crabs' eyes

concretions of carbonate and phosphate of lime found in the walls of the stomach of the river crayfish, which, when powdered, were used medicinally as an absorbent

crasis

in medicine, the due distribution of the bodily humours in a healthy person; in chemistry, a mixture or the totality of the virtues of a given substance

cremor tartari

see tartar, cream of

crocus

any of various yellow or red powders, often obtained by calcining metals either alone or with sulphur, especially iron

crocus martis

iron oxide, a dark red powder obtained by calcining iron sulphate or iron with sulphur

crocus metallorum

'crocus of metals', an antimony sulphide, a bright yellow powder obtained by calcining or precipitating antimony; also known as crocus of antimony, crocus antimonii

cucurbite

a vessel or retort, originally gourd-shaped, forming the lower part of an alembic (q.v.)

Danzig vitriol

copper sulphate

daucus

the garden carrot, whose seeds (semen dauci) were used medicinally

deflagrate

to rapidly combust

deliquium, per

see per deliquium

diapalma

a drying compound plaster containing olive oil, litharge, white wax, hog's lard, and sulphate of zinc

diaphoretic

causing sweat

discuss

to dispel, disperse

duelech

term used by both Paracelsus and van Helmont to mean the urinary calculus. According to van Helmont, it was not tartar, as Paracelsus claimed, but made from spirit of urine and spirit of wine.

durca/durka

boyle's code word, appearing under a vareity of related spellings, for 'copper' (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

eagle stone

aetite, a hollow nodule of clay-ironstone containing within it another (variable) substance; thought to have extensive medical benefits, such as facilitaing childbirth and preventing abortions

edulcoration

sweetening, the process of eliminating corrosive principles

elixir proprietatis

Helmontian medicine made by dissolving aloes, myrrh and saffron in a solution of salt of tartar (q.v.), and evaporating, then extracting the spirit of wine; see Partington, History of Chemistry, ii, 300.

elixir salutis

'elixir of health', i.e. tincture of senna, a laxative preparation made with senna leaves, caraway, cardamon seeds and raisins

emplastrum

a plaster to be applied to sprains or sores

empyreumatical

having qualities as if burnt by fire, as in smell, taste, etc.

English vitriol

iron sulphate (green vitriol)

ens veneris

essence of copper, a copper compound with medicinal properties mentioned by van Helmont and prepared by George Starkey and Boyle, see Usefulness, II, sect. 1 (1663), in Works, iii, pp. 500-5

erysipelas

a local febril disease accompanied by diffused inflammation of the skin

esurine

lit 'hungry', i.e. corrosive

exantlate

to draw out as from a well, to exhaust; in Helmontian terms, to weaken or debilitate the corrosive power of a solvent

febrifuge

a medicine to reduce fever

fixed nitre

a salt prepared from nitre which is stable (unlike nitre) in the fire; often potassium carbonate or sulphate

flowers, flores

sublimate

flowers of antimony, flores antimonii

see antimony, flowers of

flowers of sulphur, flores sulphuris

sublimed sulphur, a light yellow powder

fluor albus

see white fluors

fluores

generic name for class of minerals resembling gems (e.g. fluorites) but readily fusible

fondant

flux, a substance that is mixed with a metal to facilitate its fusion

fritta/frit

a partly fused mixture of sand and fluxes ready to be melted in a crucible to form glass; also shreds or fragments

fulminating gold

see aurum fulminans

glass of antimony

see antimony, glass of

glass of lead

see lead, glass of

glossopetra

a stone said to have the shape of the human tongue. It was often employed to indicate fossil teeth.

glyster

i.e. clyster, an enema or other sort of medicine injected into the rectum

groove

a mine shaft or trench

gum dragon

the viscous substance obtained from the plant tragacanth, used in plasters, ointments, etc.

gum guttae

the gum resin derived from the stalagmitis plant

gum lac

the dark-red resinous incrustation produced on certain trees in the East Indies by the puncture of an insect, Coccus lacca, used as a scarlet dye; also known as seed-lac.

hartshorn

the horn or antler of a hart, the substance obtained by rasping or slicing the horn. Distilled, it is the chief source of ammonia

Hassian retorts

stoneware retorts capable of withstanding high temperatures for long periods

haustus

dose

helmet

top of a glass alembic; distillation head

horn silver

fused silver chloride, so called because it resembles horn

ignis fatuus

a phosphorescent light seen hovering over marshy ground

ignis lambens

see ignis fatuus

incalescent

becoming hot or warm

infernal stone (perhaps also infernal salt)

lunar caustic, fused silver nitrate, a styptic substance

Jesuits bark

the medicinal bark of cinchona, a Peruvian tree, introduced into Europe by the Jesuit missions in South America

keseph

Boyle's code word, appearing under a variety or related spellings, for 'silver', from transliterated Hebrew (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

lapis amianthus

asbestos

lapis Armeneus

'Armenian stone', a blue carbonate of copper esteemed as a cordial

lapis calaminaris

calamine stone, corrupted form from Latin cadmia, zinc ore, used in medicine since antiquity, mainly for the healing of ulcers

lapis haematites

'haematite stone', see bloodstone

lapis nephriticum

'kidney stone', a compact variety of amphibole, the less valuable variety of jade, which was worn as a remedy for kidney diseases.

lapis ossifragus

'osprey stone', another name for osteocolla (q.v.)

laudanum

a remedy made from opium

lead, glass of

glass made with a large amount of lead oxide

lead, mercury of

i.e., the putative vaporous or liquid component of lead

lead, sugar of

lead acetate, made by dissolving lead oxide in vinegar

lignum nephriticum

'nephritic wood', so called because an infusion of it helped relieve diseases of the kidney and bladder

lignum rhoddi

candle wood

litharge

lead oxide

lixivium

water impregnated with alkaline salts extracted by washing or dissolving a substance, often wood ashes

London treacle

an antidotal medicine like Venice Treacle and Mithridate (q.v.), made from hartshorn, citron, sorrel, peony, basil and many other ingredients

ludus

a mineral purportedly able to dissolve the stone (renal or urinary), mentioned by Paracelsus and adopted by his followers. J.B. van Helmont claimed that ludus, when calcined and dissolved by the alkahest, produced the most powerful remedy against renal calculi

lues

plague or pestilence, especially syphilis

luna cornea

'horny moon', horn silver (q.v.)

luna fixa

'fixed moon', a metal that has the weight and chemical properties of gold, such as resistance to nitric acid, but lacks its gold colour (see Laurence M. Principe, the Aspiring Adept (Princeton, 1998), p. 81n).

luna, lunae

of or pertaining to silver (from that metal's association with the moon)

magistery

a concentrated essence, or the residuum obtained by precipitation from an acid solution. In Paracelsian chemistry, a preparation of any material in which there is no separation of parts, but rather the reduction of the entire substance into a new form

manipulus

'handful', a measure used in medicinal preparations

martis, martial

of or pertaining to iron (from iron's identification with the planet Mars)

menstruum

'solvent', a term popularized by the medieval alchemists of the Lullian school and employed by van Helmont and many others

menstruum peracutum

a solvent developed by Boyle himself, made by distilling aqua fortis with butter of antimony (antimony trichlordie); Boyle claimed that it could volatilise gold and transmute a portion of that metal into silver. See Laurence M. Principe, The Aspiring Adept (Princeton, 1998), pp. 80-6.

mercurius dulcis

'sweet mercury', i.e. calomel, mercurous chloride; also known as sweet sublimate. It was used as a laxative or purgative

mercurius sublimatus corrosivus

mercury sublimate, mercuric chloride, a poisonous white powder prepared by subliming mercury, vitriol and common salt. It was also known as corrosive sublimate, white sublimate, or sublimate and was used in various preparations to cure venereal disease

mercurius vitae

'mercury of life', antimony oxychloride, a poisonous and violently emetic white powder made by precipitating butter of antimony (q.v.) with water; later known as algaroth, or pulvis Algarotti

Mercury

the heavy, fluid and metallic 'principle' present in all metals and other substances; the goal of much alchemical practice was to isolate and purify the Sulphur (q.v.) from the Mercury of any given metal

mercury, running

a liquid mercury, either the element (Hg) or the principle, as above

mercury precipitate, mercurius precipitatus (corrosivus)

mercuric oxide, a poisonous red powder; used as an application to wounds and ulcers; also known as red precipitate, precipitate per se, or precipitate

mercury sublimate, mercurius sublimatus (corrosivus)

mercuric chloride, poisonous white powder prepared by subliming mercury, vitriol and common salt; used in various preparations to cure venereal disease; also known as corrosive sublimate, white sublimate, or sublimate

mineral bezoardick

see bezoardum minerale

minium

red lead oxide, made by roasting lead or litharge (lead monoxide) in air; also known as red lead

Mithridate

a compound substance consisting of myrrh, saffron, ginger, cinammon, spikenard, and several other odoriferous spices and resins, and used as a universal antidote; also known as the Mithridate of Damocrates, Venice treacle

mundick

a name given by Cornish miners to iron pyrites and pyrites in general

negirus/negerus/nigerus

Boyle's code word, appearing under a variety of variant spellings, for 'mercury' (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

oculi cancrorum

'crabs' eyes' (q.v.)

offa alba

a white precipitate formed by mixing spirit of urine (ammonium carbonate solution) with spirit of wine. See W.R. Newman, Gehennical Fire (Vambridge, MA, 1994), pp. 182-30.

oil of sulphur (per campanam), oleum sulphuris per campanam

see sulphur, spirit of and per campanam

oil of tartar (per deliquium)

see tartar, oil of and per deliquium

oil of terebinth

oil derived from the turpentine tree. It was used as a diuretic

oil of vitriol

see vitriol, oil of

oleum philosophorum

literally, oil of the philosophers; often referring to the substance prepared by soaking brick dust in olive oil and distilling

oleum juniperi

'oil of juniper', an essential oil derived from the distilled leaves and tops of the Eurasian juniper (Juniperus sabina); thought to open obstructions in the uterus

oleum nardinum

'oil of nard', prepared from the roots and leaves of nard and highly regarded as a diuretic.

oleum succini

oil of amber

oleum sulphuris per campanam

see sulphur, oil of and per campanam

oleum tartari per deliquium

see tartar, oil of and per deliquium

oleum terebinthati

oil derived from the turpentine tree. It was used as a diuretic

oleum vitrioli(um)

oil of vitriol, concentrated sulphuric acid

orpiment

a bright yellow mineral, the trisulphide of arsenic, used as a pigment and in chemistry

osteocolla

a deposit of carbonate of lime forming an incrustration on the roots and stems of plants, used as a treatment in setting broken bones/

paz

Boyle's code word for 'gold', based on the Hebrew for 'refined gold' (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

per campanam

lit. 'by means of a bell', a method of preparing oil of sulphur by suspending a glass bell jar over a dish of burning sulphur and collecting the liquid which condensed on the walls of the jar

per deliquium

a hygroscopic salt was said to 'run per deliquium' when it changed from solid to liquid by extracting water from the atmosphere

Peruvian balsam

the balsam of Peru was obtained by boiling twigs of the yroxylon Peruvianum in water. It was used as an expectorant

pilulae lunares

'lunar pills', silver pills, made from silver dissolved in nitric acid, evaporated into crystals and mixed with a solution of nitre in water; used for dropsy and headaches

pilulae Ruffi

Rufus' pills, made of myrrh and aloes, said to have been invented by Rufus of Ephesus (c. 10 A.D)

plaster of Paracelsus

styptic plaster, containing oil, myrrh and litharge amongst its ingredients

pompion

pumpkin

porcupine stone/ 'lapis porcinus'

the bezoar steon found in the gall of the Indian porcupine; it has an intensely bitter taste, and was thought to be a universal antidote

pp

'praeparare', to prepare

precipitate (as a specific chemical substance)

see mercury precipitate

precipitate per se

see mercury precipitate

pugil

'a pinch'; an eighth part of a handful (manipulus)

pulvis of Joannes de Vigo

powder containing mercury, from Giovanni da vigo (1450-1525), Italian surgeon

pyrethrum

the plant Anacyclus Pyrethrum, the pungent root of which is used in medicine

quatrum

Boyle's code for 'lead' (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

red precipitate

see mercury precipitate

regulus

a lump of metallic material produced by the reduction of metallic materials in the fire; usually referring specifically to metallic antimony

regulus antimonii, regulus of antimony

see antimony, regulus of

regulus martis

'regulus of Mars', metallic antimony, reduced from its native sulphide ore by the use of iron (the name alludes to the traditional association of iron with the planet Mars)

regulus martis stellatus

'stellate regulus of Mars', regulus martis (q.v.) whose surface is covered with a striking crystalline pattern resembling a star

roch-allom

double sulphate of aluminum and potassium, found efflorescent on the surface of bituminous schists

Roman vitriol

iron sulphate

saccharum saturni

see lead, sugar of

sal armoniac

a mixture of ammonium salts, predominantly ammonium chloride

sal commune

common table salt, sodium chloride

sal gem

rock salt, sodium chloride in its native mineral form, found as crystals in the earth

sal prunellae

a salt (usually potassium carbonate) prepared by casting a small burning coal (prunella) into melted nitre; used medicinally to soothe the throat

sal tartari

see tartar, salt of

salt of cornu cervi

a volatile salt distilled from hartshorn (q.v.); generally ammonium carbonate

salt of tartar

potassium carbonate, prepared by the calcination of tartar

salt of urine

term applied to all ammonium salts, especially those isolated from urine

sandarach

realgar, arsenic sulphide, a red lustrous mineral used as a pigment

saturni

of or pertaining to lead (from that metal's association with the planet Saturn)

scoria

slag or dross remaining after the smelting of a metal from its ore

searce, searced

sieve, sieved

secundinae

afterbirth, the placenta with the membranes and umbilical cord

seed-lac

see gum-lac (q.v.)

semen dauci

see daucus

sperma ceti

a fatty substance found in the head of the sperm-whale and some other whales; it was applied outwardly against ulcers

spirit of blood

a volatile liquid prepared by the destructive distillation of blood

spirit of hartshorn

an aqueous solution of ammonia obtained from the dry distillation of hartshorn

spirit of nitre

nitric acid

spirit of salt

hydrochloric acid

spirit of sulphur

an acidic fluid (largely sulphureous and sulphuric acids) prepared by burning sulphur under a moistened bell jar (campana) and collecting the condensed fumes; also known as oil of sulphur or oil of sulphur per campanam (q.v.)

spirit of urine

an aqueous solution of ammonia and ammonium carbonate prepared by the gentle distillation of putrefied urine

spirit of vitriol

sulphuric acid made by distilling one of the vitriols, either iron or copper sulphate

spirit of wine

ethyl alcohol

spiritus ardens Saturni

'burning spirit of lead', a flammable distillate, predominantly acetone, prepared by the dry distillation of lead acetate

spiritus cornu cervi

spirit of hartshorn (q.v.)

stellate regulus of mars

see regulus martis

stibium

stibnite, antimony, used as an emetic

sublimate, sublimatum corrosivum

see mercury sublimate

sugar of lead

see lead, sugar of

sugar of Saturn

see lead, sugar of

Sulphur

the combustible and volatile 'principle' present in all metals and other substances; the goal of much alchemical practice was to isolate and purify the Sulphur from the Mercury (q.v.) of any given metal

sulphur, oil of

see sulphur, spirit of

sulphur, spirit of

an acidic fluid (largely sulphureous and sulphuric acids) prepared by burning sulphur under a moistened bell jar (campana) and collecting the condensed fumes; also known as oil of sulphur, oil of sulphur per campanam, oleum sulphuris per campanam or oleum sulphuris (q.v.).

sulphur vivum

native sulphur

sulphur of antimony, sulphur antimonii

see antimony, sulphur of

sweet sublimate

see mercurius dulcis

syrup of violets

see violets, syrup of

tarras/ tarris

a type of rock used for making mortar

tartar, cream of

tartar purified by crystallisation

tartar, oil of

(1) concentrated solution of potassium carbonate, made by allowing salt of tartar (potassium carbonate) to absorb atmospheric moisture (per deliquium), also known as oil of tartar per deliquium or oleum tartari per deliquium; (2) the empyreumatic oil distilled from crude tartar (normally potassium bitartrate)

tartar, salt of

potassium carbonate, or sal tartari (q.v.)

tartar, volatile salt of, sal tartar volatile

a highly sought-after Helmontian medicine, purportedly having great solvent powers, and good for the stone

tartarus vitriolatus

usually potassium sulphate; made by the reaction of salt of tartar with oil of vitriol

terra Lemnia

'earth of Lemnos', a type of terra sigillata (q.v.); Lemnian earth was renowned as an antidote to poison

terra sigillata

'sealed earth', a type of clay used medicinally for its astringent and sudorific properties

terra Silesiaca

aother term for terra sigillata (q.v.), 'sealed earth', a type of clay used medicinally for its astringent and sudorific properties

terrella

a spherical loadstone or magnet

theriaca andromachi

i.e. Venice treacle

tin glass

bismuth

tincture of coral

coral dissolved in a corrosive solvent, often vinegar

tincture of gold

aurum potabile (q.v.)

treacle (theriac)

an ancient polypharmaceutical preparation, especially an antidote against poisons. The Orvietan was a somewhat similar highly multiple preparation, considered a great remedy against venoms, poisons, and plague

turbeth/turpith mineralis

turpeth mineral, a hydrolysed form of mercuric sulphate, a lemon yellow powder used as an emetic, purgative and treatment for syphilis

tutenag

an alloy of copper, zinc and sometimes iron

urinator

a diver

vagalus

Boyle's code word for 'tartar' (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

veneris, venereal

of or pertaining to copper (for that metal's association with the planet Venus)

Venetian soap

fine hard soap made from olive oil and alkali

Venice glass

a very fine kind of glass, originally manufactured at Murano, near Venice

Venice treacle

also known as treacle of Andromachus, a compound mixture consisting of a wide variety of ingredients which was used as a universal antidote

vinca pervinca

periwinkle, the common name of plants of the genus Vinca

violets, syrup of

a blue liquid, made from the flowers of violets, which changes to red with the addition of an acid substance and to green with that of an alkali

Virginian snakeweed

snakeweed is the plant bistort. The roots of the Virginian snakeweed were used against plague, pox and poison

virgula divina, divinatoria

a divining rod, with which miners claimed to discover where the ores of metals lay

viride aeris

the green 'rust' which forms on copper exposed to the weather

vitriol, oil of

concentrated sulphuric acid

vitriol, spirit of

sulphuric acid made by distilling one of the vitriols (either iron or copper sulphate)

vitriolum martis

'vitriol of Mars', iron sulphate (from iron's identification with the planet Mars)

vitrum antimonii

see antimony, glass of

vitrum Saturni

see lead, glass of

white fluors

'white flux', in mineralogy, a white mineral used as a flux in the melting and refining of metals; in medicine, the whites (q.v.)

whites, the

leucorrhea, a secretion of whitish or milky mucous from the membrane lining the uterus

zahab

Boyle's code word, appearing under a variety of related spellings, for 'gold', from transliterated Hebrew (see Principe, Alchemical Secrecy)

This text is based on the following book(s):
Michael Hunter. and Charles Littleton. , Glossary for the Work-diaries of Robert Boyle.