Vitriol
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Description
An obsolete name used for sulfates. The term vitriol originated in the 13th century in Albertus Magnus's book De Mineralbus, Liber V (Schur 1985). Some examples are:
- Blue vitriol - copper sulfate
- Green vitriol - ferrous sulfate
- Red vitriol - hydrated cobalt sulfate
- White vitriol - zinc sulfate
- Oil of vitriol - sulfuric acid
Synonyms and Related Terms
copperas; sal martis; sulfate of iron; chacantum (Gr.); attramentum (Lat.)
Sources Checked for Data in Record
- G.S.Brady, Materials Handbook, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1971 Comment: p.785
- Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985
- Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
- The American Heritage Dictionary or Encarta, via Microsoft Bookshelf 98, Microsoft Corp., 1998