Alchemical and astrological symbols used by John Ward in V.a.287 and V.a.291: Difference between revisions
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| libra || Image || ℔ || U+2114 || ℔ || pound(s) || 291 only | | libra || Image || ℔ || U+2114 || ℔ || pound(s) || 291 only | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Luna || Image || | | Luna || Image || ☽ || U+263D || ☽ || moon; technically first quarter moon; also used for silver || 291 only | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Mars || Image || | | Mars || Image || ♂ || U+2642 || ♂ || Mars || 291 only; JW writes this with the arrow portion vertical | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Mercurius sublimatus || Image || Symbol || Hex || HTML || English equivalent || Notes | | Mercurius sublimatus || Image || Symbol || Hex || HTML || English equivalent || Notes |
Revision as of 08:47, 15 September 2021
V.a.287 and V.a.291 are diaries kept by John Ward, vicar of Stratford-upon-Avon from 1662 to 1681 and a medical physician. V.a.287 was used at several times: Oxford in September 1658 (fol. 1r-9v) and Stratford from February to October 1665 (fol. 10r-67v), spring and summer of 1666 (fol. 68r-ca. 100), and from 1668 to 1671 (ca. fol. 100-150v). V.a.291 was kept at Oxford and London from January 1660/61 to 14 February 1661/62. A note on back inside cover states that the book was finished at his "chambers in the Bell in Aldersgate street." For more information on Ward, see John Ward's Latin and A Semi-Diplomatic Transcription of Selections from the John Ward Diaries.
This list was compiled by Dr. Robert Tallaksen, a reader and transcriber at the Folger Shakespeare Library.
Alchemical and astrological symbols
The following symbols appear on leaf one recto and verso of V.a.287 and leaf 164 recto and verso of V.a.291. Those symbols that appear only in V.a.291 are so indicated in the "Notes" column.
Name | Image (TK) | Symbol | Hex codepoint | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acetum | Image | 🜊 | U+1F70A | 🜊 | vinegar | |
Acetum distillatum | Image | 🜋 | U+1F70B | 🜋 | distilled vinegar | |
Aer | Image | 🜁 | U+1F701 | 🜁 | air | |
Alembicus | Image | 🝪 | U+1F76A | 🝪 | alembic | |
Alumen | Image | none | none | alum | JW's symbol differs from the Schröder's symbol for alumen: 🝅 | |
Amphora/ Amphoræ | Image | ♒ | U+2652 | ♒ | Aquarius (astrological) | |
Amalgama | Image | 🝛 | U+1F75B | 🝛 | amalgam, usu. mixture of gold or silver w/mercury | |
Ana | Image | a; an | none | none | of each | very common |
Antimonium | Image | ♁ | U+2641 | ♁ | antimony; also used for earth | |
Aqua | Image | 🜄 | U+1F704 | 🜄 | water | |
Aqua fortis | Image | 🜅 | U+1F705 | 🜅 | nitric acid | |
Aqua regia (or stygia) | Image | 🜆 | U+1F706 | 🜆 | mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids | |
Arcitenens | Image | ♐ | U+2560 | ♐ | Sagittarius (astrological) | |
Arena | Image | none | none | sand | JW's symbol; not yet documented elsewhere | |
Argentum | Image | ☾ | U+263E | ☾ | silver; also used for last quarter moon | |
Argentum vivum | Image | ☿ | U+263F | ☿ | mercury (liquid); quicksilver | |
Aries | Image | ♈ | U+2648 | ♈ | Ram (astrological) | 291 only |
Arsenicum | Image | 🜺 | U+1F73A | 🜺 | arsenic | |
Auripigmentum | Image | 🜽 | U+1F73D | 🜽 | auripigment; AKA orpiment, arsenic trisulfide | |
Aurum | Image | ☉ | U+2609 | ☉ | gold; also used for the Sun | |
Balneum | Image | B | none | none | a bath | |
Balneum Mariæ | Image | 🝫 | U+1F76B | 🝫 | bain-marie | |
Balneum vaporis | Image | 🝬 | U+1F76C | 🝬 | steam bath, bath of vapors | |
Calx | Image | 🝌 | U+1F74C | 🝌 | chalk, calcium oxide | |
Calx viva | Image | 🝁 | U+1F741 | 🝁 | quicklime | |
Cancer | Image | ♋ | U+264B | ♋ | crab (Cancer: astrological); may also be seen rotated 90°, resembling "69" as in oculi cancri | |
Caper | Image | ♑ | U+2651 | ♑ | goat; Capricorn (astrological) | 291 only |
Caput mortuum | Image | 🝎 | U+1F74E | 🝎 | residuum after distillation; sometimes symbol resembles a skull | |
Chalybs | Image | ♂ | U+2642 | ♂ | steel, accirding to JW; this symbol usually used for iron; see below for Ward's symbol for iron; in 287, Ward uses the symbol for ashes | |
Cinabaris | Image | 🜭 | U+1F72D | 🜭 | cinnabar (HgS) | |
Cineres | Image | 🝗 | U+1F757 | 🝗 | ashes | |
Cornu Cervi | Image | C.C. | none | none | hart's horn; NB: not the plant | |
Crucibulum | Image | 🜊 | U+F70A | 🜊 | crucible; JW uses the same symbol as for vinegar. | |
Cuprum | Image | ♀ | U+2640 | &9792; | copper | |
Distillare | Image | 🝠 | U+1F760 | 🝠 | distill | JW uses two different symbols for this. 287: [image tk] 291: [image tk] |
Dies | Image | ☌ | U+260C | ☌ | day | |
Drachma | Image | ʒ | U+0292 | ʒ | drachm/dram | 291; also button in Dromio transcription box |
fferrum | Image | ♂ | U+2642 | ♂ | iron | JW uses this symbol in 287. in 291, he uses [image tk] |
Gemini | Image | ♊ | U+264A | ♊ | Gemini (astrological) | 291 only |
Hora | Image | 🝮 | U+1F76E | 🝮 | hour | JW's symbol in 287: [image tk] is slightly different; in 291 it more resembles a figure 8 |
Ignis | Image | 🜂 | U+1F702 | 🜂 | fire | |
Iupiter | Image | ♃ | U+2643 | ♃ | Jupiter (planet) | 291 only; also closely resembles the Rx (℞) JW uses for prescription compounding |
Leo | Image | ♌ | U+264C | ♌ | Lion (astrological) | 291 only |
Libra | Image | ♎ | U+264E | ♎ | Scales (astrological) | 291 only |
libra | Image | ℔ | U+2114 | ℔ | pound(s) | 291 only |
Luna | Image | ☽ | U+263D | ☽ | moon; technically first quarter moon; also used for silver | 291 only |
Mars | Image | ♂ | U+2642 | ♂ | Mars | 291 only; JW writes this with the arrow portion vertical |
Mercurius sublimatus | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Mercurius præcipitatus | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Mensis | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Nitrum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Oleum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Oppositio | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Pisces | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Plumbum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Pulvis | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Præcipitare | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Quadratus | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Quintessentia or Quinta Essentia | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Retorta | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Sal ammoniac(um) | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Sal commune | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Sal gemmæ | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Sal nitrum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Saturnus | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Scorpius | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Sol | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Spiritus | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Spiritus vini | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Stannum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Stratum super stratum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Sublimatum or sublimare | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Sulphur | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Talcum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Tartar(um) | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Taurus | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Terra | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Trigonus | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Venus | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Vinum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Virgo | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Viridi æris | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Vitriolum | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |
Vrina | Image | Symbol | Hex | HTML | English equivalent | Notes |