[Alchemists' humid radical].
The term radical has been used by chemists since the beginnings and even when they still were alchemists. The term "humid radical" is present in numerous alchemists' texts. It was used to represent a kind of "humid", which was considered as different from what is nowadays called "humid", but was a sort of principle necessary for life.
Lafont
Olivier
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D000422:Alchemy; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D006801:Humans; D010686:Philosophy, Medical / Q000266:history*