in natural history, a solid, dark, opaque, inflammable substance, found in Egypt about the Dead Sea, and in many places of Europe, in detached masses of no regular structure, breaking easily in any direction, very light, fusible, and, after burning some time with a greenish white flame, leaving a white residuum of ashes. Dr Hill enumerates three species of it, the first being the bitumen judaicum, which is of a deficient quality, promotes the menstrual discharge, and enters as an ingredient into the Venice creacle. See Bitumen.