Maison rustique, or The countrey farme· Compyled in the French tongue by Charles Steuens, and Iohn Liebault, Doctors of Physicke. And translated into English by Richard Surflet, practitioner in physicke. Now newly reuiewed, corrected, and augmented, with diuers large additions, out of the works of Serres his Agriculture, Vinet his Maison champestre, French. Albyterio in Spanish, Grilli in Italian; and other authors. And the husbandrie of France, Italie, and Spaine, reconciled and made to agree with ours here in England: by Geruase Markham. The whole contents are in the page following

CHAP. LXXXIIII.

Of the manner of extracting Oyles out of hard gums.

YOur hard gums, such as is frankincense, benjouin, masticke, and waxe, seeing they are of a more earthie substance, haue a faster and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 con∣sistence, and are resolued more hardly than the liquid ones, and so aske not onely more labour to haue their oyles drawne from them, but stand in need also to haue some sort of oyle, and a reasonable fire to ••ollifie and soften them, to the end that afterward they may the more freely yeeld their owne Oyle. It is true, that euen of these there are some of them more tedious and s••i••••yer resisting to be dissolued, as Frankincense, and Benjouin: and othersome more easie to be molten, as Wax: and there are others that are indifferent betwixt both, as masticke. So as that all these gums, according as they are more or lesse hard to be resolued, must be more or lesse mollified and melted before hand, by the meanes a∣forenamed in the distilling of liquid gums: the vvater only excepted, which must ne∣uer be put into the retort with any thing to be distilled. It is also to be considered and vveighed, how that hard gums doe verie hardly indure and abide any vvater, vvhiles (inclosed vvithin the retort) they sustaine the violence of the fire, but in steed of fire, one may put thereto of oyle of Turpentine, to the quantitie of three oun∣ces, as well because this oyle is most pure and distilled with a reasonable heat (as we haue said before) as because it hath a property drawing neere vnto the nature of these gums, whereupon it seemeth the more fit to be vsed in the distilling of these gums, as seruing notably to correct their hardnesse: againe, this vvay more oyle will be drawne, than by vsing of vvashed sand and grauell cast vpon the matter: and accor∣ding as vve see commonly practised of Oyles of all sorts of gums. And in case you haue not oyle of Turpentine in readinesse, you may vse some other sort of oyle; pro∣uided, as much as possibly may be, that it incline not notably either vnto any colour of smell: notwithstanding by this meanes you shall not doe more good than by the former. For there is some kind of gum so troublesome to be resolued, as frankincense, as that you must be faine to draw the oyle thereof after the same manner that you v∣sed in the extracting of oyles from the drosse and residence of Turpentine, that is to say, by casting into the retort amongst it small morsells or lumps of lead, and vvith raising of the necke of the retort a little higher than is vsuall in the distilling of Tur∣pentine and oylie vvoods. By this meanes vvithout all doubt you shall see some oun∣ces of oyle swimming on the top of the water within the receiuer, after that the mat∣ter hath growne hot: vvhich (for as much as they would be tainted with some ill smell and vnpleasant taste, because of such qualitie as they haue gotten through the vehementnesse of the fire, then inclosed with the retort) must be corrected by the changing of the water in the receiuer, that so you may keepe them for the vses which shall hereafter be declared.

These things aforesaid well vnderstood, when you desire greater quantitie of oile, and that more cleare and excellent; you shall take two pound of the said ma••ter and gums, vvhereof your rese••ued oyles were made: you shall put them in a cleane re∣tort, vvhich you shall set ouer the fire, hauing the necke hanging downe somewhat more low, and in a short time (and that vvithout any great force of fire) there vvill be wrought a certaine kind of butter, vvhich will run out in great plenti••, being as it

were of a middle consistence betwixt the gum and the oyle before distilled. Againe, you shall take this butter-like matter and put it into the retort, hauing first made it ve∣rie cleane, and then set it vpon the furnace the second time, with certaine ounces of purged oyle vvhich you shall haue drawne before from the same kind of gum. By these meanes, and the helpe of a reasonable fire giuen vnto it, you shall draw as much oyle (and that most exquisite) as Art and Nature could joyntly giue together. And thus much for the sure and certaine way of extracting of oyles of hard gums, which though it be costly, ought notwithstanding for the excellencie thereof be rather practised than the other common way which is by grauell, ashes, or washed sand, cast into the retort with the matter. By such meanes you shall make oyle of amber, jet, brimstone, and other such kind of things, being first made into powder, and put∣ting thereunto common oyle, which hath beene first cleansed and purged in a lea∣den vessel or warme water.

Oyle of Waxe is thus prepared after the common manner:* 1.1 Take a pound of new Waxe, you shall wash it thus: melting it at the fire you shall cast it by and by into a vessell full of vvhite Wine, worke it well with your hand after the manner of pas••e, sometimes drawing it out at length, sometimes breaking of it, and sometimes doub∣ling of it: melt it once againe, and cast it into the same Wine, then also worke it with your hands as before, and thus you shall doe three or foure times, till you see the wax to haue spent about the quantitie of a pint of vvine; this done, put it thus pre∣pared into a retort, and cast vpon it grauell, washed sand, or powder of brickes, not∣withstanding that it may be distilled without grauell, sand, or brickes, as is tried by exper••ence: lute the retort all about, euen vnto the middest of the necke, and set in an earthen pan full of small ashes vpon the fire, which must be but soft and gentle at the beginning, but augmented and made greater afterward from degree to degree, the oyle will distill and come forth verie cleare.

Others prepare it after this manner:* 1.2 They set an earthen vessell full of white or red wine vpon the fire, whereinto after that the Wine is become hote, they cast the Wax diuided into many morsells: after they cause the vessell to boyle being close couered, and when the wine is spent, they powre in other, vntill that euerie pound of waxe haue wasted ten pound of Wine: and when they see that there is yet a little wine with the Waxe, they take away the Wax from the fire, that so it may not burn, and presently cast the Waxe into another vessell wherein there is a little white wine: after that it is cold, and the moisture thereof taken away, they distill it in a retort. In any case there must heed be taken that it boyle not in distilling, as in Turpentine and honie, for such liquors being heated, doe easi••ie swell and rise vp. Wherefore there must be made but a soft and gentle fire at the first, and then afterward increased, and the stillitorie cooled: againe, to hinder the boyling vp of it, you may cast in some small lumps of lead wrapt vp in paper, or the leaues of Iuie or small grauell, &c.

This oyle is singular good for to suppurate and ripen impostumes,* 1.3 as••wage paine, comfort the hard and strayned sinews, and for the palsie. The water distilled before the oyle doth meruailously heale all sorts of wounds, if they be washed therewith, and a linnen cloth wet therein, laid vpon them.

You may distill after this manner, benjouin, ben, ladanum, and other such like gums: you must also note here in this place, that hard gums may be distilled with water, as the oyles of hearbes, and seeds before specified.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Oyle of Waxe.
• * 1.2

  Another man∣ner of making oyle of Waxe.
• * 1.3

  The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of the oyle of wax▪