The treasure of Euonymus conteyninge the vvonderfull hid secretes of nature, touchinge the most apte formes to prepare and destyl medicines, for the conseruation of helth: as quintesse[n]ce, aurum potabile, hippocras, aromatical wynes, balmes, oyles perfumes, garnishyng waters, and other manifold excellent confections. Wherunto are ioyned the formes of sondry apt fornaces, and vessels, required in this art. Translated (with great diligence, et laboure) out of Latin, by Peter Morvvying felow of Magdaline Colleadge in Oxford.

[illustration]

❧ VVhat Destillation is, and of diuers formes and kyndes.

DESTILLATION not distillatiō (as ler∣ned [ x] doe write) is the drawyng forthe of a thinner and purer hu¦mor out of a iuise, by the force of heate: Sil∣uius. Destillation by ascentiō or going vp∣warde, is when the vapours or fume is caried vp and be there gathered together into wa¦ter & so droppe doune: The same authour. Moist thinges put into a body (for so do they cal the big∣ger [ xx] vessell, from whence the vapur is lifted vp) by the force of heate are extenuated into a vapour, whiche gathered together by the coldenes of the head or other thing, into water, is receiued for the most part, by a chanel or gutter made in y^e brinks of the head, and so dropeth doune and destilleth by the noos (for so do they communly term that part of the head, very neer resembling mās noos, both in fashion and in vse) into some vessell sette vnder for the purpose, men call it a receiuer or a vrinall: Siluius. Certain like things natur hath wrought, both in exhalatiōs aboue in the aire, specially thē [ xxx] that be moist, and also in reumes destilling from the head both of men & certain other beastes, vnto

the lower partes. Therfore of a plant or any o∣ther substaunce ordeined to be destilled: what part of it is most meet to be extenuated and fynet (that is the purest parte, the lightest, the thinnest, the moistest, and the most superficial parte next vnto the vttermost partes of the body) being first of all fyned by the force of heet, is lifted vp: next suche other partes as in puernes cum nie to the first and last suche a moysture of the thinges as is more grosse that held together the earthly partes, a cer∣tain [ x] fatnes and oylines, by a stronger force of the fyre, is seperated, and takē vp hoolly: which once clean drawn forthe, the body remaineth dissolued and brought into asshes. Oute of all maner of plantes therfor, and beastes: Yea out of al partes of them bothe, a certain raw waterishnes, and as it were a fleumatick and excrementall parte, is first drawen oute: then cumyth forth that whiche is better disgested and more pure: last of all an oylines: whiche also euen oute of the very bones [ xx] may be gottē, and not only out of massy partes: sa∣uing that certain partes ar of so scleuder and thin substance, y^e they yelde vp almost all their moister strength at the first. Morouer, all this drawing oute of humors, is done with heet. For that kinde of Destillation, that is done by a shred of wullen cloth, (they cal it a filter) or by grauel, a raw ear∣then vessell, a vessell of iuye trie (Plinie, I thinke, writes of the wode that is called Smilax, how it willet sype through water mixt with wyne, and [ xxx] kiep the wyne still: which I once proued & found

it trewe) but this is no destillation in deed, except vnto suche as speake improprely. For that which is proprely called destilation is done by heet: and that from the sonne, or of fyre, corruption and rot tennes: By the sonne, as certain men haue inuē∣ted, to draw of flowres a kind of water, very nere to them selues in smell and other pleasaunt qua∣lities. By fyre, that is, by flame that come of aere and of aereall bodies: or els by burning cooles, that are made of earth or earthly bodies enkind∣led, [ x] destillation is made, ether by no other thing betwixt, or by the meanes of hoat water, or also by the vapour and feume of the same, by fine sand or dros of metall polished and made plaine.

Morouer the flame it selfe, aswell as the coole, is diuers, not onely in respect of that it is great and little, but also of the woode whether it bee rotten and doated, or sound, stinking, or wel smel∣ling: grene or drie. Besides this it is a great mat∣ter what bignes the furnace be of, what fashion, [ xx] what ioyning together. Also the coole of smothe∣red and half burnd wode, giueth a certain strong sauour, and a quality far vnlyke to the thinges destilled: as we see it doeth to thinges boyled and otherwyse prepared therwith. Therefor let the cooles be all fired, and halfbrent, that the ill sa∣uour be expired before that the thing to be destil∣led be committed vnto them: specially if it be recei∣ued into the body: for in suche thinges as ar to be vsed without, it forceth lesse, al this saith Syluius. [ xxx] In the destillation of wyne the foure elementes

ascende vp in their order: the lightest, subtilst, and hoatest first, that is, the fire: secondarily the aire: thirdly water: the earth remaineth in y^• bottome: and lykewyse I iudge in the destillation of vine∣ger. [ x] In more grosse & earthly thinges, yet moyst also, whiche besides the watery partes, haue also some grose and such as may be made thicke as in the teares that run out of tries or gūmes, in ioy∣ces, in rosin and in hony, that which is more wa∣tery is caried vp first, the airy partes next, the firy last of al, y^e earthy partes remain in the bottome: and if the fier be any thyng bigg they ar burnt. In metalles, the same ar resolued into vapours, and congeled together, sticke to the lembeck, the coloure chaunged into whyt, as quick syluer, ar∣snike. &c. Saltpeter. &c.

The nature of fyre is to deminishe (as Cardane [ xx] saith) ether by breaking drye thinges into peces, as when it bringeth grauell into dust: or by mel∣ting, as metalles: or by separating the subtill and pure partes as in destillations. It chaunceth in destillations notwithstanding, that a thing shall both be extenuated and mixt with an other, when as they ar done with a moyste heat, not with fyre. For a heat bothe extenuateth and mixeth with moysture. This is doon sumtyme by setting the vessels in hoat water: whiche is called Balneum [ xxx] Mariae. The best kinde of destillation next vnto this, is in hors dong. Then by asshes: the best in this kynde, is by the superfluous refuse of oliues, after the oyle is prest forth, for it being a hoat &

moyst matter, will reteyne his heat very long, yea a great meany of monethes: and so muche the lō∣ger then the kurnels of grapes, because the sub∣stance of the oliues is thicker & fatter. But none [ x] of thies wayes is able to melt metalles, but they must nedes haue fyer. Albeit as the most vehe∣ment and feruent destillation is done by fyre: so is it vnmiet for mixture and true attenuation, or fyning: and the way by asshes is almost lyke vnto it. for if a man will put thinges destilled by fyre vnto their own dregges and mixt them together, he shall perceiue the quantity for quantity, heuier then they were afore, and dryer also. Therfor fyre doth not truely attenuat and lessen in dede, but that nature whiche digesteth & mixeth the hoole substāce. Wherfor through their puritie, al ioyne [ xx] together in one, and the thing mixt, is made thic∣ker: notwithstanding that is composed and made of the most subtill and the purest partes. Therfor in naturall digestion and siething, whiche to melt the hardest thinges, hath also the force of fyre, and the strength of soft and easye bath in extenuating and lesning the same: the more grosse and massy partes on broken into peces, whiche can not be brought to pas with fyre.

The heat of the first degree, whiche is mode∣rate, as of hors dong, and Balneum Mariae, is cal∣led the heat of digestion, resolution, putrefaction, maceration, and of circulation, wherof wee shall [ xxx] speake more in place conuenient.

Of diuers wayes to destil by sublimation with

water and withoute water, looke within in Rose water, out of Bulcasis.

Of destillation generally G••ber an Arabian, writ certayn thinges in. 1. 4. 50. chapter of his booke callid Summa perfectionis. Where he reaso∣neth excellently of many thinges chiefly of the dif∣ference and diuers affectes of destillation by wa∣ter and by asshes. In the same booke. 39. chap. he teacheth of sublimatiō, why it was inuented: and so forth in the. 40. chap. what sublimation is and [ x] of thre degrees of fyre to be obserued in it: and in the. 41. chap. of the moderating of the fyre in sub∣limation: and how the reason of that thing is vn∣derstanded, by putting wull of wode, or bombice in to the vpper hoole of the aludel. Of chusing of wode the. 43. chapter.

Brunsvvicke Suche cōmune things as ar put into a rose still, to be destilled, it is best not to put myche in at once, least they that be nethermost be dryed away and burnt, those that lie aboue remai¦nyng [ xx] yet almost hoole, and as they were put in. And chiefly if thou destill any pretious or odorife rous thinges, it shalbe better to put in newe, the ofter, and so shall the water flow more plēteously.

Suche herbes flowres and other plantes and growyng thinges, as ar to be destilled, ought to be gathered when they ar perfectly rype, chiefly whyle the mone encreasith: when the wether is faire, and in the day tyme to be laide in y^• shadow, to be cut, and if nede require, to be brosyd also, and [ xxx] by and by to be destilled.