The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. IIII. What things are to be cousidered in distillation.

FIrst make choyse of a fit place in your house for the fornace, so that it may neither hinder any thing, nor be in danger of the falling of any thing that shall lye over it. When you shall distill any thing of a ma∣ligne or venenate quality, ye shall stand by it as little as you may, least the vapour should doe you any harme: when you provide glasse vessells for distillation, make choice of such, as are exquisitely baked, without flawes or crackes, and such as are every where smooth. Let not the fire at first be very violent, not onely for feare of breaking the vessells, but also for that the first fire in distilla∣tion must be gentle, and so increased by little and little. The things to be distilled, ought not to be put in too great quantity into the body of the still, least they should rise up or fly over. Hot things, that they may be more effectuall must bee twice or thrise distilled, by powring upon them their owne distilled water or other fresh materialls, or else by distilling them severally and by themselves: of this kind are gummes, waxe, fatts, or oyles.

But in each other repeated distillations you must something lessen the force of the fire, for the matter attenuated by the former distillation cannot afterward indure so great heate: but aromaticke things, as Cloves, Cinnamon, &c. as also the chimi∣call oyles of Sage, Rosemary, Time, &c. ought not to bee distilled or rectified over againe, for that we must presently after the first distillation have a diligent care to separate them from the phlegme, that is, the more watry substance of the whole li∣quor; to whic purpose we must have regard to that which is distilled, for there are some things which first send over their phlegme as Vinegar, others, wherein it comes last, as aquavita.

If you would give to things to bee distilled another taste or smell than that which they have naturally, you may mixe with them some odoriferous

thing, as Cinnamon, Camphire, or Muske, or the like, as you please, and so distill them together. The distilled liquors which are drawne by the heate of ashes or sand, savour of and retaine a certaine empyreuma; or smatch of the fire; for the helping of which, you shall put them into glasses very close stopt, and so expose them to the sunne, and now and then open the glasses that this fiery impression may exhale, and the phlegmon be consumed, if that there shall be any. But though in all distillation, three are many things to be observed, yet are there two things, chief∣ly worthy of note: The first is, the matter that is to be distilled and wrought upon, that is, of what kind it is, and what the nature thereof may doe and suffer. The other is the Fornace, which ought to bee provided of a convenient matter and fi∣gure for that which is to be distilled: for you cannot draw any thing of any matter, neither of every mixture being distilled can you rightly expect oyle or water. For mixt bodies doe not consist of an equall portion of the foure Elements, but some are more aiery, others more fiery, some participate more of the water, others more of the earth, and that presently from their •…•…st originall. Therefore as watry things, yeeld more water, so aiery and fiery things yeeld more oyle when they are distilled; neither are all instruments fit for the extracting of every liquor. More∣over you must note, that the watery liquor sometimes comes forth in the first place, and presently after by the helpe of a stronger fire followes the oilely, which we finde happens as often as the plant or parts of the plants which are distilled, are of a cold temperament; for in hot things it happens otherwise, for the first liquor which comes forth is oilely, and the following waterish.

Notes

• Hot things must bee often distilled.
• By Aqua¦vita in this and most other places is meant no∣thing but the spirit of 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪