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CHAP. XXIII. Of the Preparation of Vitriol.
VItriol has been always rank'd among the Salts, though some have thought it very different from their nature, and have taken it for a Salt altogether par∣ticular, compos'd of an acid Spirit, very much resembling that of Sulphur; and of some particles of Iron or Copper, or some other Metal or Metallick matter, in part terrestrial, which the same Spirit has met withal, and dissolv'd in the Bowels of the Earth, and with which it is incorporated in form of a Salt. The variety of the colour and substance of Vitriols, and the parts which compose them, has much contributed to this opinion; because that though we find some Vitriols, and par∣ticularly the white, which contain no apparent Metal or Metallick matter, the most part however of the rest have in them particles of Iron or Copper, and sometimes both together. Whence it falls out, that when there is no intention but to open the passages by fortifying the parts, those Vitriols are made choice of that have no Iron; but principally those which contain much Copper, when their Emetick vertue is requir'd, accommodating them to the effects which you desire, with regard to the substances which compose them.
All the Vitriols have been much us'd both in the one and the other Pharmacy. Some Authors also who have aspir'd to a universal remedy, have thought that it was conceal'd in Vitriol, and that the word Vitriol••m, containing in it something of Mysterious, every one of the Letters signifying a word, which they thus expound∣ed, Visitando Interior a Terrae, Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem, Veram Me∣decinam; by searching the Bowels of the Earth, by rectification thou shalt find the Occult Stone, which is the true Physick. But all these imaginations, nor all they can say of it, not being able to change the nature of the Vitriol, and the colour and place where it is bred, causing for the most part the differences, and demonstrating the various composition, and different qualities; I shall only say, that the blew colour, as well in Salts as waters, being an essential mark of the mixture of Copper among the other substances, we are not to doubt but that the blew Vitriol, being that of Cyprus, is that of all the rest which participates most of that Metal; that the green colour, being compos'd of blew and yellow, and the deepest green being most charg'd with blew, the greenest Vitriol participates more of Copper then that which is less green; whose pale colour enclining to yellow or earthy, denotes nothing else but the earthy or ferruginous matter which is incorporated with it. It may be also said, that the white Vitriol is that which is less mix'd with Metallick substances. As for the red colour, which is natural to certain Vitriols, which the Philosophers have de∣scrib'd under the names of S••ri, Cha••••itis, and Misi, it is only to be attributed to the subterraneal heat, which has given them that colour, which the ordinary fire gives to Vitriols that are expos'd to it.
Vitriol is variously prepar'd according to the various intentions of the Artist. The purifying of it is the most common of all its preparations; though it be not always necessary, but to separate the terrestreities, and to have the Crystals transpa∣rent, or to mix with other internal preparations. To which purpose it is enough sometimes to dissolve the Vitriol in common water, to filter and crystallize it, as is done to all other Salts. But when you would perfectly purifie it, and separate very much of the terrestrial parts, as also of the Metallick particles which are inwardly and deeply mix'd with it, and which may be apt to pass through the filter, we are obliged to have recourse to long digestions, by means whereof the terrestreities and Metallick parts precipitate to the bottom of the liquor, where∣by the Crystals afterwards are much fairer in colour, and more transparent then the Vitriol before it was purify'd. Some to save expence of time, pour upon the dissolution of Vitriol some new acid, among the rest the liquor of Niter or Vine∣gar distill'd; which uniting it self with the fix'd Salt-part of the Vitriol, cause it to abandon the terrestrial or Metallick parts, which it has dissolv'd, whence follows their precipitation to the bottom of the liquor. But these means are not to be us'd but upon certain occasions, where the mixture of these new acids is not contrary