Chymical secrets and rare experiments in physick & philosophy with figures collected and experimented / by the Honourable and learned Sir Kenelm Digby ...

My Process is such.

TAke ℥ij. of ☽, make an Amalgama of it with Mercury by A. F. as you know, wash this Amalgama very well in se∣veral waters, then press out so much ☿, that there remain but ℥iiij. of it with the ☽ which maketh ℥vj. in all. Add to it ℥vj. of good red Precipitate, and grind all to an impal∣pable Powder; which put into a Matrass, and digest it with a gentle heat in Sand, so that the ☿ do not Sublime, but that it may Calcine the ☽ and leave it in Powder, for ••f you give too great a heat, it will reduce ••he ☽ into a Body.

After three days Digestion, take out your Powder, and grind it as before, so that if there be yet any quick ☿ it may be morti∣fied. Digest it again as before, and with ••he same degree of heat for three days more; ••hen take it out and grind it again, then di∣gest it only for two days by four degrees of heat, which you must change every two ••ours, to the end, that by the last degree of

heat all the ☿ and ☿ Precipitate may preci∣pitate the Powder of ☽, which will begin to grow white.

Reiterate the addition of ☿ and ☿ Pre∣cipitate in the same quantity as before. Di∣gest two days more by four degrees of heat, as before, and the Powder will grow per∣fectly white.

Then by the same Operation reiterated it will begin to be of a Citrine colour, and fixed.

And thus by reiterating the Digestions, you may give it what degree of this colour you please; for the oftner you digest it with the said ☿ and ☿ Precipitate, being separa∣ted from it again by the last degree of heat, the more the Powder will be of a Citrine Colour.

Then melt your Powder with Borax, and you shall have ☉ at 24 Carrats, without diminution of the first weight of the ☽ which will be rather increased. All may be ac∣complished in the space of One and Twenty days.