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

A white Spirit of Sulphur to dissolve ☽ and ☿; given me by Monsieur Bugneau.

TAke the black Spirit of Sulphur, made per Campanam, put it into a Glass Re∣tort well luted (for fear of breaking) all but a patch at the top as big as a Crown-piece, that you may thereby see (holding a Candle near it) in what state the Liquor, therein con∣tained, is: Distill in Sand, till all the flegm is come over, and that it begin to drop very sharp, which happens to him after &ounce;vj or vij. are come over, of lbj. of Spirit put at first into the Retort. By this time you shall see a lit∣tle {sal armoniac} Sublime up to the discovered place of the Retort, and a brown Circle of earthy substance swimming upon the Liquor about the sides of it joyning to the Glass: You must now give the {fire} so quick, that the Liquor boyl a little, and presently you shall see it turn all white, and the brown Corona of Earth become white: Then let the fire die, and when the Retort is cold, pour out the Spirit, which will look like Rock {water}, and will leave some dregs behind; you will have about &ounce;ix. of this Spirit, put it upon &ounce;iv. of ☽ in leaf, and distill it gently off, and after a while you shall see your ☽ quite dissolved

into clear Liquor; let it cool, and the ☽ will become a Cake of Crystal, and some Liquor will swim over it; pour off this Li∣quor, and put &ounce;ij. of fresh ☽ to it (which now may be in small grenailles) and it will dissolve this as the former, and become a Crystal by cold: The Liquor that you then pour off will dissolve &ounce;ij. more of fresh ☽, doing as before. Now the Liquor that re∣maineth after this third solution of ☽, will dissolve &ounce;ij. of running ☿ into a Crystalline substance as the former.

This Spirit of Sulphur thus rectified, be∣ing used inwardly (before it is used with ☽) is much stronger than when it is black, at the first drawing, and is much gratefuller to the taste, being mingled with {water} or other Ve∣hicle.