A choice collection of rare secrets and experiments in philosophy as also rare and unheard-of medicines, menstruums and alkahests : with the true secret of volatilizing the fixt salt of tartar / collected and experimented by the honourable and truly learned Sir Kenelm Digby, Kt., Chancellour to Her Majesty the Queen-Mother ; hitherto kept secret since his decease, but now published for the good and benefit of the publick by George Hartman.

Matthews his Work.

TAke Common Cinaber ℥xij. Crystals of ♂ ℥ij. Common ☿ Precipitate, made by A. F. and reverberated until it be red, ℥j. Oyl of Vitriol ℥xv. First, reduce the three hard Ingredients into a most fine Powder; then grind it upon a Marble stone with a lit∣tle of the Oyl of Vitriol, adding the said Oyl by little and little, until it become like Pap; which put into a low Cucurbite (ta∣king care that it do not touch the sides of the said Cucurbite, because it would endan∣ger it to break) and put upon it the rest of the Oyl of Vitriol, and stir the Matter well with a stick of Glass (which must be massy and not hollow) that all may be well mixed together; digest it with a gentle heat for eight days, so that nothing may go over through the Limbeck: Then distill as much as you can of the Oyl of Vitriol, and take the Matter out of the Cucurbite, and grind it again; put the distilled Oyl upon it again,

and distill as before, without digesting it; repeat this fourteen or sixteen times. At last, distill as much of the Oyl as possibly you can; and that the remaining Matter may be thick, and conveniently handled, put into it ℥v. or vj. of filings of ☽. Then melt twenty Ounces of ☽, and project your Matter upon the same (being in fusion) in fifteen or twenty parcels, staying every time, before you project until that which you pro∣jected be well entred and incorporated with the ☽, and that it be very clear: After all is projected, leave it in good fusion for an hour or two; then put it to Coppel, and af∣terwards to Separating {water}, and you shall have about ℥jss. of pure ☉.

The Crystals of ♂ are made thus:

Upon filings of ♂ put Oyl of Vitriol, then pour common {water} upon it, and the fi∣lings will dissolve; filter the dissolution, and evaporate the Liquor usque ad pelliculam; set it in a cold place, and it will shoot into Crystals, which require no further Purifica∣tion.

The Oyl of Vitriol for this Work is made thus: Take Danzick Vitriol, dissolve it once in {water}, filter and congeal it; then Calcine it gently, until it be white: Then distill it in Retorts S. A. forcing it very strongly at last. Dephlegm this Oyl in a low Cucur∣bite,

and that which remaineth in the Cucurb. (which will be of a dark red) must be pas∣sed through a filter of wool in a Glass Fun∣nel, and the wool will imbibe the unctuosity of the Oyl, which if it were not separated from it, might hinder its Operation.