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.

To fix ☽ into ☉.

THE 15th. of November, 1660. Mon∣sieur Iohn Commandaire told me, that Signeor Lucca (from whom he now came) had taught him a shorter, and easier way of doing his work, thus:

Take the Mother-liquor of Salt-petre, (which is the salt {water} that remaineth after as much is shot into Nitre as will shoot) and let it run once through a filter of washed Sand to purifie it; then evaporate it to dry∣ness: Grind the remaining Salt very fine, and set it in a Cellar, or other moist place to dissolve into {water} by the Air; filter that by a woollen Languette, coagulate, grind, dis∣solve, and filter it. Repeat this seven or eight times, that all foulness may be severed from this fixed Salt of Salt-petre. Then it will easily give its pure Spirits, and not be∣fore. Put this into Retorts, not above half a pound into each Retort; distill first with very gentle {fire}, increasing it by degrees, at

last, strong {fire}, as when you distill A. F. The distillation will be performed in twenty four hours: Then dephlegm it carefully; when the drops come Acid, cease. In the mean time purifie the fixed Salt remaining after the distillation, by grinding it small, dissolving in humido, filtring, and congeal∣ing. Repeat this twice or thrice; then put one part of this fixed Salt to three parts of the Spirit, and to this Composition put a tenth part of pure ☉, and though it were in an Ingor, it will dissolve it speedily. Pu•• this into an Egg, and Seal it Hermetically, and digest it, it will putrifie, and grow en∣tirely black; then pass all the due colours, during which time increase the heat by de∣grees, and when it requireth strong heat, use Coal.