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.

Saunier's Work, as I wrought it.

PUrifie ☉ three times by {antimony}; then reduce it into a subtil Calx, by Calcining it five times with Sulphur and ☿: Then burn S. V. upon this Calx, and reverberate it again, that all the extraneous Spirits may be driven away.

2. Sublim ☿ seven times with Vitriol and Salt, reviving it with filings of ♂ after every {subli}mation.

3. Make an A. R. S. A. out of the fixed Salt, after the extraction of Salt-petre, which after some days must be dephlegmed with great care, and rectified, so that it have neither phlegm nor terrestrial feces.

Dissolve ℥j. of your ☉ in as small a quan∣tity of this A. R. as you can, keeping the Vessel well Sealed (and therefore it ought to be large) in a very gentle heat in B. M. where it must be digested (after the dissolu∣tion) for some days: The dissolution being very clear, decant it from the white re∣sidue.

Dissolve ℥ss. of fusible Salt in as small a quantity of the said A. R. as you can (which is not done suddenly, but by digestion) and being clear, mix these two dissolutions to∣gether, namely, that of the ☉, and of the

Salt, and if any thing {precipi}tate to the bottom, keep it in digestion with a gentle heat (the Vessel close stopped) until all is dissolved and clear; then keep it in the same digestion for fifteen days. Then with a very gentle heat abstract the phlegm, until a Spirit ascend; then cease, and put into the Vessel ℥ss. of the {subli}mate before mentioned (in very subtil Powder) shut the Vessel again immediately, and put it in digestion as be∣fore, until the {subli}mate is well dissolved. Then dephlegm again the dissolution; in do∣ing of which you ought to attend very di∣ligently, lest there come over some part of the ☉ and ☿, which now easily will be raised with the A. R. And this you may know, not only by the drops falling yel∣low, but also by trying with a white wool∣len cloath, which the drops will stain yellow if the ☉ ascendeth. Then Seal it Herme∣tically, and digest in Horse-dung: After six Months we opened the Vessel, and with a gentle heat distilled off the Liquor, and the remaining Golden Salt we projected upon restricted ☽, and for ℥j. of ☉ we had seven. Another Vessel, after twelve Months dige∣stion, rendred ℥x. of ☉ for one put in: And so to two and twenty for one.

I do not remember all the time precisely, but I should think, it would be better, after

sufficient digestion in Horse-dung, to coagu∣late the Matter in dry heat until all be com∣pleatly fixed, and then multiply the Matter by the same Process, as you did with ☉.

The fusible Salt is made thus: Dissolve Salt (first well purified) in the said A. R. distill and cohobate until it is fusible.

The restriction of ☽ you will find in a Book Published by Iohn Saunier, which he calleth, the almost fixation of ☽, because it hath the weight and sound of ☉.

Hartman.) This Process was wrought by Sir K. D. himself, as the Title sheweth; it was written in Latine in his own hand, and the words are his own.

Abbot Boucaud told me at Paris, that he knew Sir K. had wrought it.