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.

Some Observations about the said Monsieur Dandre's Work.

THE Operation was made in an Atha∣nor, with the Registers at the end, the hole through which the heat was communi∣cated, was about the bigness of a brick, the plate which held the Sand was of Iron, and contained 32 Matrasses, sixteen on every side: The Tower was in the middle, where∣in the Coals sunk down by degrees. They did not mix the Powder with Wax, nor any thing else in projecting, but only wrapt up in Paper, it did enter, and disappear im∣mediately without smoaking. The Matrass ought to have 2 third parts empty.

The Amalgama was made thus: They took ℥ix. of ☿ and heated it in a Crucible, until it begun to smoak, then they set it upon hot Ashes, and cast therein ℥j. of Du∣cats cut in small pieces, and made hot in a Crucible, then stirred it until the ☉ was swal∣lowed up by the ☿: Then took it off, and let it cool. They did not wash the said Amalgama: They used common ☿ only mixed with Quick-lime, and then Distilled in a Retort.

The Sulphur was transparent and yel∣low like Amber, in pieces, and to be had at Carmagnole, Turin, Cony, Mondevic, Saluce, Genes: It is a Sulphur-vive, cost four, five, or six pence a pound. The Sand they used was round River-sand, and the Matrass was never red in the Sand: They never put above ℥j. of ☉ in one Matrass, nor never above ℥x. of ☽ at every Pro∣jection.

(Hartman.) These Observations were communicated to Sir Kenelm by Abbot Bou∣caud, but the Process was written by Sir Kenelm himself from Monsieur Dandre's mouth.