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 engender Cray-fishes.

IT is to be observed first, that to do this Operation well, you must do it at the increase of the ☽, and in the sign of Cancer, if possible, or at least in any other Aquatick sign.

Then take a parcel of the said Cray-fishes, taken in Brooks or small Rivers, being all alive; divide them into two parts, put one part thereof into an earthen Pot not glazed, cover it with its cover, or with ano∣ther Pot, lute them well, and put them to Calcine for seven or eight hours with a strong {fire}, until they be well Calcined, and fit to

be reduced to Powder in a Marble Mortar: Then take the other Part, (being also all alive) and boyl them in River {water}, like un∣to that wherein they w••re taken, then pour off the {water}, which being cold, put it in a wooden Vessel, or of Earth, and into about a pail full of this {water}, put about half a hand∣ful of the Powder of the aforesaid Calcined Cray-fishes, stir it well together with a stick, then let it stand to settle, without stirring it at all, and within a few days you shall see as it were many Atoms appear in the {water}, which are the breeding Cray-fishes, moving in the {water}; when you see them as big as a small button, you must feed them with Bul∣locks blood, casting a little thereof into the {water}, from time to time, which in time will make them grow of their natural bigness. You must observe, that before you put the {water} into the Vessel, you must first put some Sand into it, so much that the bottom of it may be covered about a fingers breadth.