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.

Monsieur Barkly's fixation of Common Sul∣phur, and the Tincture thereof, which is an Excellent Medicine in all affects of the Breast and Lungs.

TAke Flowers of Sulphur, or Sulphur pulverized very subtil; put it into a Matrass, and pour upon it so much Spirit of Sulphur per Campanam, as may cover it the breadth of three fingers. Lute the Ma∣trass well, and put it in digestion for fifteen days, or three weeks, or so long until the Flowers of Sulphur come to be very black: Then distill off all the Spirit of Sulphur to dryness; break the Matrass, and take out the Sulphur, which pulverize again, and put it into another Matrass, and pour upon it the Spirit of Sulphur you distilled off, and distill as before to dryness. Repeat this twice more, which maketh three cohobations in

all without the first distillation. Then take your black and fixt Sulphur, and reduce it to a very subtil Powder, and put it to re∣verberate in a Glass Oven the space of a fortnight or three weeks, it will change its blackness into white, and after yellow, and at last come to be of a reddish brown colour. The Tincture of this red fixt Sulphur, is extracted with Spirit of Salt well rectified.

He made thus his Spirit of Salt for this: Take Salt lbj. dissolve it in five quarts of fair {water}, and filter it; put it into a Cucurbite, and pour upon it by little and little lbj. of good Oyl of Vitriol, and joyn the Head and Recipient; when it is all in, it will begin presently to distill over cold: Set it in Sand, and with moderate heat drive over as much as will rise, which rectifie from the flegm: There will remain in the bottom of the Cu∣curbite a wonderful Salt, that is exceeding fusible.

After he had extracted the Tincture, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 distilled away all the Spirit of Salt, till the Tincture was dry: Of this he gave, three grains for a Dose, and found it a great Dis∣phoretick, but it was somewhat rough and sharp in the Stomach: Whereupon he dul∣cified it by several ablutions in fair {water}; then gave the same Dose, and it wrought excel∣lently well in all Colds of the Breast and Lungs.

Hartman.) This Relation is of Sir K. Digby.