The curious distillatory, or, The art of distilling coloured liquors, spirits, oyls, &c. from vegitables, animals, minerals and metals ... containing many experiments ... relating to the production of colours, consistence and heat ... : together with several experiments upon the blood (and its serum) of diseased persons, with divers other collateral experiments / written originally in Latin by Jo. Sigis. Elsholt ; put into English by T.S. ...

CHAP. VI.

Experiments appearing in Vegetables.

THere goes about a Story of a great Per∣son that was very curious, who ha∣ving called together to him certain Al∣chymists, shewed them divers Simples, which having mixed together, he caused them to be committed to distillation in their pre∣sence: but it happened that the Liquor as it distilled did breath forth a grateful scent of Musk. When this Illustrious Person required of these Artists a reason of this Odor, for they saw not the least Grain of Musk mixed with the Simples; They af∣flicted themselves all day long, and yet could produce no reason for the thing, unless this Fragrant scent did arise from the mixture of the Simples in a certain propor∣tion; at length, about the Evening, the Nobleman discovered to them the fallacy, to wit, that unknown to them, he had put Musk into the Nose of the Alimbeck.

As therefore we may counterfeit a Scent, by putting into the Alimbeck, Musk, Civet,

or Odoriferous Flowers; In like manner 'tis possible to fain Colours since the Water in its passing carries along with it self the Tincture of those things which are imposed in the Alimbeck: provided you light on such Spectators upon whom this Leger∣demain or trick may pass.

1. The most facile way of all is, by put∣ting Flowers into the Beak or Spout of the Alimbeck, (for example) put in Blew-Bottle Flowers: so the Water by passing through them will gain a Blew Colour.

2. If you think it necessary to do the thing with more care, put betwixt the Beak of the Alimbeck and the Receiver, a Fistula or Pipe, wider in the middle then at each end, or Bellyed like a Bottle, in which let those Flowers be contained (the Figure is thus.)

[illustration]

—Moreover this Pipe ought to be somewhat wider in its uppermost end, and narrower in its lowermost: as is to be seen in the Figure.

3. This is a Spectacle for Mountebanks to shew upon a Stage, Thus: if there be four Cucurbits or Bodies full of Water all in one Furnace, put an Alimbeck upon each of them, let it be done so that the Alimbeck may only be seen, and the Pipes, or Beaks hid. Let there be put into every Beak se∣veral Flowers (for example) Blew-Bottles, Violets, Marygolds, Red-Roses, Saffron, Sanders, &c. suddenly by the help of the Fire the Liquors which are forced into the Receivers will obtain different Colours, not without the admiration of the common People which stand by. The same thing may be performed with those Bellyed Pipes put betwixt and covered.

4. This also is for ostentation, and shew: If you take one, or more Wallnuts made Hollow and Empty, and fill them with the Spirit of the roots of Saphire, coloured Pim∣pernel, describ'd below in the 15th Chapter, and stop them up lightly with wax. Then before the Spectators take these Nuts thus filled, and cast them into a vessel half full of Spirit of Wine, and putting on an Alim∣beck, distill it in Sand; from the heat within the Wax will be melted, and the matter flowing out, the clear Spirit will be so tinged that to admiration it will appear all Blew.