A description of new philosophical furnaces, or A new art of distilling, divided into five parts. Whereunto is added a description of the tincture of gold, or the true aurum potabile; also, the first part of the mineral work. Set forth and published for the sakes of them that are studious of the truth. / By John Rudolph Glauber. Set forth in English, by J.F. D.M.

To make metallical spirits and flores by the help of salt-nitre and linnen cloth.

IF metals be dissolved in their appropriated Menstruums, and in the solution (wherein a due proportion of salt nitre must be dissolved) fine linnen rags be dipt and dryed, you have a prepared metal, which may be kindled, and (as it was men∣tioned above concerning the saw dust) through the burning away and consuming of their superfluous sulphur, the mer∣curial substance of the metal is manifested. And after the di∣stillation is ended, you will finde a singular purified calx, which by rubbing coloureth other metals, as that of gold doth guild silver, that of silver over-silvereth copper, and copper calx maketh iron look like copper, &c. which colou∣ring though it cannot bring any great profit, yet at least for to shew the possibility, I thought it not amiss to describe it: and perchance something more may be hid in it, which is not given to every one to know.