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 distill a subtile spirit and oyle out of crude Tartar.

MAny think it to be but a smal matter to make the spirit of Tartar, for they suppose, that if they do but onely put Tartar into a retort, and apply a receiver, and by a strong fire force over a water, they have obtained their desire: and they do not observe, that in steed of a pleasant subtle spirit,

they get but a stinking vinegar or phlegme; the pleasant spi∣rit being gone. Which some careful operators perceiving, they caused great receivers to be made, supposing by that means to get the spirit. Now when they after the distillation was done, weighed their spirits together with the remainder, they found, that they had suffered great loss, wherefore they supposed it to be an impossible thing, to get all the spirits, and to lose none, and indeed it is hardly possible to be done otherwise by a retort: for although you apply a great receiver to a smal retort, and that there be also but a little Tartar in it, and the joynts being wel luted, so that nothing can pass through, and though you make also the fire never so gentle, hoping to get the spirit by that way, yet for all that you cannot avoyd danger and loss. For at last the retort be∣ginning to be red hot, and the black oyle going, then and but then the subtlest spirits will come forth, which either steale through the joynts, or else do break the retort or re∣ceiver, because they come in abundance and with great force, and do not settle easily: wherefore I will set down my way of making this most profitable, and excellent spirit.