Pharmacopœia Bateana, or, Bate's dispensatory translated from the second edition of the Latin copy, published by Mr. James Shipton : containing his choice and select recipe's, their names, compositions, preparations, vertues, uses, and doses, as they are applicable to the whole practice of physick and chyrurgery : the Arcana Goddardiana, and their recipe's intersperst in their proper places, which are almost all wanting in the Latin copy : compleated with above five hundred chymical processes, and their explications at large, various observations thereon, and a rationale upon each process : to which are added in this English edition, Goddard's drops, Russel's pouder [sic], and the Emplastrum febrifugum, those so much fam'd in the world : as also several other preparations from the Collectanea chymica, and other good authors / by William Salmon ...

LXX. Mercurij Purgatio, The Cleansing or Purifica∣tion of Mercury.

Bate.] It is done divers ways; either by straining it through Leather; Or washing it with Vinegar and Salt mixt together; Or with Aqua Cal∣cis Vivae, by often stirring it; Or by strongly shaking of it with S. V. in a Glass close stopt; Or by distilling it in Sand by Retort with a strong fire, and that either by it self; Or with the addition of Salt of Tartar, Quick-lime, &c. Or by Amal∣gamating it with Sol, or Luna, and then separating it from the same again by Retort.

Salmon.] § 1. Some only wash it with the best Vine∣gar and Salt, and when it is dry, then they strain it thrô Leather; but by this way it may carry Lead or Bismuth, or some other Mineral where∣with possibly it may be mixt, and therefore this mode of purifying is not suffici∣cient.

§ 2. Others put the Mer∣cury into a Glass or Iron Re∣tort, and distil it into a Re∣ceiver half full of Water, by which means if it has been increased by Lead, Tin, Zinck, or Bismuth, those Metals will remain in the bottom of the Retort, whilst the Mercury runs simple into the Recei∣ver; but by this way if the Mercury has been mixt with any Metal or Mineral which has a Volatile Arsenical Poy∣son, it imbibes it, and car∣ries it along with it.

§ 3. Some put it into a strong Lye made with Quick∣lime or Pot-ashes, or both, which they put into a double Glass bottle well stopt, and then shake them together, to separate the Impurities, then decanting the Liquor, they dry the and Quick-silver, and strain it through Shammoy Leather; but if it be mixt with any Foreign matter, it will pass the Leather with it as aforesaid.

§ 4. But a much better way is to mix it with Salt of Tartar Quick-lime e∣qually mixt and poudered; then to put it into an Iron Retort, and distil into a Re∣ceiver fill'd half full of Wa∣ter, so will the Impurities re∣main behind, and the fixed Alcali will fix the Volatile Poyson of the mixt, by which means the Quick-silver will be very pure.

§ 5. And not inferior to this is the Amalgama of Gold and Silver, from which it may again be purely sepa∣rated by di••••illing from a Glass Retort in Sand with a gradual Fire, leaving all its Foeces, Filth, Impurities and Heterogenities behind it.

§ 6 But the best way of purifying Mercury, and the fittest for all Chymical Ope∣rations, is to revive Cinnabar into fluid Mercury, by which means you will be sure to have pure Mercury as it comes from the first hand; because all the Cinnabar is made near the Mines of Mercury.

§ 7. Moreover, the mix∣ing of Quick-silver with Sulphur by Sublimation is the way by which Cinnabar is made, and it does in some sort graduate and perfect the Mercury; and then the revi∣ving of Mercury into fluid Quick-silver from the Cinna∣bar by Filings of Iron, deli∣ver it from all impurity: how therefore Quick-silver revived from Cinnabar (be∣ing most sought for) is to be done we now come to shew.

§ 8. But in the first place we shall shew you the ma∣king of the Artificial Cinna∣bar of Quick-silver and com∣mon Sulphur, and then from thence the reviving of it a∣gain. ℞ Sulphur in pouder lb ss. melt it in a large Ear∣then Pan (glazed within sa•••• Charras) and put Quick-sil∣ver lbjss. into a piece of Sham∣moy Leather which tie up hard, through which squeeze it upon the melted Sulphur: stir the Matter in fusion with a wood∣en Sputula, and continue

••ressing forth and stirring, ••ill all the Mercury is squeez'd ••hrough the Leather, and so ••nited with the Sulphur, that ••he Quick-silver appearing no ••••ore, they both seem reduced ••••to a black Mass: being cold, ••educe it into a Pouder, and ••ublime it in an Aludel or Earthen Subliming pot, with 〈◊〉〈◊〉 close Fire, (luting well the ••unctures:) let the Fire be ••••ft at first, and gradually in∣••rease it, which continue for some hours; so will the Mer∣••ury being incorporated with ••hat portion of Sulphur which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fit for it, sublime into a very hard Mass of a very red ••olour, leaving some Feces at ••ottom, especially if any Me∣••al or other Matter had been mixt with it before.

§ 9. The reviving the Quick-silver from the Cinna∣bar, which is its ultimate purification. ℞ Of this Ar∣••ificial Cinnabar in fine pou∣der lbj. Filings of Iron lbj. mix them well together, and put them into a Retort of Earth or Glass well luted, and set it in a Furnace, and put Coals round about it till it be covered 〈◊〉〈◊〉 put lighted Coals a∣bove, so that the Fire may kindle by degrees; then having filled the whole largeness of the Furnace with Coals, co∣ver the Retort and fit a small Receiver to its neck half full of water; leave the Coals to kindle of themselves, and the Fire to act at his own plea∣sure. When the Retort begins to be red, the Mercury will come into the Receiver drop by drop; for the Acids of the Sulphur sticking to the Mars, (with the Pores whereof the Figure of its parts does bet∣ter agree, than with those of the Mercury) and quiting the other, the Fire forces it out of the Retort, and makes it (falling into the water) to re∣sume its former body: by which means all extrinsecal Substances mixed with the Cinnabar, will be stopt in the Retort with the Filings of I∣ron (which Filings will be much rarified. black and in∣creased in weight, because of the addition of the Sulphur, &c.) and the Quick-silver will be at bottom, very pure and fit for any kind of operation.

§ 10. But Lemery does it otherwise with Quick-lime, after this manner. ℞ Pou∣der of Artificial Cinnabar lbj. Quick-lime in pouder lbiij. mix, and put them into an Earthen or Glass Retort, so large as ⅓ may be empty: put it into a Furnace of Reverbe∣ration, with a Recipient al∣most fill'd with Water: give fire gradatim, increasing it

at length to the height, so will the Mercury run gutta∣tim into the Recipient: con∣tinue the fire till no more will come over, which will be fi∣nished in about seven hours time: the Quick-silver at bot∣tom (which will be very pure) dry with Linnen and keep for use.

§ 11. This Mercury thus revived is very pure; for if any Metal was mixed with it in the Mine; or if after∣wards the Cinnabar should be adulterated, the said Me∣tals, or Heterogene Substan∣ces would either remain at bottom, and not rise with the Mercury, or be separated from it in the Receiver; and if your Cinnabar was good▪ you would have out of each Pound of the Artifical ℥ 12½ of flowing Quick-silver.

§ 12. A third part of the Retort is left empty, because the rarified Quick-silver ex∣pands it self with such a ve∣hemency, that it would o∣therwise be in danger of breaking the Retort.

§ 13. Now as Cinnabar is nothing but a mixture of A∣cid Spirits and Mercury toge∣ther with some terren Par∣ticles of the Sulphur: so if you mix it with an Alcalious body, and force it upwards by fire, the Acid leaves the Mercury, and finding the Quick-lime very porous, cleaves thereto; so that the Quick-silver being disingaged from what held it in Chains be∣fore, and being forced by the fire, comes forth of the Re∣tort in form of Spirit, which by the coolness of the water in the Receiver condenses and becomes again Quick-silver.

§ 14. Having mixt your Cinnabar and Quick-lime to∣gether, you ought to let it rest one or two days before you begin your Distillation, that the Lime may slake as it where a whil•• for other∣wise the Retort would burst.

§ 15. But if you use such Quick-lime, as has been already slakt in the Air, you may then begin to distil im∣mediately upon the mixtion: but the former which is un∣slakt is said to be better in the Revivification, because the Alcali will the more strongly absorb the Sulphu∣rous Acid.

§ 16. Upon the Distilla∣tion, a great Sulphurous fume is seen to come out of the Retort, for which rea∣son the Juncture is not to be luted, but the said Sulphu∣rous fume is to be permitted to fly away, for fear, that being kept in, it should joyn

with some part of the Mer∣cury and so unite, whereby you might be put to the trouble of a second Revivi∣fication.