A compendious body of chymistry, which will serve as a guide and introduction both for understanding the authors which have treated of the theory of this science in general: and for making the way plain and easie to perform, according to art and method, all operations, which teach the practise of this art, upon animals, vegetables, and minerals, without losing any of the essential vertues contained in them. By N. le Fèbure apothecary in ordinary, and chymical distiller to the King of France, and at present to his Majesty of Great-Britain.

How to prepare the dissoluble Glasse of Tartar, and to extract the Tincture thereof.

WE have shewed in the foregoing operation the manner of extracting the central Sulphur of the Sal ☿, to whom we have assigned many noble Qualities: But we think it also necessary to evince, that salts Alkali are not only the dissolvents of Sulphurs, but also their Extractors: To illustrate this Asser∣tion by a demonstrative Example; We will take the Calcination, vitrification and extraction of peble stones, by the help of Tartar and Alkohol of Wine. And we must let the Reader know, what kind of stones are to be chosen, which may yield the solar em∣bryonated Sulphur contained in them, and when the salt draws to its self, to impart afterwards to the spirit of Wine, which is no small mysterie in Chymistry. To bring then this operation to pass, Take pebles out of Brooks, or Rivulets falling from Mountains, that are rocky and full of woods, and if it be possible where some adjacent ground may contain metallick veines, and where the waters and small Rivers may abound most with Trouts well spotted with red Purple spots, high in colour; for this will be an infallible sign, that the peble stones contained in those Brooks or neighbouring Grounds, contain in themselves embryo∣nated Metals, which before and after Calcination begin to ap∣pear: before by external marks and streaks, which are red, green, blew, Purple veines, and mixt with some other colours arguing their metallick Tincture: and besides, because that even in∣wardly are not only found superficial spots and colours, but in some also are found small scales and grains of perfect and true Metal, holding proof as gold and silver upon the touch-stone, as I have oftentimes made the tryal my self upon stones which were brought from about Cled••n.

To begin then this operation: Fill a great Crucible with such stones, and in a Wind-furnace bring them to a full redness; and being thus fire-red, throw them in a Bason half full of fresh wa∣ter, by which means they become brickle and easie to be reduced to Pouder in a Morter; after which, you must grind them on a

Porphurie Morter or Sea-scale — until it be reduced to Alkohol, or impalpable Pouder, which having well dryed, mix it in a hot Morter with five times as much of salt of Tartar, very pure and very dry; you must have at least lb j. of this mixture in a great German Crucible, so capacious, as that the half or two of it may remain empty, to give way to the raising and boyling up of the matter; whilst it is melting in the extream heat of the wind-Oven, your care also must be whilest it runs in the Crucible, to draw off with the point of some Iron Instrument some of the melted matter, to try if it be reduced into the substance or form of a green, yellowish-glass, clear and transparent, but you must sound the Crucible to the very bottom, to try also whether all the Pouder or dust of the stones be melted, and united with the Salt; which if you find to be so, take off immediatly the Cru∣cible from the fire, and throw the vitrified matter or Glass in a very hot Morter, and with a hot Pestle also stirring it well, to re∣duce it to Pouder; for if you did give it the least leisure to cool, it would immediatly be resolved into a viscous or clammy Liquor, which should shut up the Sulphur, and hinder that the Alkohol of Wine might not have its operation upon it; Heat the Matrass be-you put in the dust of this Resoluble Glass, and pour thereon by degrees of very subtle spirit of Wine, until it be moistened and penetrated on all sides; then pour of the same Spirit three or four fingers high above the matter: put the Vessel in sand al∣ready warm, and apply a competent fire to it to bring the Spirit to a simpering: the Vessels must be covered and stopt with the same precautions as in the foregoing Tincture. The Extraction being made, and the Alkohol of Wine loaden with a fine red co∣lour, draw it back and filtrate, then pour on new, and so continue to disgest, extract, and filtrate until the Spirit takes no more co∣lour. All these Tinctures joyn together, and draw back the Spi∣rit in B. M. with a slow heat, until you see a very red Tincture, of a very good smell, and a fiery, penetrating and piercing taste, then cease the fire and draw the Tincture, which you are to put in a Viol of a very narrow neck, stopt if possible with a glazen stople exactly fitted, or with Cork steept in melted wax, and a double wet bladder over. This noble and excellent Tincture preserves its colour & vertue, much longer then that which is extracted from

meer salt of reverberated Tartar, because the salt hath drawn from the pebles their metallick Sulphur, which is of a solar nature: now the salt cannot retain this Sulphur when it is put to digest with pure spirit of Wine, because the Sulphur immediatly is commu∣nicated to the spirit of Wine, which is an aethereal and volatile Sulphur, which by the mutual analogy and sympathy they have together, extracts and draws it from the center of the least part of the salt. This Tincture hath a more diffuse and general vertue then the foregoing: therefore it may be exhibited not only in all diseases, for which we have mentioned the other to be fit and usefull, but it may moreover be administred in all intermittent Feavers, and chiefly in the Quartane; as also in all Chronical Diseases, which for the most part propagate them∣selves, by reason of the depravation of the internal Faculties, which this Remedy repaires insensibly, as by a Miracle. Above all, it is to be used in obstructions of the Kidneys and Blad∣der, whether proceeding from viscosity of clammy humors or sand: or whether also the Disease be occasioned by the imi∣tation of the Archeus of those parts, which is immediatly al∣layed by the eradiation of the vertue of that solar Sulphur shi∣ning in this Tincture. We should never make an end, should we relate here of all what both antient and modern Authors have operated upon Tartar, or what our own experience hath drawn from it. It suffices that we have sufficiently enlighten∣ed the Artist, to guide himself both in the Theorical and pra∣ctical Part of the preparation of this Noble and miracu∣lous Salt; which conceals and contracts in it self the greatest part of the mysteries both of Art and Nature, unto which the Artist will never fail to attain, if he learneth to chuse well his Wine, Vinegar and Tartar, and applyes himself with industry to the Work and study of it: which two things are the main props of all Chymical Curiosity.