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.

Of Silver and its Chymical Preparation.

SILVER is the second of Metals in Rank and Di••nity, less fix then Gold, because its principal Vitriol (if I may so say) is not digested and united by a perfect union and fixation with i••s sulphur, which causes it to yield more easily and quickly then Gold in nitrous, vitriolick and aluminous Menstruums, by reason of this indigest Vitriol remaining in it. Chymists do call it Lune or Braine, because it hath some sympathy with the Celestial Moon or Luna, and with the brain in Man; for which cause the Reme∣dies extracted from the same, are dedicated to strengthen the head and animal Spirits: so that it is said to be a Specifick Remedy for the cure of the chief affections and diseases of the Head; such as are Apoplexy, Epilepsey, Maniack-passion, and other distempers whose original and spring is in the Brain.

The choice of Silver for Chymical operations is not very im∣portant, because very little is found with an original purity, which renders it the more beholding to Chymistry, without which it can∣not

even be separated from its impurities contracted in the matrix of the Earth, or accidentally by allay; for it is not sufficiently de∣purated either in the hands of Goldsmiths or Mint-masters: for as to cleanse it from its outward soil and impurities, it is easily per∣formed by boiling the same in water impregnated with Tartar and common Salt; after it hath been neal'd or made glowing red in the fire, and thence cast into Urine and then Water, thus shall it be very pure in what concerns the outside: but if you will fur∣ther purifie it from its alloy, or allowance in the Mint, you must make use of dissolution which is the immersive Calcination, and melt it by drying in a Cupel with Lead purposely made for this o∣peration of purifying Silver, and that before you expose it to other Calcinations which must be previous to the preparations of this Metal, that it may thereby be made fitting for dissolution and ex∣traction of its Tincture, the three principal whereof are, immer∣sive Calcination, Amalgation, and Cementation; for very seldom reverberating Calcination is made use of, because Silver having less fixity then Gold, it needs not consequently any long and powerful action of the fire to become sufficiently opened. As for the first separation of such impurities and Metals as are mixt in Silver, you must dissolve it in three or four parts of aqua fortis, made with Vitriol and Salt-peter as we shall teach hereafter; then precipitate it in a Calx or powder with salt, water, viz. water in which you have dissolved common salt, as much as the water can bear, which is also called amongst the Artists Pontick or Marine water; or put small Copper plates in the said dissolution, and weaken the aqua fortis with common water, and the Copper will draw and gather to it self all the Silver in form of a white pow∣der; but which way soever you make this precipitation of Silver, you must afterwards by several reiterated Lotions edulcorate the powder or calx of Silver with common water, and then dry the same. But because this Calx is not yet free from some mixture, it is necessary to Cupell it, and drive it with three or four times as much of Lead upon the said Cupel, being covered with a piece of wood dry, and adapted to the proportion of the hollow, with good coals fitted about, and blown with a great quickness and vio∣lence of fire, till the Lead vanishing hath carried away in its va∣pouring all the impurities and heterogeneous metallick mixture of

the Silver, or that the Lead be all drunk up by the Cupel, or con∣verted on the top of it in a skum or excrement of calcinated Lead, which is commonly called Litharg, more or less red and high in colour, according as it hath more or less participated of the heat of the fire. The most remarkable thing in this operation is, that the Silver being once refined and purified, it growes hard in the midst of the most violent fire, though a little before it did run like water, whilst the Lead was yet Master over it, and some mixture of impurity did remain.

The Silver thus left upon the Cupel is very pure, and cannot be suspected to be guilty of any bad mixture; this is that which Artists call highly Refined, and silver of Cupel: Take then of this q. s. and having made it into very thin plates or small filings, put in a Matrass, and pour it upon three times its weight of good aq. fortis, or what would yet be better, of good spirit of Niter, put it in sand or ashes to digest and accelerate the dissolution, and being ended, decant it in a small Cucurbite, to separate what impurities might remain in the bottom of the Matrass; after this draw off half of the Menstruum again in ashes and let the Vessel cool, and the next morning shall you find your Silver reduced into Crystals, which ac∣cording to some are called the vitriol of Silver; these dry gently and keep in a well stopt viol, to administer to such as are sick with some Cephalick disease, to purge them: The Dosis must be from ij. gr. to x. in Broth, or some opening Cephalick Decoction; they purge very gently, and do powerfully disburthen the Head of all bad and noxious humours.

After this precipitate the liquor which swam above the Chry∣stals with salt water, to have the calx of Lune or Silver, which e∣dulcorate and dry, to make therewith the following preparations: and this is that which Writers call calcined Silver, or calx of Lune. We will give three Examples of the Extraction of Tincture of Sil∣ver, which is called potable Lune or Silver, to make the Artist the better to apprehend the manner of working, because the Menstru∣um's, as also the manner of the work, are differing one from the other.