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.

To make the acid Spirit and corrosive oyle of Vitriol.

TAke the dry matter left in the Cucurbite, after distillation of the two forementioned Liquors; beat it to a course powder, pour the powder in a glass or earthen Retort, cover it with one finger thick of such a composition as may withstand the most vio∣lent fire; place this Re••ort in a close Reverberatory, and fit to it a capacious and large Recipient, which must also be well luted, and the Lute being dry, give it a graduate fire as we have taught, when we treated of the distillation of spirit of Salt; but the fire must be driven much higher and longer with the flame of a very dry wood; for it must be continued three dayes and three nights without any interruption, so as the Recipient may still remain full of white clouds and vapours, and that at the end drop down red and blackish drops, which grow clearer towards the end, by which you may perceive the operation to draw to an end, and that the fire hath drawn from the matter, as much as the Artist may and ought to hope for, though some weary themselves unnecessarily, continuing the fire without intermission twelve or fifteen dayes: but they betray their skill in so doing, and show how ignorant

they are of the matter upon which they work, and much more of the sphere of activity of the flame of fire which they made use of; you must then remove the fire when you perceive the signes we have noted, and begin to moisten the Lute in the neck of the Re∣cipient with a little warm water, unlesse you will stay till the next day which would be best: go slowly to work for fear of breaking any thing, and by an overhasty precipitancy losing on a sudden what hath cost so much labour and charge: draw then the Recipient slowly away, and what you finde in it pour in a glasse Retort, which having placed in sand, and fitted a Recipient unto i••, give a gradual fire until the drops begin to fall down, which taste from time to time, to change the Recipient assoon as you perceive them to have an acidity, and after you have drawn two parts of the liquor which was in the Recipient, remove the fire, and so shall you have three Liquors: the first whereof shall al∣most be of an insipid taste, but with a sulphureous smell, which is a token of the volatile spirit, and this mix with the sowr Li∣quor, or keep by it self for the same uses. The second hath a pleasant and penetrating acidity or sharpnesse, which is that they properly call the acid spirit of Vitriol, used in Physick: for it is Diuretical, Diapho••etical, Aperitive, Incisive, and resists to pu∣trefaction and inflammations. Wherefore it is of wonderful ver∣tue against all burning Feavers, occasioned by putrid and malig∣nant matters, and also against obstructions of the Liver, Spleen and Mesentery; it is good to restore appetite, when lost; it streng∣thens the faculties of the stomach, and doth correct the defects of it: It asswages Toothach, if mixed with white Wine, and garga∣rized in the mouth; if you mix of this spirit with water of the juyce of great Celancine, and rub with this mixture the scurf in the head, it destroyes the root of it, and kills that ill, harsh and corrosive humour which doth infect the skin; it is given in Broths or ordinary Drinks of sick persons. The Dosis must be to a plea∣sant acidity or sharpnesse, for otherwise it would set the Teeth on edge, and prove troublesome to those that would use it.

Filtrate the Liquor remaining in the Retort after the distillation of the acid spirit through Glasse beaten to powder, for otherwise it would corrode all other substance, being altogether corrosive; put it in a double glasse Viol, and stop it with a glasse stopple ve∣ry

close. This is called oyle of Vitriol, though improperly, since it is neither inflammable, nor unctuous: but the manner of ex∣pression of Writers must be followed, from whom this Liquor had its first denomination, being too harsh and violent for inward Re∣medies, and only fit and subservient to other Chymical works.

We will not speak here of the preparation of the sweet earth of Vitriol, called by some Terra Damnata, or damned earth, in regard it is destitute of its own salt; this earth and salt are ex∣tracted of the matter remaining in the Retort after the distillation of the oyle and spirit of Vitriol, which Chymists call by the name of Caput Mortuum, or dead Head. We shall defer to speak of these two particulars till we come to treat of Salification: the Artist must only expose this Caput mortuum to the free ayre, in a place not open to the Rain, that it may attract the influences of the heavens and of the ayre.

We could bring here the description of several compounded spirits of Vitriol, and specificated for some particular Disease: but we leave the choyce thereof to the skil and fancy of the Artist, or the directions which he shall finde in Writers which have large∣ly treated thereof; we will only give for a taste two Processes or Preparations of it, by which he may be guided in any further work he shall intend or undertake thereupon. The first shall be a sweet and pleasant spirit of Vitriol, the second a very considerable A∣peritive and rate Dissolvent, both proceeding from the same spring, but only brought by us to shew the variety and difference of O∣peration.