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 Bitumen, or fat Earth.

WEE have comprehended generally in this Section, Sulphurs so properly called and Bituminous substances; and as we have hither to spoken of the first, we must end by Bitumens or earthly pitch, which are the last. Britumens are generalty un∣derstood and accepted for all kind of very fat and clammy Mine∣rals: wherefore Naturalists do constitute several species of it, as the Karabe or yellow Amber, Ambergrise, sperma ceti, Britumen properly called Asphaltum petroli, Seacoal and Jet. We will treat here of the other Britumens which are more considerable, and whereon the operations of Chymistry are intended to draw Re∣medies from them, and separate the purity from the impurity thereof: amongst all others, Karabe and Ambergrise obtain the

chief and principal place: wherefore we will only speak of these two kinds of Britumens principally, because the others admit of so little of preparation, as it would be unnecessary to speak thereof, since the Artist may sufficiently be informed by what we have already said, and shall say anon of the Karabe.