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.

The Precipitation. To prepare the Milk, Cremor, Butter, or Magistery of Brimstone.

WEE have ever recommended the choyce and purity of Materials, which makes us again to enjoyn hereunto the Sons of Art, not to spare the fair salt of Tartar in the disso∣lution of Brimstone, although several Authors content themselves with ashes of Wine lees or Glasiers ashes, which are the salt of the herb Kali, to make this preparation: but besides, that they cannot well filtrate their Tincture, by reason of the viscosity and clamminesse of the ashes, the Remedy is not so good, so fair, nor endowed with the requisite vertue, because these salts have not the penetrating and fiery vigour which is required for the dissoluti∣on of Brimstone, and the concoction and maturation of that Mineral; and this part must the Artist heed, because the good or evil of his Operation depends from it; therefore you must proceed in it as followeth.

℞ Flowers of Brimstone twice sublimated, at least some part thereof, and three parts of very pure and white salt of Tartar; put them in a gray earthen pot, or a glass Cucurbite, and pour upon xij. or xv. p. of distilled Rain-water, cause them to boyl together in sand the space of five or six houres, or until all the substance of the Brimstone be dissolved, and the liquor clean, and tinged with a very high red; and as the ebullition causes the Menstruum to lessen in quantity, add to it some other warm, stirring continually the matter, to hasten the sooner your dissolution. Moreover, the mixture of the salt of Tartar and flowers of Sulphur must have been made before in a Marble Mor∣tar warm and dry. The dissolution being duly made, warm a great earthen gray pan, putting in it the clear part of the disso∣lution, without any previous filtration, which cannot be soon e∣nough performed, the Brimstone returning into a body as soon as the Menstruum begins to cool; pour upon the Tincture very good distilled Vinegar sprinkling it every where, until the whole turns into a liquor as white as Milk, which when you see, fill up

the remainder of the pan with clear and pure Spring-water, to be∣gin the edulcoration and setling of it; then cover it, and leave the space of 24 houres in a secure place, and separate after that the clear liquor by inclination, then pour new clear water up∣on the milky substance setled in the bottom, and thus continue the lotion thereof until both the ill smell, and lixivial taste of the salt of Tartar be gone away. But note, that the first water must not be thrown away, but contrariwise evaporated, and so you shall finde again your salt of Tartar, which reverberate in a Crucible to rednesse; then dissolve and filtrate, and it will be as good and as pure as before, to serve in the same operation or any other whatsoever; You must wash the Magistery of Sulphur for the last time in equal parts of Cinnamon, Rose-water, and then dry it slowly and keep it for use.

But because this Magistery cannot be made in small quantity, and that the Artists are not alwayes provided with salt of Tar∣tar and distilled Vinegar, we will teach them a good and sure way, to prepare with small expence, and ar all times a milk of Sulphur or Brimstone, which in vertue shall not be inferiour to the former; the Dosis and faculties whereof we will declare after we have spoken of the preparation of the other.