Chemical Furnaces & Vessels — Wecher, 17th-Century French MS

illustration of another instrument, half-open, with its furnace used for holding several gourd-shaped flasks — ;

A.B.C.D. The furnace, the height of which is usually two aulnes ells an old unit of length, roughly 4 feet or 1.2 meters. — ;

E. The esuantoirs air vents or souspiraux breather holes. — ;

F. The door through which the fire is set. — ;

G. The grate that supports the fire. — ;

H. The pertuis opening through which the ashes are removed. — ;

IKL. The copper lid having three tiers. — ;

I. The first tier, half an aulne ell high. — ;

K. The second tier. — ;

L. The third tier. — ;

m. The canal pipe with its lid or stopper through which one pours the water into the chauderon cauldron. — ;

A hand-colored cross-section diagram shows a large chemical distillation furnace. The lower portion consists of a red brick cylinder containing a fire burning on a metal grate above an ash pit. Nested within the furnace is a large red cauldron meant to hold water for a water bath. This cauldron is topped by a three-tiered copper lid. On each tier, several green glass flasks sit with their long necks pointing outward. A filling pipe with a stopper is visible on the side of the cauldron for adding water.

n The door with its pertuis opening. — ;

o The chauderon cauldron that contains the water. — ;