THE ROYAL CHEMISTRY

BOOK FIVE

...constructed on the spot so that the hearth is below, and the cauldron is at the top in the manner of a reverberatory A furnace that reflects or "reverberates" heat from the roof onto the material being heated or smelting furnace. This must be carried out in the open air so the smoke exhales into the free air; (or if you desire to collect the flowers original: "flores," the fine powder or sublimate that rises when a substance is heated at the same time, arrange hoods or jars hanging above or slightly tilted to the side so the smoke can enter them.)

Give it a small fire at the start, soon a larger one. Have at hand a scraper or a spatula with a bent end and a long handle so you can use it from a distance. Thrust this into the powder and constantly stir and turn it this way and that, being careful of the sulfurous, arsenical, and mercurial fumes which usually occur together; (to be safer, first drink a draught of wine in which Zedoary original: "Zedoaria," a root similar to ginger used in the early modern period as an antidote to toxins and to protect against "corrupt air" has been infused.)

Stir until it thickens into lumps. Then remove it from the fire, scrape it from the vessel, grind it, and put it back on the fire, proceeding as before. Repeat this labor ten times or so, until the glittering particles have lost their shine, and the calcined Antimony original: "stibium" no longer reeks or smokes over the fire, even if sprinkled on glowing coals. Or continue until it resembles a whitish ash (others say reddish), or melt it and check its vitrification and shine with an inserted iron rod, to see if it shines through like glass with a reddish or golden color, as you prefer.

If it is not yet to your liking or is not Transparent original: "Diaphanum" (though transparency is not always cared for, as long as it is compact and rust-colored), return it to the fire and stir as before until the desired signs appear or it turns into white ash. Then, while turning, it usually suddenly emits smoke and then suppresses it in turn. Then wash it three times with boiling water so the salt separates. If anything floats, draw it off. Dry the powder over a small fire.

Cast one part of this into a glowing smelting crucible (some add half an ounce of artificial Chrysocolla original: "Chrysocollæ," here referring to a flux such as borax used to lower the melting point or a dram of rock salt original: "salis gemmæ" to every half-pound of prepared Antimony); melt it strongly until it is like fiery water, but do not burn it. The crucible should be covered and stand firmly on a brick base with a movable lid, so that by removing it you can see if it has flowed enough. If the flow meets your judgment, pour it immediately onto a bronze basin or a marble slab walled at the edges, and it will be glass.

If this is not as clear as desired, grind it and melt it again as before; you can repeat this a second or third time until you are satisfied. However, the melting requires a strong fire, for it becomes stubborn like other types of glass. The longer it remains in the fire, the redder the Tincture The deep color indicating the concentrated medicinal "essence" or "soul" of the mineral it receives. The quantity is also diminished, so that from one pound, barely five ounces remain (for although the logic of the entire Magistery original: "Magisterii," the master-process or ultimate transformation of a substance required a complete change, and it could almost be done, the loss of material is not cared for because of its medicinal utility.) This becomes a Diaphoretic A substance that induces sweating, used in this period to "sweat out" diseases like the plague or syphilis if the powder...