The Third Part of the Prosperity of Germany

sity requires it, the lye original: "lixivium" poured into them. Let one of the capsules be filled entirely with horse dung, chicken or pigeon manure, or even tree leaves, where fir leaves are superior. From here, pour on that quantity of the lye—which is to be described shortly—that is sufficient for the moistening of the dung or leaves contained in the capsule, so that it emerges somewhat. On the second day, when you believe everything is thoroughly soaked, draw off the lye through the spigot original: "episthomium" and pour it into the other capsule filled with similar material, placed in the region opposite the first. Let these things stand thus moistened for several days; meanwhile, the material contained in the first capsule will heat up, and with the useless moisture from the lye being most abundantly resolved into vapors, it will assume strength more and more each day. As long as you observe the heat of this capsule and its subsequent evaporation, for that long it must be left in that state, in which the poured-on lye, by its highest force, can consume, dissolve, and change into water the dung or the species contained in the other capsule. This, however, must be noted here: in place of that which has now been converted into liquid, new material must always be put back in, so that the capsule is always kept full in every way. When the materials placed in the first capsule begin to cool, the lye already contained in the second capsule must be poured onto the still-hot materials of the first capsule, so that it may again gradually contract heat from there, and thus the materials