CHAPTER II.

The first way is where whole bodies are subjected to the sole, most vehement motion, whence the agitated particles are accustomed to reveal their more subtle bonds and camps. Furthermore, aided by that subtle matter moving those bodies, they break through their barriers and, seized by its most rapid motion, abandon the proximity and company of the heavier ones. These, afterwards collected, constitute a spirit, mostly of a twofold nature: acid-volatile, namely sulphureous in minerals and most vegetables, and saline-volatile-urinous in animals.

It is to be noted that not all spirit is elicited pure in this way, I believe; but most particles, entangled by an indissoluble bond to branching earthly ones or concatenated by saline bonds, follow under an oily or more fixed acid form, as will be seen more clearly in the operations. The second way is more artificial, where, namely, by means of fermentation, a sufficiently curious coupling of almost all the lighter particles occurs; this spirit is generally called ardent.

The third and fourth types of spirits are improperly so called, where, namely, from purely branching bodies, the lighter particles mentioned before come under the name of spirit; for example, oil of turpentine original: "spiritus thereb." for the subtle oil of turpentine. So also in salts, the subsequent fluid salt comes less correctly under the name of spirit, as it is contrary to the nature of spirits to be followed by the aforementioned phlegm, but rather it is a mere dense salt, remaining in a state of fluidity by means of water and the subtle matter contained therein, like the spirit of vitriol, salt, etc.