Page 22 - Compound of Compounds

CHAPTER IV

On the sublimation of mercury

In the name of our Lord, procure yourself one pound of pure mercury from the
mine. Besides, take some roman vitriol and calcined common salt, grind and mix
intimately. Put these last two substances into a large varnished earthen vase over a
mellow fire, until the matter begins to melt and flow. Then take your mineral mercury,
put it into a vase with a long neck and pour drop by drop over the vitriol and salt in
fusion. Stir with a wooden spatula until the mercury is devoured completely and
disappears without a trace. When it is completely gone, desiccate the matter by gentle
fire during the night.

The morning after, take the matter well dried up; fine grind it over a stone. You
will put the pulverized matter into a sublimatory vase named aludel to sublime it
according to art. You will put on the head and coat the joints with the philosophical
lute, so that the mercury cannot escape. You will place the aludel over its furnace and
lute it in such manner that there is no slope and it stands erect; then you will light a
small fire during four hours to banish the moisture of the mercury and vitriol; after the
evaporation of the humidity, increase the fire so that the pure white matter of the
mercury sheds its impurities, during four hours; you will see if this is sufficient by
inserting a wooden rod into the sublimatory vase by the superior opening and
descending it to touch the matter and feel if the white matter of mercury overlays the
mixture. If so, remove the rod, seal the opening of the head with a lute for the mercury
not to escape and increase the fire so that the white matter of the mercury rises above
the faeces, until it reaches into the aludel, during four hours. Finally, heat with tinder
such as to obtain flames; the bottom of the vase and the residue must become red;
continue thus as long as there remains a little white substance of mercury, adherent to
the faeces. The violence and force of the fire will succeed in separating them
eventually. Then cease the fire, let stand and cool down the furnace and the matter
overnight.

The morning after, remove the vase from the furnace, remove the lutes with

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