If you pour into the white Solution of the Coals some Acidity, as
Vinegar, Spirit of Salt, of Vitriol, or some _Aq. Fortis_, and that
leisurely and by little and little as much as is requisite for the
killing of the _Sal Alkaly_; the Sulphur will settle to the bottom like
a white Powder, which being separated from the Salts, and washt with
fair Water, and dried, will burn and exactly answer to the virtues of
the Mineral Sulphur.
LXII. _Another way demonstrating that a Mineral Sulphur lies hidden
in all Vegetables._
Put this green or white juice of the Wood or Coals expressed or
squeezed out by the Salt, in a Glass Cucurbit upon some _Sal.
Armoniack_ powdered, put on an Alembick and draw off all the moisture
by Distillation, in which Distillation the spirit of the _Sal.
Armoniack_ will bring over the Helm, the Vegetable Sulphur of a golden
colour. It is a most penetrative Spirit and of wonderfull efficacy in
Alchymy and Medicine, and this will easily be credited by him, who
knows its penetrating and graduating virtue and property, in which it
excels all other penetrative Spirits, you must keep it very warily
because it easily vanisheth.
LXIII. _There is yet another way of making the same Sulphur of
Coals visible._
When you have poured out our Carbuncle out of your melting Pot, beat
it into Powder and mix therewith half its weight of _Sal. Armoniack_
powdered, draw off by a Glass Retort, both matters exactly commixt by
Distillation, that the _Sal Armoniack_ may bring over with it that
Sulphur. Wash off this red matter drawn out by Sublimation, with common
Water, the which being freed from the _Sal. Armoniack_, is a Sulphur
inclining from its reddishness to a yellow colour, and is altogether
like to the Mineral Sulphur.
LXIV. _There is likewise another way of extracting the same Sulphur
out of Coals._
First of all, exactly melt the Coals by the _Sal Mirabilis_ in a
melting Pot, that the Salt may be accurately Alkalizated by the Coals,
and burn the Tongue like Fire. Then pour it forth and beat the Coals
into Powder and put them in a Glass, and pour upon them Spirit of Wine
freed from all its Phlegm. Then set the Glass in warm Sand and ever
and anon take it out and shake it well that the Spirit of Wine may
extract the Sulphur, and leave the Salt untoucht. Your Spirit being as
red as bloud, pour it out into another Glass, and again, pour on more
Spirit of Wine upon the matter, and repeat the former operation; these
pourings on, and cantings off are to be so often repeated, till the
Spirit of Wine when poured on will extract no more. Put all these red
extractions into a Glass Cucurbit, and separate the Spirit of Wine by a
B. and it will leave behind in the Cucurbit a sweet Oil of the colour
of bloud; a Medicine of so great moment in all Chronical Diseases, as
that none is to be preferred afore it. For this Sulphur is far better
than the Mineral Sulphur, which for the most part is mixt with some
Arsenical property, whereas this is extracted out of the Coals of Wood,
and is therefore far purer and necessarily more conducive to Man’s
health.
And as touching the whole operation of this precious balsamical
Sulphur, which is but little inferiour to potable Gold, the chief knack
of duely making it consisteth in this, _viz._ that the _Sal Mirabilis_
be well and accurately Alkalizated by the Coals. For if not, the Spirit
of Wine would dissolve the _Sal Mirabilis_, and would not extract the
Sulphur, nor would it answer thy wishes, if it be not deprived or
despoiled of all its humidity.
He that shall be well skilled in the due handling of this Operation,
will obtain a most excellent Medicine not much inferiour to potable
Gold, of a sweet and pleasant Tast, and of an admirably gratefull Odour
and Colour. By such a means as this, is extracted out of a dead Herb,
or dead Wood, its greenness in the first Solution made by Water; and
after the Extraction with Spirit of Wine, the most delicate red Colour
thereof, with a most sweet vegetable Odour; all which lay hidden in the
black Coal, and are again brought forth to light.
The use of this most delicate Oil of Sulphur is not small both as
to the metalline Operations and other Arts; and this so speedy a
putrefaction and revivification of the dead Vegetables into a living
medicine carries in its Intrails a great mystery.
LXV. _It may be demanded, whether or no the Coles themselves are
to be onely made use of for this revivification of the dead
Vegetables, and not the green or dry Wood they are made of, and
the Herbs too, may also be thus dealt with._
For answer, even the Herb it self, or the unburnt Wood it self may be
changed in a Crucible into a red Stone by the _Sal Mirabilis_. For the
operation tends to the same end be it Herb or Wood, green or dry, or
made into a Cole.
LXVI. _It may be queried, what Wood or what Herb being changed
after that same manner by the =Sal Mirabilis=, yields the most
excellent Medicine._
For answer, the Woods that are weightiest do excel all others; for they
are riper and have in them a better Sulphur, than those Woods or those
Herbs have which are lighter, and grow up in half a years time, the
older the Trees are, the more fit for medicine they are; such as are
the Roots of Vines, Juniper, Box, Beech, Oak, Cedar, and such like.
LXVII. _A Demonstration, that out of dead Herbs and such as are
again restored to life, may new Herbs be produced without the
addition of the Seed of other Herbs._
Fill some Pots with some Fertile Earth or Clay, void of all Herbs or
Seeds, and moisten it with the green or white Juice of the Coals.
If now you expose these to the Sun and Rain, there will spring up
thencefrom divers new and unknown Herbs.
LXVIII. _How by the help of =Sal Mirabilis=, Metals are to be
dissolved by the dry way, and to be converted into most excellent
Medicaments, and first of Gold._
When you would make your trial of Gold take a piece of golden Money,
and bow it, and add thereunto so much _Sal Mirabilis_ as may be 5, 6,
or 8 times the weight of the Gold. Melt it in a Wind Furnace, and pour
it out into a Vessel fit for to receive molten Metals; and you shall
find your Salt to be of a purple Colour. If all the Gold should not be
dissolved but some part thereof should settle to the bottom, separate
that _Regulus_ from the purple Salt, and dissolve your remaining Gold
in a Crucible with new _Sal Mirabilis_, that so all the Gold being
dissolved may colour the Salt with a purple Colour. With this purple
Salt may be performed many very profitable things, which appertain not
to this place. ’Mongst which those are chiefest which respect the
emendation or bettering of Metals, concerning which, I will here add
onely one Operation.