The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

There are found also silver Mountains, out of which, silver cannot be extracted for the little weight it yields: there is also found in many places a certain yellow or reddish earth, or such like clay, which though it contain store of silver, yet it cannot be extracted with profit by this way, yet separable, with gain, but not by the spirit of salt, which leaves it untoucht, but by some other thing, every where to be found in plenty, of which, for some reasons we shall speak nothing here.

And this way of separation makes much for the poor mineral of copper, which with profit cannot be worked upon by the vulgar way, to be separated from the Copper, afterward by ripening it into a better metal, or turning it into verdy-grease for want of a better art, which business also may well and honestly more than maintain a family. This way also may the rejected dross of the gold, silver, and copper be with profit separated. But because I have decreed to handle here only the extraction of gold out of stones, therefore these menstrues which are used in the extraction of copper and silver, are deservedly omitted, and reserved for another place, where sometime they shall be delivered, to wit, if I shall see that this demonstration shall be accepted in mens eyes, which more very excellent shall follow. As now I have undertaken a more excellent matter in love to my countrey, by which it may appear, that Germany however reduced to want, is yet rich enough, if it would but at last look upon its hidden treasures. There is no need to offer a fore-chewed bit, for demonstration is sufficient, neither will we obtrude a good upon the negligent; for to the ungrateful the best things are unacceptable. These therefore being waved, in short we will give the demonstration and extraction of those flints, not doubting but the expert and experienced, though the sluggish may not, will thence reap profit, and give God the praise.

What belongs then to the aforesaid stones, out of which gold may be extracted, thus the matter stands. All kind of flints for the most part have invisible gold, sometimes visible and invisible, volatile and corporeal together: but many commonly contain impure iron-like volatile gold, and also mature, and a few, sulphureous and copper-like.

Stones which the Germans call Quartzens and Hornstein, containing pure and corporeal gold, although mixt with silver and copper, may be burnt and ground, and extracted with Mercury, and if they abound with gold, be purged by flux; which labours are usual with diggers and dealers in metals, of which I do not intend to write, because others have heretofore writ of them. But those flints Quartzen and Hornstein every where almost to be found, containing but a mean quantity of dispersed iron-like Gold, Marcasite-like, and that either fixt or volatile, cannot be separated with gain, to wit, neither by Mercury nor by Flux, wherefore they are neglected by the Miners, either out of ignorance or for the intolerable costs. But I having tryed those base stones, that how little gold soever they possess; yet may it be separated with great gain, I would not intermit to publish this knowledge for my Christian neighbours sake, not doubting but this publication will be profitable to very many. For I am not ignorant that there are as well learned, as unlearned, noble as ignoble, secular as spiritual, either by war or otherwise exposed to poverty, so that they are hardly able to maintain their family, &c. and for their sakes and others in want. I have published this secret, which rightly handled may bring no small gain yearly, but especially where those stones are plentiful, and also that spirit of salt, whereof the description is given in the first part of the Philosophical Furnaces, and hereafter there shall be given a better, if nothing hinder; in the mean while use and enjoy these. And if it happen so that thou canst not rightly perform all things of the aforesaid tractate, blush not to learn the manual Operations [which cannot be so exactly described] from those that are experienced, lest you hereafter unprofitably spend your labour and costs. As for those stones know that very many of them are found in several places, chiefly in those that are sandy and mountainous, but in some more and better than in others: for there is seldom seen sand without flints, and oft-times the sand it self, though very little doth not want Gold. But they are very likely to be found on the shoars of Rivers, where the waters washing away the sand from the flints they are found in great abundance, though they are not so easily known by their outside, as those which were found clean in the sand, because they are covered with slime. Wherefore they must be broken with a hammer, that that may be seen which is in them, which may better appear if they be burnt, and quencht in cold water. For the stone retaining its whiteness when it is burnt and quencht doth contain nothing; but acquiring a redness it shews there is something in it, and the more red it is the better token it is.

N. B. But this is not to be understood of sandy stones, waxing red in some part, in the fire, containing no gold, but of flints out of which by a mutual percussion fire is brought forth, which the more pure they are the purer gold do they yield. There are also flints out of which fire is forced by percussion being red in the fire, which contain no gold but Iron; which you may know by that clear redness before the burning, which being burnt is changed into an obscure redness, not shining and crude: but the flints containing Gold, being burnt do acquire a fair golden yellowness, or reddish colour, as if they were covered with gold, and that through the whole substance if they be broken in pieces. And these give a pure gold, but those other yield a red extraction like blood, yielding not gold, but the purest and malleable iron, good in Chymick uses, (but chiefly for silver to be cemented and exalted) for gold is seldome to be found in them; the which is well to be observed lest thou draw out iron in stead of gold, and so lose thy labour.

Also the best stones containing gold, are those which are white and shining, here and there throughout having in the whole substance green spots and lines, red, yellow, skie-coloured and brown. There are also black flints out of which fire is forced by percussion, having gold and iron, which may be separated with profit, yielding sometimes plenty of ironish Gold, which may in like manner, be separated of which afterward.

They are very good flints also which being burnt retain a whiteness, with veins green, skie-coloured, and such like, neither are they disesteemed which burnt, have black spots, and not veins.

But the stones (Quartzen and Hornstein) although they in burning are not altered, yet if there be seen before gold volatile and spiritual, they by separation of themselves yield gold.

Gross and subtle sand having light and yellow gold, yields in the burning a skie-coloured smoak, and is exalted in colour, viz. brownish: but that hath nothing which is not altered.

Subtle earth, yellow or red, passing through sand or a mountain like a vein contains also gold, which is for the most part volatile, and not mature, flying away in reduction, having ingress into silver and other metals, and therefore for this reason conservable.