He that will stew beef, and make it as tender as kid, must first dissolve in it tartar and a little salt before he wets the flesh therewith, and the flesh will not only be preserved but made tender thereby: but to keep flesh a long time you must mix some water therewith, and with weights press down the flesh, that it may be covered with the pickle: for by this means flesh may be preserved a great while.
After the same manner may all kinds of garden fruits be preserved, as cucumbers, purslain, fennel, broom, German capers, &c. and indeed better than in vinegar. Also flowers, and hearbs may a long while be preserved by the help thereof, so that you may have a rose all the winter.
It preserves also wine, if a little be mixed therewith. A little thereof being mixed with milk precipitates the cheese, which if it be rightly made is never corrupted, being like to such cheese as they call Parmesan. The whey of that milk dissolves Iron, and cures any scab being washed therewith.
With the help of spirit of salt is made with honey, and sugar a most pleasant drink, not unlike to wine. There is made also of certain fruits with the spirit of salt a very good vinegar like to the Rhenish vinegar. Such and many more things, which I will not now divulge, may be done with spirit of salt.
And thus have I in some measure taught the use of the spirit of salt, which I would not have you take as if I had revealed all things; for, brevities sake, as also for some other reasons I have silently passed over many things. Neither do I know all things my self: but those things, which I do know, I have so far declared that others may from thence have hints of seeking further. He that would describe all, and every power and vertue thereof, had need to write a whole volum, the which is not my purpose at this time to do, but may perhaps be done another time. There shall also be shewed in the second part of this book, some secrets which may be prepared by the help of this spirit: as how it may be dulcified to extract the tincture of gold, and of other metals, leaving a white body, which tincture is a medicine not to be slighted. Wherefore now seeing it is manifest how great things this spirit can do, every one will desire a good quantity for his houshold uses, especially seeing most excellent spirits may be made after an easie and short way.
How an acid spirit, or vinegar may be distilled out of all vegetables, as hearbs, woods, roots, seeds, &c.
First put a few living coals into the furnace, then put upon them the wood that is to be distilled, that it may be burnt: out of which whilst it is burning goes forth the acid spirit thereof into the receiver, where being condensed it falls down into another receiver, resembling almost common vinegar in its smell, wherefore also it is called the vinegar of woods.
And after this manner you may draw forth an acid spirit out of any wood, or vegetable, and that in a great quantity without costs, because the wood to be distilled is put but upon a very few living coals, and upon that another, for one kindles the other; and this spirit requires no more charges than of the wood to be distilled; which is a great difference betwixt this, and the common way of distilling, where besides retorts, is required another fire; and out of a great retort scarce a pound of spirit is drawn in the space of five or six hours; whereas in ours in the space of one day, and that without any cost or labor may be extracted twenty or thirty pound, because the wood is immediately to be cast into the fire to be distilled, and that not in pieces, but whole. Now this spirit (being rectified) may commodiously be used in divers Chymical operations, for it doth easily dissolve animal stones, as the eyes of Crabs, the stones of Perches, and Carps, Corals also and Pearl, &c. as doth vinegar of wine. By means thereof also are dissolved the glasses of metals, as of tin, lead, Antimony, and are extracted, and reduced into sweet oyles.
This vinegar being taken inwardly of it self doth cause sweat wonderfully, wherefore it is good in many diseases, especially that which is made of Oak, Box; Guaiacum, Juniper, and other heavy woods; for by how much the heavier the woods are, by so much the more acid spirit do they yield.
Being used outwardly it mundifies ulcers, wounds, consolidates, extinguisheth, and mitigates inflammations caused by fire, cures the scab, but especially the decoction being made of its own wood in the same. Being mixed with warm water for a bath for the lower part of the body, it cures occult diseases of women; as also malignant ulcers of the leggs.