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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

But he that would have some Salt-peter from this inverted Salt in a shorter tract of time, let him know, that the Seed or Ferment of Salt-peter must be added unto the said heap, that so this same Seed may get augmentation from the Salt, and encrease and grow, like as an herb is wont to grow in a fat and saline Earth. For all things have their Seeds, and doe draw their Encrease out of other Salts. The Seed of Salt-peter is volatile, as is its acid Spirit: its Root is fixed Niter; which being implanted in all sharp Salts, doth beget Salt-peter in a most plentifull manner, and such as is very good, or even better than that which ariseth out of those acid Salts and Alcalies.

We doe not here show this propagation of fix Salt-peter by acid Salts, because it is described in the following Labour and Operation.

Therefore like as any Vegetable may be propagated and multiplied not onely by the help of its Seed, but even of its Root too; Even just so is it with Salt-peter, for it admits of propagation and multiplication by the means both of its Seed and of its Root, as other Herbs doe.

As concerning the Seed of Salt-peter, it is very easily preparable by those who deal in metallick separations and extractions by the moist way. For if Gold be separated from Silver by Aq. Fortis; or that Gold and Silver be by it extracted out of their Oars, this very operation hath already abundantly recompenced the charges laid out thereon, and so it offers it self without any costs, and as it were Gratis.

And now, if I pour this water on, instead of common Water, upon the inverted Salt, it does not onely become good Salt-peter, but doth also yield (as being the Seed of true Salt-peter) an hundred fold encrease, after the manner of the Seed of all Vegetables, and doth the same as they do. And by how much the more of this Nitrous Seed is sown in the Earth, so much the more Salt-peter, and so much the sooner too is generated. For when a Gardener doth sow his Seed sparingly, he must necessarily have but a thin harvest: and so on the contrary is it to be understood of a plentifull harvest. And if now there should be any one that should upbraid the Gardener with the slowness of his Seed, because it produceth not Buds, nor Stalks, nor Flowers, nor Fruits in a few days space, would not he say that he cannot compell nature, for it reserves to it self its due time, and its natural course?

The very same would I have you understand here concerning Salt-peter: if haply my Enemies, those most ignorant Sheepsheads, would object against me, that seeing the Salt-peter doth not presently, in a few days, grow or spring forth from its seed sown, therefore that seed was nor true nor good, or that it is altogether impossible that Salt-peter should be generated so plenteously out of Common Salt: I answer such, as the Gardener does, ’Tis necessary to allow Nature her own appointed time.

But that it may evidently appear, that this my planting of Salt-peter, and that this augmentation may be far more evidently demonstrated, than that of any Vegetable seed; the business may be tried for confirmation sake in a small Experiment, afore you set about a more laborious and prolix exercise, and to prevent your fears of attempting it in vain.

Take the Salt prepared with the Calx-vive three pound, and put each a-part in several Earthen Vessels. Take likewise of the Water of Salt-peter already used (as being the Seed of Salt-peter) one ounce, two ounces, and four ounces: with the one ounce of that Aq. Fortis commix as much Common water as may serve to moisten one pound of the aforesaid inverted Salt: Then to the two ounces of the same Aq. Fortis, adjoyn likewise as much water as may serve to moisten the other pound of Salt with: And so doe with the other four ounces, and therewithall moisten the third pound: Set those three Pots, containing the three several pounds of the said prepared Salt, at the heat of the Sun, but so, as that the Rain may not come, and wash off all the Salt. All the moisture being consumed by the Solar heat, moisten your matters in your pots with Rain water onely, so often, as the drying needs the watering it. When two or three months are over, take out each pound separately by washing it out of the matters in each pot, and you shall find a vast difference, and shall see that that one pound of Salt which had those four ounces of Nitrous seed in it will be all transmuted into Salt-peter, save a few feces: but that pound which had two ounces of the said Seed poured upon it, will contain a lesser portion of Salt-peter; and the other which had but one ounce onely will have the least portion. Moreover, if you pour those Salt-waters you washt out, and which are not yet turned into Salt-peter, upon the feces again, and so dry it as afore, and bestow yet other three months on these exsiccations and moistnings, and then again boil the Salt-peter out of the Salt, it will be much encreased and bettered; and so you will have so much the greater encrease of Salt, by how much the longer you shall have prosecuted this Labour. Such Experiments doe demonstrate, that by how much the more Seed there is sown in a fat and salt Earth, so much the more plentifull encrease of the Seed is to be expected.

But those deriding mockers and persecutors of Art and Truth may here object and say, that the Salt-peter ariseth from the Salt-peter water onely that was put thereunto, and not from the Salt it self? But I answer, That that used Aq. Fortis is indeed the Seed of Salt-peter, but can never recover the Nature of Salt-peter without the help of some fix body: Like as the Seed of an herb cannot become an herb, unless it be cast into a moist and salt Earth, from thence doth it get its body, and so is encreased.

Verily I willingly confess, that the Spirit of Nitre may be reduced to the former nature of Salt peter, by assuming it self a body out of all the fix Salts. But yet, as far as I have hitherto known, by my manifold inquiries and investigations a long time, I could not find any other Salt (save the following) by the help of which, those Waters used about metalline Washings, may be sooner and better transmuted into Salt-peter, like as this, and the following Salts doe: And therefore I doe commend it as of the best rank for the making of Salt-peter. The manner of preparing good salt Nitre out of the extracted Oars is already revealed in the first Century, and therefore needs no superfluous repetition here.