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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

But yet it is not necessary to leave the Salt with the Metals, seeing it is better to separate it from the Metals with common Water, and so use it again to the same labours rather than let it be lost in the melting.

The Reduction of the Metals from which the dissolving Water is separated.

Albeit that that Reduction hath been already described in my second Century, yet I thought it worth while here again to repeat the same in a few words.

It is to be done two manner of ways, and that partly in Crucibles, and partly in the melting Furnace which the Germans call Stichofen. The pure Metals, as the Gold and Silver are wont to be molten and reduced in Crucibles: the Copper may be reduced in the said Furnace, and needs nothing to be added about its Reduction. But for the reducing of Gold and Silver, fix Salts, the Glass of Lead, Borax and other additions of that kind, (of which we have made mention in the second Century) may be made use of. And as touching the addition of those matters which are wont to be used to promote the easier Fusion, this is primarily to be regarded, whether or no the Metals are pure and alone [by themselves] or else have other Metals mixt with them, that (so acordingly) convenient additions may be applied. For if the Gold should also have Copper or Iron in it, then there cannot be any better thing added than Antimony, which reduceth the Gold by one and the same labour [or Operation] and also separates the Copper and Iron therefrom, which thing, other such like matters that are used to make the Fusion the easier, do not perform. Therefore it is necessary that he who would set himself about such Operations, do well understand the Artifice of a metallick Fusion, and so administer or order his labours by adding or taking from, according as the subject requires and as is best. It is impossible to prescribe such things to any one in such a manner as to make him presently understand, learn, and imitate the same.

Some other manual Operations which are needfull to be known in the use of this Instrument and which may be exercised.

First of all, it would be no small or mean Compendium, [or good Contrivance] if this same Instrument were composed of two or three parts, taking for the lowermost part a broad Iron Pot, and so to set on the upper part with its Door and Pipe thereto annexed. And because the bottoms of the Iron Pots do a little bow rounding, and that yet notwithstanding the Pots you put therein may not stand leaning or awry, the bottom is to be made level with calcined Allum, that so the Pots put in upon that may stand upright. From hence likewise ariseth this Commodity too, that if your Pots should chance to break, and the dissolvent run out, it would not be so lost but would lodge it self in the burnt Allum, and may easily be recovered in the preparation of the sharp Waters and be applied to use.

Secondly, the Instrument may likewise be so prepared, as that the Pots may be put thereinto by taking off the upper part, and then the Pots being put in, the upper part must be adjoyned again to the nether part, and [so] be again covered with its Cover; for being thus, there needs not the Door in the side to put the Pots in by.

N. B. There must be some Notch or Channel likewise fitted to the top of that upper part, which being filled with Sand may receive in it the Cover, and so prevent the out-let of the Spirits that way, by means of its tight shutting; as we have taught in the second part of the Furnaces. The Instrument prepared on this wise, will haply be more commodious to many Men, than if it had a Hole or Door in the side. But every Man may choose either this or the other way, which he pleaseth.

Thus have I now taught, and opened the use of my more secret way of easily preparing the sharp Spirits of Salts in great quantity, and the manner of dealing about the Extraction of Metals out of the poorer metallick Earths: Away (I say) most easie to do such great things, and which was never as yet known unto the World.

But yet I doubt not but that the Metals will for the time to come be plentifully and very profitably extracted (and so applied to common use) by the help of this Artifice and Instrument, out of the poorer Minera’s which contain in them Gold, Silver, and Copper, and which will not quit the costs of the Fire; and forasmuch as by the help of this Instrument, the sharp Spirits of Salts may be gotten easily and in large quantity, not onely for the Extraction of the Minerals, but also for the concentrating of moist Fires, and seeing that wonderfull things may be done by the help of those Fires; I do therefore commend it to the Studious of Art, as a thing of better esteem than ordinary, and have sufficient reason of so doing. For to omit the saying, that those cold Fires do give an excellent Magnet for Water or Ice, they do also abound with such virtue as by which they can ripen and better the Metals; the which we will make a larger description of, in what follows.