This coagulation of sharp Spirits out of Salts, is done the same way as the coagulation of common Water, and other sweet liqours is performed by; but the separation ought to be done in Vessels of the best Earth, or in Glass, because of their sharpness. And certain it is, that with these coagulated Spirits of Salts many things of great moment may be done, the mentioning whereof we for brevity sake do here pass over.
For I have purposed to demonstrate at this time, some secrets onely which are mentioned in the second part of Miraculum Mundi, and to assert the truth of them.
By these two described coagulations any one may easily learn that the coagulation of other moist things are possible to be done.
XXXVIII. How the head of a fountain may be stopped up by this Sal. Mirabilis.
It sometimes happens that there breaks out a Spring of Waters in some places where it proves offensive and hurtfull. And forasmuch as they are sometimes very difficult to be stopt up, I will set down a way in this place of stopping it by Sal Mirabilis, but chiefly to this end, that the nature and property of things may be throughly learned, and besides, that even Arts and Sciences themselves do sometime bring no small help, especially when no counsel avails. Take therefore of your Sal Mirabilis, heated red hot as much as is sufficient, wrap it up in a linnen cloth and thrust it into the hole of the Fountain, and it will be turned with the Water into an hard Stone, and thereby enforceth the Fountain to seek it self some other passage.
XXXIX. The way of separating the Phlegm from subtile Spirits.
Because the Volatile and sulphureous Spirits of Salts are of great efficacy in Medicine, and principally when their Phlegm or aqueous humidities are removed from them, the which thing every one can’t bring to pass, I have therefore judged it worth while, even for the sake of the Sick, to discover an easie way of so doing, by my Sal. Mirabilis as follows.
Fill a Glass Cucurbit half full with Sal. Mirabilis, pour thereupon the Volatile Spirit of Vitriol, Niter, or common Salt, and distill thence by B. the most subtile Spirit, the which will come off, and leave the unprofitable Phlegm behind with the Sal. Mirabilis, the which (by heating red hot) you may again render fit for new operations.
XL. Another and easier way, yea even almost an incredible and miraculous one of freeing Wine, Ale, Vinegar, Brandy, and all other moist liquors from their unprofitable Phlegm in a moment of time, by my Sal. Mirabilis.
The precedent coagulation of moist liquors ariseth from that most great driness which lies hid in the Sal. Mirabilis. But this way we now deliver, proceedeth from the concentrated cold of moist Fires, which Fires we have treated of in the first Century, and ’tis thus.