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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

But you will ask perhaps, why doth not any other salt help Germination? Why is the salt of dung required to Germination, and no other? We have already answered that, like are helped with like; and contraries are destroyed by contraries: For experience doth testify, that every seed consists in a lixivial salt and sulphur, and not in any acid salt; wherefore also it doth desire and embrace its like. Let him therefore, that will not believe it, make tryal of the distillation of the seed of any vegetable; of which, let him force over a pound by a retort; and he shall see by experience, that not an acid spirit, but a flegm together with plenty of oyl, and volatile salt whitening the whole Receiver, comes over; being that which no root or stalk can do: for the chiefest vertue, odour, and tast of vegetables, animals, and minerals is found in the seed, in which thing provident Nature hath done very well, whilest she attributes the chiefest faculties to the seed, being more obnoxious to injuries then the rest, which is also preserved, nourished; and cherished by its like.

Now this discourse which might otherwise have been omitted, was therefore appointed, that the cause of the germination of vegetables might be made the more manifest; and that what things have been spoken of the attraction, and fixation of all things might the better be understood. The germination therefore, and multiplication of both minerals, vegetables and animals must be spontaneous, and not forced, as is that barren and frustraneous of the false Chymists, because preternatural. Wherefore when you fix any thing be cautious in the adding of any thing that should retain it, with which nothing can be fixed. Fire indeed doth always do its office; but it knows not how to help any preternatural thing; which it doth wholly destroy, against which nothing can be prevalent, unless it be rightly ordained according to Nature.

And thus much is spoken for instruction sake, to thee that intendest to fix any thing, lest otherwise thou losest thy labour.

Of the making of the best crucibles.

The best crucibles that are requisite for the fourth furnace, not being found in every place, I thought it worth while to set down the manner of making them: for I am not ignorant how oftentimes many for want of these are constrained to be content with those that are useless, and truly with great loss of metals, whilest the crucibles are broken in the fire, and consequently with a tediousness in drawing them out of the ashes.

Chymists have been in a great errour a long time, and not only they but also goldsmiths, and they that separate metals, as also others that need the help of crucibles, who perswade themselves that the best earth that is fit to make the best crucibles is to be found no where but in Hassia; and therefore with great charges have caused that Gibsensian crucibles be brought over; not considering that almost in every place in Germany such earth is to be found, which indeed is a very great folly of men, proceeding from the not knowing of good earth which is to be found almost every where. I do not deny but that the earth of Hassia is very good for crucibles, tyles, retorts, and other vessels which are to be set in a very great Fire, for which cause also is commended Gibsensian, and Waldburgensian crucibles.

A few years since some have made their crucibles, and other vessels that will endure the fire well, of earth brought out of England, and France into Holland, which have retained metals very well in the fire, but not salts, because they are too porous and not so compact as those of Hassia, wherefore those of Hassia are still preferred before others, retaining better, metals, and salts. But although this earth be brought from thence to other places, yet such strong crucibles could not be made thereof, the cause whereof being not the constitution of the air, and place to Which some have falsely imputed it, but an error in the making and burning of them. For in Hassia there is a great abundance of wood, of which there is no sparing in the burning the crucibles even to a stony hardness, which could not be done by a smal Fire of turffes.

The like errour is committed about stone pots, and other vessels which are made at Frechemium and Siburgus, and other places near Colen, which are carryed almost through all Europe, the goodness whereof is ascribed only to the earth, and not to the making. But now experience hath taught us that any good earth doth become stony in a violent fire, without respect of the place where it is taken. Wherefore it is very probable, being a thing possible, that such vessels are made elsewhere: for every earth being burnt retaining a white colour, viz. with an indifferent Fire, makes pots, and crucibles porous, but with a stronger, and with a longer delay, compact like glass, especially if common salt be cast in a plentiful manner upon them, being burnt with a very strong fire, because it addes to them being very well burnt within an external glasy smoothness, by which means they will be the better able to retain spirits in the Fire. Wherefore let no man doubt concerning the making the foresaid vessels of any other earth that is white in burning, with the help of a very strong Fire: which by how much the greater whiteness it gets in burning, by so much the better and excellent pots it makes; and seeing there is a great difference of making crucibles to be set in the Fire, and of stone pots retaining liquid things, I shall shew the manner of making both, viz. of stone pots belonging to the first and second furnace, and of crucibles to the fourth, and thus it is.

He that will try the goodness of white and pure earth, viz. whether it grows stony in the fire, let him cast a peice of crude earth of the bigness of a hens egge into a very strong Fire, observing whether it doth quickly or slowly cleave and break in pieces; which if it doth not cleave and become powder, although it may have some cracks, is good earth, and fit for burning, if so be the mixture be well made, in which lys the art.

The earth that is to be burnt, for pots, receivers, and bottles, needs no other preparation then that for bricks, which because for the most part it is too fat, you must mix with it clean sifted fusible sand, tread it with your feet, and knead it with your hands before vessels be made thereof; which being made are to be dryed in the heat of the Sun, or in some other warm place; and being dryed are to be burnt in a very strong Fire for the space of twenty four or thirty hours, on which in the mean time you may cast salt if you please, which being thus burnt do like glass retain easily all liquid things. But let him that makes crucibles, tyles, bricks and other vessels appointed for a very strong Fire, use more diligence in the making of them. And truly first he must beat very small with a wooden hammer, the earth being dryed well in the Sun, or elsewhere, and being beaten searse it through a great searse, and to one part of the sifted earth mix two, three, or four parts (the fatness of the earth being considered) of the earth burnt in a potters furnace, and powdered, which being mixed with a sufficient quantity of water he must tread with his feet, and afterwards knead with his hands, and the earth will be prepared for the making of vessels, and when he makes crucibles and tests, let him provide for wooden moulds both greater and smaller, made in a turn, by the help whereof they may be made, for the aforesaid vessels cannot be formed by the usual art of the potters; because the matter of them must be very lean, appointed for a most strong fire; wherefore commonly they are made by the help of moulds after the following manner.