16. Proserpine, or the Goddess of Riches.
17. Of Elias the Artist.
18. Of the three most noble Stones generated by three Fires.
19. Of the Purgatory of Philosophers.
20. Of the secret Fire of Philosophers.
21. A Treatise concerning the Animal Stone.
John Kunkel, who acquired a high reputation as a chemist, was born in the Duchy of Sleswick; in the year 1630: his father was a trading chemist, or apothecary; and Kunkel himself had, in his younger years, paid great attention to the business of an apothecary: he had also diligently studied the different processes of glass-making; and had paid particular attention to the assaying of metals. In the year 1659, he was chamberlain, chemist, and superintendent of apothecaries to the dukes Francis Charles and Julius Henry, of Lauenburg. While in this situation, he examined many pretended transmutations of metals, and undertook other researches of importance. From this situation he was invited, by John George II., Elector of Saxony, on the recommendation of Dr. Langelott and Counsellor Vogt, as chamberlain and superintendent of the elector’s laboratory, with a considerable salary. From this situation he went to Berlin, where he was chemist to the elector Frederick William; after whose death, his laboratory and glass-house were accidentally burnt. From Berlin he was invited to Stockholm by Charles XI., King of Sweden, who gave him the title of counsellor of metals, and raised him to the rank of a nobleman: here he died, in 1702, in the seventy-second year of his age. Kunkel’s greatest discovery was, the method of extracting phosphorus from urine. This curious substance had been originally discovered by Brandt, a chemist, of Hamburg, in the year 1669, as he was attempting to extract from human urine a liquid capable of converting silver into gold. He showed a specimen of it to Kunkel, with whom he was acquainted: Kunkel mentioned the fact as a piece of news to one Kraft, a friend of his in Dresden, where he then resided: Kraft immediately repaired to Hamburg, and purchased the secret from Brandt for 200 rix-dollars, doubtless exacting from him, at the same time, a promise not to reveal it to any other person. Soon after, he exhibited the phosphorus publicly in Britain and in France; whether for money, or not, does not appear. Kunkel, who had mentioned to his friend his intention of getting possession of the process, being vexed at the treacherous conduct of Kraft, attempted to discover it himself, and, after three or four years labour, he succeeded, though all that he knew from Brandt was, that urine was the substance from which the phosphorus was procured. In consequence of this success, phosphorus was at first distinguished by the epithet of Kunkel added to the name.
Kunkel published, in 1678, a treatise on phosphorus, in which he describes the properties of this substance, at that time a subject of great wonder and curiosity. In this treatise, he proposes phosphorus as a remedy of some efficacy, and gives a formula for preparing pills of it, to be taken internally. It is therefore erroneous to suppose, as has been done, that the introduction of this dangerous remedy into medicine is a modern discovery. Kunkel appears to have been acquainted with nitric ether. One of the most valuable of his books, is his treatise on glass-making, which was translated into French; and which, till nearly the end of the eighteenth century, constituted by far the best account of glass-making in existence. The following is a list of the most important of his works:
1. Observations on fixed and volatile Salts, potable Gold and Silver, Spiritus Mundi, &c.; also of the colour and smell of metals, minerals, and bitumens.—This tract was published at Hamburg, in 1678, and has been several times reprinted since.
2. Chemical Remarks on the chemical Principles, acid, fixed and volatile alkaline Salts, in the three kingdoms of nature, the mineral, vegetable, and animal; likewise concerning their colour and smell, &c.; with a chemical appendix against non-entia chymica.