Notes of experiments in chemistry and alchemy (MS Add.3973)

Experiments

December 10, 1678. Crude, unwashed, and finely powdered antimony original symbol: ♁; a common mineral used in alchemical processes 240 grains was mixed with sal ammoniac original symbol: ✱; ammonium chloride, used as a flux or to aid sublimation by sublimation The process of heating a substance until it turns into vapor and then solidifies again. This left 130 grains at the bottom. The sublimate The solid material collected after vaporizing and cooling appeared very red.

December 11. 180 grains of this sublimate, mixed with 240 grains of powdered iron ore, left 250 grains in the bottom of the vessel.

December 12. I took 1 part iron original symbol: ♂ and 2 parts antimony. Joined together original: conjunctim, I used 360 grains of antimony and 240 grains of sal ammoniac, which left 228 grains.

Also, tin (one part) and bismuth original: tinglass (one part), melted together, produced a more easily melted metal than a mixture of one part tin and two parts bismuth.

December 13. I put the 228 grains together with 150 grains of fresh melted iron and 525 grains of sal ammoniac; there remained 176 grains. That is, 510 grains of matter and 775 grains of sal ammoniac (a ratio of 3 to 2) left 176 grains (a ratio of 6/17).

December 14. The 176 grains, with more sal ammoniac, left 176 grains of a solution of the substance.

December 15. After I had precipitated what was sublimed and extracted it in a boiling water bath original: balneo aqua ebullientis, I took what I could extract. The extract was purified original: edulcorated; washed of salts and dried, weighing 116 grains. The residue, from which I could extract no more after it was purified and dried, weighed 242 grains (which is twice as much as the extract). The total sum of 358 grains, added to the 176 grains, makes 534. The extract was of a whitish-grey color and would hardly melt in the flame of a candle. The residue was the color of antimony and melted easily upon a hot iron. They both melted and almost entirely evaporated; original: flew almost all away though the residue melted like antimony, crude antimony would not have evaporated in this way.

Also, bismuth (2 parts), iron (one part), and lead original symbol: ♄ "impregnated" (about 2 parts) would not melt together, but only made a soft mixture.

Also, crude antimony (3 parts) and impregnated lead (2 parts) melted together with bubbling original: ebullition. When about 1/3 of the lead was put in, the matter bubbled much and was very liquid. After putting in the rest, it grew almost hard while still in the fire. When cold, it was a hard, brittle powder. Upon a hot iron, they both melted and almost entirely evaporated, which crude antimony would not do.

December 16. 127 grains of impregnated lead and the precipitate and extract together (amounting to 254 grains) were well mixed and melted together at a dark red heat. This yielded a brittle mixture of about 310 grains. Of this, 120 grains were carried up vaporized with twice its weight of sal ammoniac, leaving 45 grains in the bottom.