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

The part that was sublimed and then precipitated appeared almost white at first, but while drying, it turned the color of dark dirt. On a red-hot iron, it melted and evaporated original: "flew", but not as easily as the previous sample.

December 17. One part antimony original symbol: ♁ and one part lead original symbol: ♄ were melted together and became very fluid. To this, I believe half a part of iron original symbol: ♂ was added and mixed, also becoming very fluid. However, adding another half-part of iron did not mix well; it created a substance that seemed very fluid, but upon being poured out, it was partly liquid and partly powder.

Also, one part antimony and three parts lead became very fluid at a dark red heat. However, when one more part of lead was added, it became viscous and would no longer flow. Perhaps if four parts of lead had been added at the start, it would have flowed.

Also, one part antimony, three parts lead, and half a part iron were put in together (the iron and lead were mixed, and the antimony was placed on top of them in the crucible). At a red heat, they formed a substance as viscous as birdlime A sticky, tacky substance traditionally used to catch birds. When cold, it was full of bubbles and very brittle, like a cinder.

December 18. [I found it] This phrase was crossed out in the original manuscript. However, upon subliming Heating a solid until it turns into vapor and then solidifies again upon cooling, I could not find that any of the lead was carried up in the vapor.

December 19. I put two parts antimony and one part [of the same] together; also, two parts iron and one part iron. The first mixture, when powdered, weighed 3.5 [units] (that is, 436 grains) plus 84 grains, totaling 520 grains. To this, I added 3.25 [units] plus 126 grains of sal ammoniac original symbol: ✱; ammonium chloride, often used as a flux, totaling 889 grains. The other mixture weighed 510 grains, to which I added 875 grains of sal ammoniac. The first mixture left 258 grains in the bottom of the vessel; the last mixture left 3.5 [units] minus 15 grains, which equals 203 grains.

January 15. I sublimed 80 grains of this precipitate of iron mixed with three times as much powdered sal ammoniac. I dried these well. Afterward, during the sublimation, when the material was almost as hot as possible without turning it a dark red, a moisture ascended in white fumes which settled into clear water. Afterward, some white flowers Flaky or powdery crystals produced by the process of sublimation arose, but the fuller’s earth A type of clay used here to weight down or filter the mixture held the material down. Therefore, I sublimed 80 grains again by itself original Latin: per se, and with the same degree of heat, there first arose a liquid as before, and...