New Philosophical Furnaces

PART I.

...that it is not a sincere spirit of salt original: "spiritum salis"; hydrochloric acid., because of the admixture of the spirit of vitriol Sulfate minerals. and alum Potassium aluminum sulfate., but rather a mixed and composite one.

Response. No spirit of vitriol or alum can be distilled by this method, which I have often proven by casting vitriol or alum alone into the furnace, where I received no spirit at all. The reason for this is that these spirits are far heavier than the spirit of salt, and they are not able to ascend to such a height—namely, three spans original: "spithamarum"; a span is a measurement based on the width of an expanded hand, roughly nine inches.—but are instead burnt up, so that nothing can be distilled but phlegm A watery, non-active distillate..

Therefore, the spirit produced by this method is not a mixture, but a purely distilled spirit of salt, possessing the same taste and power as that which is made on its own. In this furnace, the spirits of alum and vitriol cannot be made unless the pipe exits the furnace near the grate original: "craticulam"; the metal framework holding the burning coals., as can be seen from the illustration of the furnace; otherwise, it cannot happen.

For this reason, the production of these other spirits is better and more correctly taught in the second part of this work. And even assuming that something were to come out along with the spirit of salt—which is nonetheless impossible—what harm, I ask, would come from it, whether in the dissolving of metals or in medicine? Thus, the spirit prepared in this manner is free from suspicion.

Nevertheless, I shall satisfy the skeptic and give him another way of distilling the spirit without the addition of alum or vitriol, but this will be in the second part of this book. There, I will describe a furnace through which spirit of nitre Nitric acid., aqua fortis original: "aqua fortis"; literally "strong water," a historical term for nitric acid., and other combustible substances are made—such as vegetable oils, animal fats, and other things that cannot be produced through this current furnace. In this way, I shall satisfy those who are not pleased by the aforementioned method.