Secrets of the Adepts - A Bardon Companion

close, set it in Balneo to be dissolved; being dissolved decant, and putrify with new Spirit of
Wine added the space of eight Days in Balneo, then Distill gently one half in Balneo, and
being Distilled pour it again to the remainder, and Distill again, but with a stronger Fire, that
all may ascend through the Alembick: Being Distilled, rectifie it so often, till it be without
Fæces.
Annotations.
Hitherto of things Oyly acuating the Spirit of Philosophical Wine: now follow those things
which are less Oyly, Volatile Salts, which though they seem not to be Oyly, yet that they are
so is easily demonstrated by the following preparations of Salts Harmoniack, whole Earths,
otherwise most fixed and flowing like Wax, are by the Unctuosity alone of the Menstruum
made Volatile, but this wilt not now be our inquiry: It sufficeth us to use crude and common
Sal Armoniack, Salt of Urine, Blood, etc for the acuition of the Spirit of Philosophical Wine,
which Salts do by their aridity alter the Unctuosity of this Spirit, more than the aforesaid Oyly
Matters, and consequently make the Vegetable Menstruum stronger. The same Receipt hath
Trismosinus Libro novem Tincturarum in Tinctura Quarta, pag. 59 as also in Tinctura
Pitrumonsonis Philosophi Angli, pag. 90 of the aforesaid Book. Trismosinus sublimes crude
Sal Armoniack several times upon Salt fused, to be acuated by the acidity of this Salt, and
then the better dissolved by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine. Geber de investigat. Magist, pag.
284. Sublimes Sal Armoniack with an equal proportion of Salt. Aristotle the Chymist
perfected this sublimation after this manner, pag. 74. Volum. 3. Theat Chym. Take of Sal
Armoniack one Pound, of Spuma Maris six Ounces, of Sal Gemme, of common Salt and Alum,
of each two Ounces, grind them all together and Sift through a thick Hair Sieve, then put the
Matter into an Aludel, and sublime, and the Sublimation repeat.
The Sal Armoniack being thus sublimed, is impregnated with the Spirit of Wine, (not
common, for then would the process not succeed, but Philosophical Wine) and then dissolved
per deliquium: For the Unctuosity of this Spirit cannot dissolve the substance of Sal
Armoniack, being heterogeneous to it, but successively, and by slow degrees. Wherefore this
dissolution will better succeed according to the Method of Lully. Dissolve, saith he, Sal
Armoniack in the Phlegme of Vinum of Lotium, (Philosophical Wine made of Urine) pass it
through a Filter, and remove the Water by Balneo, and the Salt will remain coagulated and
white; dissolve again with the Phlegm, and Distil it away by Balneo. Then take such a
quantity of Aqua Vitœ (Spirit of Philosophical Wine) as you have of Phlegm, and pour them
together upon the same Salt, and the Vessel being covered with its Antenotorium (Blind
Alembick) set it in Balneo twenty four Hours; the Antenotorium being taken away, and an
Alembick put on, Distill by Balneo with a most gentle Fire, when the Salt is coagulated,
congeal it again, repeat the same Magistery, dissolving by turns after this manner, and
congealing three times and so have you reduced the said Salt into a Vegetable Virtue by the
help of the Vegetative Spirit, by which you dissolved and congealed it. Lully in Exp. 16. Sal
Armoniack is easily dissolved in the Phlegm of Philosophical Wine, and so is by this means
sooner joyned with the Unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine, than if it were immediately
cast into this Spirit. That Trismosinus knew also this Method, and sometimes made use of it,
appears by the following Menstruum.
15. Another Water of Sal Armoniack of Trismosinus.
In Tinctura Gereton, pag. 98. Aur. Vel. German.
Take of Sal Armoniack Crude two Pounds, let it be dissolved in Wine (Philosophical)
Cristallize it, let the Cristals be dissolved per deliquium; the solution divide into two parts,