The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber: containing, great variety of choice secrets in medicine and alchymy in the working of metallick mines, and the separation of metals. Also, various cheap and easie ways of making salt-petre, and improving of barren-land, and the fruits of the earth / Translated into English, and pub. for publick good by Christopher Packe.

  • Glauber, Johann Rudolf, 1604-1670.
Date:
1689
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber: containing, great variety of choice secrets in medicine and alchymy in the working of metallick mines, and the separation of metals. Also, various cheap and easie ways of making salt-petre, and improving of barren-land, and the fruits of the earth / Translated into English, and pub. for publick good by Christopher Packe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    774/820 (page 64)
    Of the Three Fl%E^ STORES. generated out of Saltpeter concentrated, and Sulphitr. Steel is concentrated Sulphur^ that hath alfo Power to concentrate Saltpeter^ and fo to generate this marve * lous Fire. The Meteorical Thundf’r-Hre^ is a terrihle one, but our Steel-fire h more wonderful in itsEflence and Operation, as we (hall heer by and by, for incre¬ dible things are wrought by it, fo that even the Stone of Philofophers, never fo well prepared, is not to be compared with it. whether this Thunderbolt which is caft down by the Lightening be of any Virtue, or whether it be a dead and unprofitable Stone? Ian- fwer: It hath been always reputed, that if a Thun¬ derbolt be kep^ in any houfe or place, the Thunder and Lightening will never ftrike into it. Whether this be true, I cannot tell, yet this I know, thatthofe who keep them eftecm them highly, I my felf have one, which T much efteem for its marvellous Figure, for turn it which way you will, it always reprefents a Star or a Heart. Many ((range things are performed by this Thunderbolt. 1 have feen feveral Forefters break it into pieces of the bignefs of a Pea, which they put into a Bullet-mold,fill’d up the Mold with meltedLead, and did believe, that they could not mifs any wild Beaft at which they (hould (boot it. I have alfo feen fome Souidiers make fuch Bullets, and formerly be¬ lieved, that they could pierce any thing with them, that other wile they could not (hoot through. 1 have alfo feen others, who have put pieces of this Stone into the pummels of their Swords, and believed, that this took away their Adverfaries Courage when they (hould encounter them, and fo they might eafily Con¬ quer them. Thefe and the like things, I have feen done with it. But whether this be fo or no, it is probable that there (hould be |'^fome ocult Virtues in thofe Stones. For feeing that all Stones, are good for fomewhat, why (hould this marvel¬ lous Thunderbolt only be good for nothing ? ^ Some «au(e Women in Labour to hold thefe Stones in their hands, to facilitate their Labour ^ they alfo fay, that it encreafeth Womens milk, if it be put into their drink. Others put them into the hand to ftop Blood. If one could do any good with it, one might eafily, by the help of a certain Magnet, attr'a^h a great many of them from the Air, as you (hall hear anon. Now again, to return to our Fire apd Fire-done, I affirm for truth, that our fceret Fire andTire-fione, in its Elfence and .Efficacy, is more wonderful than the Meteorick Light¬ ning and Thunderbolt. For our Fire doth not burn or flame, but when we will have it, otherwife it is like a dead Black-ftone, if you only keep the Air from it, it will remain a Stone as longas you pleafe. If yoU put it into a Glafs and ftop it very clofe, and keep it under water never fo many years, it will fiill remain Fire, and not be hurt. For onx Chaldaick^Y\tt^v/]\tn once prepared, wiU not burn,but remain good for ever, if you keep it from Air and Water. It is fufficiently known, that the ancient Heathens put burning Lamps into their Vahhs, of which Lamps I have feen ma¬ ny, that were digged out of Mines in Colsn. Some of thefe Lamps were found in fome burying Vaults burning, when they were firft opened, but as foon as the Air touched them went out. But our Cbaldaick^ Fire remains dead, when kept clofe, and is kindled by the Air. I call it dead, but it is rather a dormant Fire. This our fecret Fire hath fo ftrartge a Property, that it is able at all times to attracll Fire out of the Maccabees fet their Sacrifice on Fire by this, and not with common Wood, or Coal, fire, as the Veftal Vir¬ gins in Rome were forced to feed it with Wood conti¬ nually,that it miight not go outif by chance or negled it went bur, thofe Virgins were buried alive , in fa great efteem, had the Jerps and the Heathens, their Fires. Now as for the ufe of our fecret Fire, no Man may be fo bold as to difebver the Power thereof to the World, for things incredible are to be done by it, - which are better to be concealed, than made publick: Yet I will a little touch at if. The fecret Fire of it felf is of no ufe in Phyfick, but great Secrets may ' be prepared by it, both in Medicine and Alcbimy. Firli, out of our fiery Mafs may be driven a living Mercury of Mars, which is the-rfioft noble Subjedt to prepare an exteniive Tindlure, both fot Men and Me¬ tals, for of all Mercuries of Metals, this is the beft. When our Fire is melted into a tbkk water, and this fiery water poured upon a fubtil Calx of Gold, and digefted with it, it will attra(9: the yellow Colour from the Gold, and leave it white, yet the Tin<^ure is not yellow, but as green as Grafs, out of which an excel¬ lent Medicine may be made» it is alfo profitable in Alcbimy. For it is al(b of this Nature, that if you put a Solution of Gold and Silver into it, they will be joyned together without Precipitation, which is not ufual to be done. One may alfo (quirt this fiery wa¬ ter, by peculiar Springs, to a great diftance, and there¬ by fire any Combuftible matter. If you will, you may alfo (hoot this our Fire in a dry form, out of great and fmall Guns, to fire any thing with it. I believe, that by the help of thiV, one might fire a great Canoft under water, by which yoii may fright Fi(h up to the Surface of the water in deep Ponds, fo that you may catch them with ftrall Nets. One may al(b drive a-» vvay all hurtful wild Beafts, as Bears, Wolves, Foxes, nay even Lyons, Tygers and Dragons, out of the Wil- dernefs. One may alfo drive away High-way-Men, Murtherersout of their Ambufeades, and catch them. In a word, many ((range things may be done with it, which for certain Reafons I dare not mention. The greateft and the beft thing that may be done by this fecret Fire, is the preparing of the Mercury of Mars^ as alfo after a Magnetical manner to draw the Lightn¬ ing which way one pTeafe. I have had this Fire now for above twenty years, and durft not own that I had fuch a thing, now I am near my end, I was willing to (et it be known, that there is fuch a Fire in Na^ tutc. If I did not fear, that malicious Men would abufe this fecret Wonder-fire, I would have been plainer, but the time is not yet come for the doing thofe great things, but when Elias the Artift (hall come, he will not fear to make great Alterations irr the World, by the help of this Fire. He will efta- blifti much good, and abolifti all that is evil, but I have faid enough of this at this time. I have indeed told you here that it will be done, Ido not defirey neither (hall I live till it (ball come to pafs, for fuch great Changes will not be made with eafe, but with great Zeal. God preferve the Pious, and (hew them a way over the Mountains, where they may live fe- cure from this Sodomitilh Fire, Amen. Ofthe’Ihird fecret F/re, and the rvoaderful Stom that is engendered By it. Air, not only in tlie hot Summer, but alfo in the col’d Winter Nights, vvhen the Sun is fartheft off- By the help of this Fire, (believe, I could at certain times ligi'.r a Candle, either ander or above the Earth. The That ‘pious Philofophct Bafl VaTentim, in hisr Triumphant Chariot of Antimony, teacheth, how fo- prepare a-Sroae by Difiillation and RctSification cut