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Is it not curious, that there should have been a balneum Mariae at New London two hundred years ago? that la recherche de l'Absolu should have been going on there in a log-hut, under constant fear that the Indians would put out, not merely the flame of one little life, but, far worse, the fire of our furnace, and so rob the world of this divine secret, just on the point of revealing itself?
IX. p. 84, is a sketch of an apparatus for distilling by the aid of boiling water. IX. was called by the alchemists balneum Mariae, from Mary the Jewess, who is mentioned in the older alchemical writings, and is supposed to have invented an apparatus of this character. Nothing definite is known of Mary the Jewess.
French gives very practical directions and much sound advice for conducting distillations of various kinds. The following are specimens of his directions and advice: "When you put water into a seething Balneum wherein there are glasses let it be hot, or else thou wilt endanger the breaking of the glasses.
Rediit febris hectica: rediit asthma cum anxietate, tusse et dolore lateris lancinanti. Desperatis denique rebus, iterum ad mare, veluti ad anceps remedium recurritur. Balneum hoc semper benignum. Dolor statim avolat. Tertio die febris, retrocessit. Immersio quotidiana antemeridiana, ad vices quinquaginta repetita, symptomata graviora subjugavit.
Put the Solution into a glass-Gourd, with a Head luted upon it, set it into Balneum Mariæ, with its receiver to take the Spirits, distil slowly with a slack heat, till all the Spirit of Wine be come over, pour it in again upon the dry matter, draw it off again as before; this pouring in & abstracting continue so often, till you see the Spirit of Wine ascend over the helm in various colours, then it is time that you follow it with a strong fire, then with the Spirit of Wine ascend red into the helm, and drop into the Receiver like a bloody Oil, and the tender Body ascends like a red Oil, dropping into the Receiver; truly this is the most secret way of the Wise, the so much applauded Oil of Antimony; it is a noble, well sented, virtuous, and powerful Oil, as you shall hear afterwards.
When you have rubified the Antimony very well according to the former Directions, you must have in readiness a Spirit of wine well rectified, pour it over the red Powder of Antimony, set it four daies and nights in a gentle Balneum Mariæ, that it may dissolve very well.
When you have adulterated the Antimony well and purely from the corrosive Water, then put it into a clean Vial, poure good distilled Vinegar upon it, set it forty dayes and nights to putrefie in Horse-dung, or in Balneum Mariæ, it will be bloud-red.
Take away the Receiver with the Spirit of Wine, stop it very close, for it is full of Spirits which it hath retained from the Oil, as you will hear afterwards: But in Balneum Mariæ you will find that blessed Oil of Antimony red as Bloud; take it out, wash the Lute off by gentle mollification, that nothing impure may fall into that curious red Oil, when you take the head off; reserve it carefully, that by no means it may receive prejudice, for you have a Celestial Oil, which in a dark night shines like a glowing Cole, and this is the reason, because its internal power and soul is cast forth externally, the hidden Soul being now revealed, shining through the pure Body as a Candle through a Lanthorn, even so at the last day, these our invisible internal Souls shall be revealed, and seen out of the Body, shining as the clear Sun: So keep each apart, as well the Spirit of wine full of power, and wonderful in curing humane Distempers, as also the blessed, red, noble, celestial Oil, which transmutes all the Diseases of the imperfect Metals into the perfection of Gold; and the power of the spiritual Wine extends very far being rightly used.
A delicate semi-oval plan, such as that at D, which is much after the pattern of the Roman bath recently discovered at Box, could be employed; or a plain, circular bath with steps around, such as that of the Pompeian Balneum, shown at C; or, again, such a plan as that at E, after the classic one at Bognor in Sussex.
Put all the Solutions in a glass-Gourd into Balneum Mariæ, distil all the tart Vinegar from it, pour it on again, or else pour fresh, if this be too weak, it will quickly dissolve in the Vinegar; distil it again from it, that the Matter be quite dry; then take common distilled water, wash all tartness from it with the Vinegar imparted to the Matter, then dry the Matter in the Sun, which is of a very deep red, or else dry it very well at a gentle fire.
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