Workdiary WD35 (diplomatic transcript)
Workdiary 35: ('Chymical memorandums continued from January
25')
Content: Chymical recipes from the early
1680s, many in Boyle's code and with significant alterations in an unknown
hand
General Information
- Creation: Early 1680s
- Hands: Frederick Slare (entries 1-9, 14-27, 45-53) John Warr, Jr. (entries 10-13, 28-42) uncertain hand (entries 43-44) unidentified hand (additions at end of entries from entry 50) Robert Boyle (one addition in entry 50)
- Source: Royal Society, Boyle Papers 25, pp. 75-86
- Languages: English (53 entries)
- Length: 53 entries, unnumbered
- Format: Folded foolscap sheets. The following page in this workdiary is blank
and is therefore recorded here but not reproduced as an image: BP 25, p. 84.
[BP 25, p. 75]
Chymical memorandums
continued from
January 25[pencil]
Take Regulus of Antimony & {sal ammoniac}
ana, pouder them very finely, & haveing exquisitly mixt them, sublime them
by degrees in a strong & naked fire, then take as much Nardium as the wholl
sublimat amounts to mix them well together & put them into a shallow vessel
like the cover of a pipkin & laying that upon the Coals, keepe the matter
continually stirring 'till most of the salt be evaporated, & there remaine
a purplish powder, of which the Dose is 6, 7, or 8 grains, tho more may be
given. It works per diaphoresin, & sometims givs a stool or two.
Take sublimat & Tinn ana, distill them together pro more, with
a pritty strong fire, reserve the smoaking spirit for its particular uses, the
remaining Caput Mortuum mix very well with its weight or double its weight of
fresh sublimate, then distil it again by degrees of fire
[ 'W' deleted] giving
<yet> at length a vehement & lasting Heate, that you may
have a copious sublimate.
Take eight parts of the menstruum siccum & one of the Indian
salt, melt them very well together
[ '&' deleted] (being first finely pouderd) & then keepe it for
use.
[BP 25, p. 76] Take muceolum one ounce reduc'd to fine pouder
[ 'with' deleted] by the venereal way, to this add eight grains of Tura
& as much Azot, as you please, let them calcine together with a gentle fire
'till no more will be consumed or fly away. Dissolve the remainder in faire
water & proceede s. a.
Take one part of {iron}, three of {sal ammoniac}: sublime what will
come up in a gentle fire, then with the {caput mortuum} grind Barachid &
sublime the mixture with fresh {sal ammoniac}: & with the sublim. proceede
s. a.
Remember in the
[space of 4 characters] essay the
Cementation of Tinne with fileings of {iron}
And also the union of butter with the double & yet simple
oile.
Remember there the reduc'd Calcination of
{silver} & its feculency.
Explaine the Process wherein the two vinegars made of liquors
without the help of Fermentation are anaticaly mingled & imploy'd to draw
Tinctures.
[BP 25, p. 77]Explain also the process wherein halfe an
ounce of the Chaos at a time, being prepared but with halfe its weight of
{mercury}, this {mercury} is to be put upon fresh materials, and upon the more
the better. Tis afterwards to be elevated in forma sublimati with ormum, and
then ground with fresh Chaos whereby it is each time revivd &c
Mix the
[ 'undistilld' deleted] unrectify'd oyl & Spirit by shakeing them very well together, and then
<let> the Patient smell to them, or touch or nostrills with
them, or sprinkle a few drops of the mixture upon her Head clothes.
In Dysenteries Dr N. gives new milke for the only sustenance, but alters it
with boyleing sometimes a little Rice in it.
Take one part of
[ 'muciolum' deleted] muciolum, one of {sal ammoniac} & 2 of Baracle,
haveing mixd the first & last lay the other upon them, & increase the
fire by degrees till at length you make it very strong for some hours. Take out
your odd kind of mass & by keeping for about 3 weekes in a briske heat
reduce it to a reddish Calcinatum.
[Integral marginalia:]
March
iii
To one pound of the Mercureal medicine
[ 'of' deleted] pro pauperibus add as much of
Glaubers
universal salt, as much Albada calcin'd and six
ounces of ormum, these being united by sublimation
<are>[replacing 'ought'] to be mix'd with a pound of the matter that afforded the above
mentiond medicine, and then be nimbly distilld over, that all that is not fluid
may remaine behind, which may afterward be melted & imployed againe.
In the Anonymous Butyrum the oe was
<of> a pound &
[ 'a' deleted] half but 6 ounces of the Coagulating and impregnating
Ingredient.
Distill together equal parts of good verdigrease common {sulphur}
& chrystalls of Venus made of Aq. fortis &
[ 'the l' deleted] apply the liquor that will come over to the part
affected
An Ingenious acquaintance of mine being taught by me to make
Helmonts
Elix. Propriet. my way gave 16 drops of it to one that had an ill condition'd
ague and in 2 or 3 doses cured the party.
[BP 25, p. 78] Powder Quicklime & {sal ammoniac} a part, mix equal Quantitys of
them
[ 'per minima' deleted] with nimbleness and then by powering water on them
[ '& the mixture' deleted] make a Lixivium, which being filtrated &
evaporated to the consistence of an oile is to be applyed in the quantity of 2
or 3 drops to the navel.
Remember the metalline experiment to be made with oil of Sage distild without
water
Take 20 parts of Urin, power'd off after it has stood some days to
settle dissolve in it 4 quarts of Quicklime, 2 of
[ 'san' deleted] Cendres, Gravelleep, & as much oake ashes, boile or
evaporate about a third part and filtrating the rest keepe it close stop'd for
use.
Take of fileings of {iron} and of Durca ana, keepe them in
Cementation in a good Heat for 6,
[ '[approximately 1 character illegible]' deleted] or 8
hower, (if not more) & then
[ 'cupel the' deleted] melt the mixture with a strong fire & cast it
into thin plates, which being ready to melt on the cupel, (& if they doe
melt, 'tis never the worse)
<cast>[replacing 'thrust'] on them Lead 'till nothing remain on the cupel but the {iron} in a
shining forme & then take it off haveing mixd it with an equal part of
Bavarum and
<of> Muciolum, proceede with it s.
a.
Take of the mineral to be fluxt 3 parts, of {nitre} & {tartar}
ana one part mix those three (first separatly and finely powderd) very well
together, and putting them into a strong Crucible, keepe them in a good fire
for about half an hower, 'till they be sufficiently melted down & flow
well, then take off the Crucible and lay it by for a while: and lastly breaking
it whilst 'tis yet hot, separate the Regulus from the scoriæ &
proceede therewith s. a. partly upon the
Cupel and partly by measure &c.
[BP 25, p. 79]A Continuation of Chymicall
Receipts from the
25th of March
Make a white Calcination of clean Tartar & pure christalls of
{nitre}, with this & an equal weight of {sal ammoniac} make an Urinous
spirit & then dissolveing the {caput mortuum}
filter it through Cap paper, & let it gently evaporate 'till you obtaine a
salt of which the dose is 15 or 20 grains to half a dram to be given in a fitt
vehicle at a Convenient time.
Take of the lapis albus well prepar'd by the fixing salt {drachm}
ii Borax {drachm} iiii christalls of
{nitre} {drachm} viii, Granats {ounce} i, pulverize these
<finely> mix them exquisitly & then proceede
s. a.
Take 5 or 6 quarts or pints of water and as much good quicklime
as may make a strong Lixivium of it, when the stones have been a while in the
water, fling in have[correct reading is half] a pound of the species
ty'd in a Linnen bag that the liquor may have acceasse, & the Species not
get out. Boyle the bag in this Lixivium for 4 or 5 howers, & then take out
your matter which you will finde to have been much wrought upon.
Take sallet oile & dissolve very well in it about a fourth
[BP 25, p. 80]part of good chandellors Tallow when the Ingredients
are exquisitly incorporated remove it from the fire & keepe it for use,
which is to melt a little of it & rub it whilst it is warme & it
preserves the steele.
Take
<a pint>[replacing '{ounce} i'] of the appropriated oile, & about as much
Bitumen as you can well dissolve with it, which may
<perhaps> be about {ounce} i, put
them together into a bottle well stopt, & keepe them in hot water, but yet
not quite so hot as to make the water
[ 'or the' deleted] boile. This doe for some howers, shakeing the mixture
from time to time till you perceive the liquor is richly impregnated & will
scarse dissolve any more of the Bitumen: then straine it &
[ 'lay' deleted] when 'tis cold lay it on with a pencil upon wood
prepar'd with whiteing
<ground fine &> put into a strong size over the fire,
& when they are well incorporated strained hot through a Cloath &
afterwards laid on warm.
[Integral marginalia:]
March 27
{Recipe} the Aqua liberans that is made with
Quicklime Sarsaparilla, Raysins &c & let the Patient drinke of it 3 or
4 ounces at a time once or twice in a day.
For the external Hemorrhoids
{Recipe} Frankincense & haveing put it upon a Chafeing dish with coals
& ashes in it, let the Patient sit over it for a good while that the fumes
may come to the part affected.
{Recipe} Regulus Martis, the Spanish Mineral and as ustum ana calcine
each of them a part with its equall part of Sulphur then mix them very well
together & calcine the mixture also with its equall weight of Brimstone,
then put on it the Menstruum made
<or>[replacing '&'] strengthend with {sal ammoniac} and in digestion[altered from 'digest', followed by 'them' deleted] draw
(which you will do but slowly) a tincture which may be reducd almost to an
extract or powder & employ it in the [BP 25, p. 81]
Electrum Paracelsi made
by equal portions of its two Ingredients
Melt crude Albada & the Respublica Acidorum & when they are
just brought to fusion keep them in that state till you have by degrees exactly
incorporated with them as much in weight as either of them amounts to of good
Quicksilver, sublime this mixture in a double Cucurbit of unequall mouthes well
luted together, leaveing a Spiraculum at the top, then give a strong fire by
degrees for six hours & afterwards almost as strong an one as you can for
24 or longer. Take out your sublimate & keep the Caput mortuum for use.
{Recipe} Banama, Albada, &
[ 'the' deleted] decrepitated salt ana, mix them very well together with a
strong fire sublime as much as you can, then incorporateing the sublimd
substance with Calx vive proceed sec. artem.
{Recipe} Decrepitated salt, calcind (or crude) Allum, & Tasapha
equal parts, mix them well & keep them carefully stopt for use fill a pot
with Calx viva, in it make a large Hole that may reach almost to the bottom,
& fill up that hole with a mixture of powderd Calx & the body to be
prepared reducd also to fine powder so that the Calx may every way surround the
Body. Then put it into a brick kiln or some such very hot furnace & let it
ly till the Bricks be taken out then throw it all into a sufficient quantity of
warm water & dissolve as much as you can which being
philtered[altered from 'filtered']
must be evaporated ad siccitatem & then it will be fit for
spirit of wine.
{Recipe} Regulus of {antimony} finely powderd & h[ave]ing fluxd it with an equal or
double weig[ht][tear in page] of fixd
Nitre that the salt may be tinged ex[tract][tear in page] a Tincture with Alcool of Wine, of which
give [approximately 4 characters tear in page] drops pro
dosi (in a convenient vehicle) to
[approximately 5 characters tear in page]ty the Blood.
[BP 25, p. 82] {Recipe} of the Hollanders Lapis albus three parts, of Ormum
[ 'three' deleted] two parts melt them together in a moderate fire till the
bubbles & froth being gone the mass ly quiet & uniform at the bottom,
then presently pour it out & keep it well stopt for use.
{Recipe} of the Unctuous Flux two parts of the Martial Ore one part
finely powder'd, mix them together & keep them a competent time in fusion
till the Metalline Regulus precipitate.
{Recipe} of Sand two parts, Ormum one part, Coramen a seventh or eight
part mix them well together & haveing melted them down, proceed with the
colliquated mixture secundum artem.
{Recipe}
{Recipe} white salt two parts, Tobacco pipe clay one part, moisten them
enough to incorporate them well together, then take them for 3, 4, or 5 hours.
Powder &
searse[altered from 'searce'] this
mixture & with three parts of it, incorporate with as little moysture as
may be one part of Tobacco pipe Clay, & according to art drive over the
Spirit from the mixture made in to Pellits.
For an incipient Gangrene
The part being scarifyed is to be well bath'd with subtle oyl or
Spirit of Turpentine.
[Integral marginalia:]
Ap. 9.
{Recipe} the Calcinatum made of {nitre} & {tartar} ana philter it 2
or 3 times when 'tis very pure dissolve it in the Alcali Volatile philter it
again, & haveing united the Calx first made very dry, with an equal weight
of
[ 'the' deleted] Calcin'd Bloodstone, add to an ounce of this mixture ad an
100 grains of very light Crocus martis & 20 grains of the best Lapis
Lazuli, & then proceed
[ 'with' deleted] with this Mixture s.
a.
{Recipe} 5 parts of Ormum and the Lapis Hollandi 4 parts mix them,
& haveing put them by spoonfulls till
<when> the
mixture[altered from 'mixtures']
flowes clear and with very few specks, which may be in less than a 1/4 h.
[ 'w' deleted] after all is in, pour it out & keepe it well stopt for
use.
{Recipe} Seasalt calcinizd, Sal {tartar}, &
burt[correct reading is burnt] Allum ana dissolve the two first &
then the last, boil them up to a dry salt, which keep well stopt & put upon
ana of the Body you would transmute.
[BP 25, p. 83]CONTINUATION of Chimicall
Notes
from
Jan. 25th[pencil]
Take of Tassafa what quantity you
please dissolve it in about 4 or 5 times its weight of the simple sublimed (not
distill'd) Menstruum, Suffer them to foment together for a week or fortnight,
which done, distill them by degrees in the fire in a vessell made of differing
materialls, and giveing at the last a vehement heat, cohobat this 2 or 3 times,
[ 'take' deleted] till the {caput mortuum} be feculent and
inconsiderable, then place the distilld Liquor in a long bolthead in a boiling
Balneum and proceed with it S. A.
[Retrospective marginalia:]
q (margin, next to line 'chrystalls, in the temporary liquor')
Take Taquena that has been well satiated in the fire with good
Sp. {distilled vinegar} and by that meanes brought over to be good volatile
chrystalls, in the Temporary liquor whereof it was that the Ducats were
dissolv'd and destroy'd.
[Retrospective marginalia:]
A Lute
to Coat Retorts
{Recipe} two parts of unburn'd Tobacco pipe
clay and one of burn'd, reduce them by beating and sifting to a very fine
powder, beate them exactly with a little horse dung and more haire and a
sufficient quantity of faire water (not salt water unless it be to be us'd
presently) to the form of a thick unguent, with which annoint the vessell, and
when tis dry annoint it again and dry it again, and so proceed 'till the Coate
be sufficiently thick.
[Retrospective marginalia:]
To
tinne Copper
(For Copper it must be soured very bright with Vinegar Sand and
salt, and then dry it over a Charcoal fire and worke it presently over the same
fire, make the mixture as followeth. Take lb ii of Peuter
and 3 quarts of a pound of Lead and melt them together and run it into thin
bars. Heat the Copper pretty well, and then throw in some rosin and then take
in the tinn and rub till it melteth and then take a handfull tow and rub the
mixture about 'till it taketh.
for brass use the same meanes, but then insteed of rossin we must
use sandrimony 'till it taketh your mixture
[space of 8 characters]. For the Copper
steele be a throwing in rosein 'till it taketh, and likewise sandrimony for the
brass 'till it also taketh.)
Take the unrectified spirit {tartar} abstracted after 2 or 3
dayes digestion from the salt of the Cap.
Mort. digest and cohobate them once or twice more and then proceed with
the total solution Se. Ar.
[BP 25, p. 84][BP 25, p. 85][Integral marginalia:]
Jan.
10
Make with Sublimat and Kursella a thick oil like that made the
common way with {antimony}, poure upon this
<pure> Sp. of wine till it swim 3 or 4 fingers above it,
digest it for some dayes, and then destill them off
[ 'for' deleted] by degrees with a heedfull care, and imploy the
acidulous
<(not corrosive)> menstruum upon Coralls &c.
To one part of calcin'd English Talck add 2 (or one) of Tacola,
melt this fusible mixture with Durca and though they will not incorporate the
Durca will be much wash'd and innobled thereby.
Take the white stone that
Paracelsus commends so
much
<(I.E. white Pebbles>[in pencil ] reduce them without
calcination to fine pouder, put this in to an iron or other strong Cucurbit in
a stoopeing posture, Let the head be of glass, give a very strong fire and
dephlegm well what comes over
< tis to make a spirit of
[R?oals.][unclear]>[insertion in line in unidentified hand]
Take kursella very exquisitly calcined, and melt about 2 parts of
it with one of Durca they will not well incorporate together, but yet the
colour will be much improved, without makeing the body immalleable.
< tis to make a new metal well
coulered and not britle.>[insertion in line in unidentified hand]
Take very well calcind kursella, calcine it by casting in by degrees
about thrice its weight of good Nitre, then mix with it a pritty quantity of
pouder'd charcoal to facilitate the fusion, (which
[ 'twill hardly be' deleted] 'twill be difficult and not absolutly
necessary[altered from 'necessira'] to
make perfect) after which you may take the reduc'd body and proceed with it as
if it were Quatrum,
[ 'by the' deleted] according to the same manner you may handle Vinetum
Paracelsi.
< tis to cople tin and Zinck.>[insertion in line in unidentified hand]
If you mix Tura or a little Cursella with Barakid you may with
Ormum somewhat reduce it, but the best way is to keepe it an hour or better in
a strong heat with 3 or 4 times its
[approximately 3 characters tear in page] heat of good
Dakilla well made and preser[approximately 3 characters tear in page] from the Air
< to reduce Lune.>[insertion in line in unidentified hand]