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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
74
Besides
discovering
and
recording
many
facts
which
have
become
part
and
parcel
of
the
science
of
chemistry,
the
alchemists
invented
and
used
various
pieces
of
apparatus,
and
conducted
many
operations,
which
are
still
employed
in
chemical
laboratories.
I
shall
reproduce
illustrations
of
some
of
these
processes
and
pieces
of
apparatus,
and
quote
a
few
of
the
directions,
given
in
a
book,
published
in
1664,
called
The
Art
of
Distillation,
by
John
French,
Dr.
in
Physick.
The
method
recommended
by
French
for
hermetically
sealing
the
neck
of
a
glass
vessel
is
shown
in
Fig.
VI.
p.
80.
The
neck
of
the
vessel
is
surrounded
by
a
tray
containing
burning
coals;
when
the
glass
melts
it
is
cut
off
by
shears,
and
then
closed
by
tongs,
which
are
made
hot
before
use.
Fig.
VII.
p.
81,
represents
a
method
for
covering
an
open
vessel,
air-tight,
with
a
receptacle
into
which
a
substance
may
be
sublimed
from
the
lower
vessel.
The
lettering
explains
the
method
of
using
the
apparatus.
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.
"When
thou
takest
any
earthen,
or
glass
vessel
from
the
fire,
expose
it
not
to
the
cold
aire
too
suddenly
for
fear
it
should
break.
"In
all
your
operations
diligently
observe
the
processes
which
you
read,
and
vary
not
a
little
from
them,
for
sometimes
a
small
mistake
or
neglect
spoils
the
whole
operation,
and
frustrates
your
expectations.
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