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177
The Story of Alchemy and the Beginnings of Chemistry
·
M. M. Pattison Muir
75
"Try
not
at
first
experiments
of
great
cost,
or
great
difficulty;
for
it
will
be
a
great
discouragement
to
thee,
and
thou
wilt
be
very
apt
to
mistake.
"If
any
one
would
enter
upon
the
practices
of
Chymistry,
let
him
apply
himself
to
some
expert
artist
for
to
be
instructed
in
the
manual
operation
of
things;
for
by
this
means
he
will
learn
more
in
two
months,
than
he
can
by
his
practice
and
study
in
seven
years,
as
also
avoid
much
pains
and
cost,
and
redeem
much
time
which
else
of
necessity
he
will
lose."
Fig.
VIII.
p.
82,
represents
a
common
cold
still,
and
Fig.
IX.
p.
84,
is
a
sketch
of
an
apparatus
for
distilling
by
the
aid
of
boiling
water.
The
bath
wherein
the
vessels
are
placed
in
Fig.
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.
A
writer
of
the
7th
century
says
she
was
initiated
in
the
sacred
art
in
the
temple
of
Memphis;
a
legend
prevailed
among
some
of
the
alchemists
that
she
was
the
sister
of
Moses.
Fig.
X.
p.
85,
represents
methods
of
distilling
with
an
apparatus
for
cooling
the
volatile
products;
the
lower
vessel
is
an
alembic,
with
a
long
neck,
the
upper
part
of
which
passes
through
a
vessel
containing
cold
water.
Fig.
XI.
p.
88,
shows
a
pelican,
that
is
a
vessel
wherein
a
liquid
might
be
heated
for
a
long
time,
and
the
volatile
products
be
constantly
returned
to
the
original
vessel.
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