Glauber's salt

“ Every Spirit of Salt consisteth of two things, to wit, Fire and Water, which water the fire doth so firmly co-knit to it self, that it cannot be wholly separated by any distillation or rectifying; but it always adheres to the fire, how often soever it be rectified or distilled: if any one therefore desireth by rectifying to separate them he must of necessity put immature metal-like subjects to the Spirit of Salt, the which, by how much the more immature or unripe they are, by so much they render the spirit of salt the purer ”

“ Although all things we have in the foregoing Discourse proposed, touching our Sal Mirabile, be consentaneous to Verity; and the Virtues, which we have ascribed to it in Medicine, Alchymy, and various Arts, do powerfully discover themselves, yet we find very much diversity in it, according to the diversity of matter, of which it is made. For, that which is prepared of Vitriol, is of a far other Nature, and endowed with far other Properties, than that, which is made of Salt-Nitre. And what is made of common Salt, agrees with neither of these: For one possesseth a greater sharpness than another ”

“ Although in the majority of cases the solubility of solids increases with the temperature, yet there are some solid substances whose solubilities decrease on heating. Glauber's salt, or sodium sulphate, forms a particularly instructive example of the case in question. ”

“ If a super-saturated solution of this Glauber's Salt is made in a glass, at ordinary atmospheric temperature, and into this cold solution, without heating, is dropped a small crystal of the same salt, there will be caused a rise in temperature, and the whole will then crystallise out quite suddenly; the water will be absorbed, and the whole will solidify into a mass which exactly fits the inner contour of the vessel.
We have now formed what might be a precious stone, and no doubt would be, if continuous pressure could be applied to it for perhaps a few thousand years ”

“ Such roots are wholly unfit for sugar-making.
It is quite otherwise with Glauber’s salt (sodium sulfate) ; and as this is very commonly predominant in alkali lands, either before or after the gypsum treatment, this fact is of great importance, for it frequently permits of the successful growing of the sugar beet; as has been abundantly proved at the Chino ranch, where land containing as much as 60,000 pounds of salts, mostly this compound, has yielded roots of very high grade, both as to sugar percentage and purity. ”

“ Not that I intend to prepare this of Nitre, which is too costly for the Dunging of Fields. For common Salt, which is abundantly cheaper, in a few hours, may be so changed, that losing its corrosive Nature and Property, it becomes plainly like Nitre in taste, figure, and virtue, but not inflamable, and excelleth the Dung of Cattel for dunging of Land. Neither let any man fear that this Preparation of common Salt requireth much labour or trouble, or is difficult to be done ”

“ How by the Spirit of Salt Gold may be extracted out of a Flint: But as hitherto, few there are that have set about that Work, partly because they could not prepare the spirit of Salt, and partly because they knew not how to precipitate from it the extracted Gold, nor knew how to melt the extracted Calx of Sol with Antimony; all which I must needs confess, is not for every one to perform. But now this Extraction which is made by the Water of Salt-petre, doth extract the Silver too, which being thence precipitated, the water remains as virtuous as afore ”

“ For as much Salt as Vegetables draw to the external superficies, and Minerals to the inward bowels, so much the Sea or Salt-water restoreth to them, so that the Earth may never labour under a want of its salt, of which the Indigent are to be rendered partakers. For if the Sea should not provide for the Globe of the Earth a continual nourishment, the Earth it self being destitute of the same, would not be able to afford a due aliment and encrease to other things. For a Chest which is continually exhausted by taking out, and nothing put in, at length being empty, retaineth nothing. ”

“ I say, that the salts must (by the help of Fire and Art) first get a magnetick and attractive power and faculty afore they can draw a Life out of the air. Now then, after that the universal Life of the World is caught and fettered as it were by the salts, and hath turned the dead salts into living nitre, yet that life lies hidden in that Salt-petre invisibly, and can but a little or scarce any thing at all shew out or display its virtues by reason of the Gross body of the salt. ”

“ The self-same Experiment may any one make with other Vermin that arise from Flesh or Cheese, and he shall find that even living Creatures have Salt-petre in them: so then there is nothing to be found, wherein that Universal salt of the World is not seen to be; but in some the salt doth sooner put on a Salt-petre nature, and in others it is already made Salt-petre by Nature. ”

“ Relative Injuriousness of the Several Salts.—Of the three sodium salts that usually constitute the bulk of “alkali,” only the carbonate of soda is susceptible of being materially changed by any agent that can practically be applied to land. So far as we know, the salt of sodium least injurious to ordinary vegetation is the sulfate, commonly called Glauber’s salt, which ordinarily forms the chief ingredient of “white” alkali. ”

“ Such a Salt, although it doth not presently conceive flame, and burn like Salt-petre, yet it is now brought to that pass, that in the manuring or dunging of poor and barren ground, it doth the same thing as the dung of any Cattel is wont to effect. Hence by the same Salt every pure Sand destitute of all fatness, is quickly so fatted, that it is rendered fit for the sowing and bringing forth Corn. Few will believe what Salt can perform, when spoiled of its Corrosive force. ”

“ There is nothing can be brought forth in the nature of things, without the medium of salt; yea, Man himself is not born without the Sun, Man, and Salt. Therefore a certain Philosopher saith very appositely, The vigour of salt is fiery, and of a Celestial Original. The sun and salt are the Parents of all things, which procreate all things, and without which nothing is procreated; Bread and Flesh, which are seasoned with salt, afford more Virtues than all other Foods which are not salted. Salt being added to Wine in its fermentation, rendereth it stronger and sweeter. ”

“ So Common Salt sublimed, as is done in this Labour, will operate far stronger than Common Salt it self unsublimed. Besides, there are Salts to be found which work yet far more powerfully, yea so strongly, as that they need not the help of an external fire, but doe produce their effects even in the cold. The operation of which, in the moist way, if any be desirous to promote and strengthen by an external fire, he may so doe, in a Lamp-Furnace, and free himself of the charge of Coals, and be exempt from that frequent Labour by which the Fire is to be maintained. ”

“ If Salt worketh those things in evil subjects, by dilating and encreasing their malignity, Why should it not effect the same in good subjects, by augmenting their goodness? Therefore, because among Animal, Vegetable, and Mineral subjects, there are none more noble and eminent than Gold and Salt, which have their original from the Sun, it would be ill done to pass them by, and to seek viler subjects, for the making of an excellent Medicine, seeing that if we take Wine, Salt, and Gold, there are no other things which afford us so excellent Virtues. ”

“ Seeing therefore that Salt, whilst it is yet gross and rude, and defiled with many impurities, performeth such things in living Creatures, and preserveth Flesh and Fish, as also all Herbs and Grass, long from Corruption; What could not such a salt do, which by the help of Art hath received a greater purity than Nature hath bestowed upon it? For the Fire containeth a power of correcting and purifying salt, and converting it into a finer and better substance. The common salts which we daily use, do indeed give a relish to all Edibles, and preserve them from putrefaction ”

“ Salt is the Symbole of Eternity, seeing that it is not diminished nor altered, neither by Fire, Air, Water, or Earth, but preserveth all things for a longtime from Corruption. It is a thing well known, and conversant in the sight of all the World, and is a help to all other things, yet wants not the help of any thing. Burning Sulphur is the Symbole of Death, and the true Infernal Devil, which no Element, nor any other thing (one Salt excepted) is able to vanquish and overcome. ”

“ An ignorant man saith, that Dung maketh the Earth fruitful, but undeservedly, for not the Dung, but the Salt which lies hid in the Dung, doth this, which is generated of Vegetables after their putrefaction, and again transmuted into their seeds and roots which are in the Earth; the same Animals again receive in their food, whereby their bodies are strengthned and preserved from Corruption. For no man is so rude, but he hath learned by experience, that Salt is the Preserver of things both living and dead. ”

“ But that it may be understood how the common Salt (which otherwise is wont to corrupt or extinguish all the faculty of growth in those things it is mixed withall) is to be inverted or turned in and out, that its hurtfull corroding property being put off it may put on the nature of Alkalies or urinous Salts, I do here covertly set down the manner of the operation, so that it may remain hidden to mine enemies and be communicated onely to my friends. ”

“ Hesiod, Homer, Plato, Pythagoras, and other Philosophers, deliver that of all things, salt is most affine or near to God. I assert, that by the help of salt, many become the chosen Sons of God. If the Earth should want salt, there would not thence proceed any fruits affording necessary Aliment for Men, whence Mankind would perish, not being able to draw its Nourishment and Multiplication from the Air, but is constrained to take it from the Earth. Salt becometh Milk, Honey, Sugar, Wine, Bread, Flesh, and passeth into all those things which we want. ”

“ But forasmuch as this nutriment which all the Vegetables do extract out of the Dung of the Beasts is nothing else but a urinous Salt, and that we know how to prepare out of the common Salt, such a urinous Salt which may be used about dunging and fatning the Earth instead of Dung, therefore verily we may be without that said Dung, being but furnished with such a Salt; the which being Alkalizated by the fire doth extend it self much wider, or goes farther, and dures much longer in the Earth, nourishing and dunging it, than the Beasts Dung doth. ”

“ For although some of the species may without any preparation be immediately cast into the fire, yet it doth not follow that all and every one of them must: for in some of them we must use our discretion, as in the distilling of salt. For if the salt be immediately cast into the fire, it will not only yield no spirits, but will leap so long upon the coals, until it find a descent to the lowest part of the furnace: Now this may be prevented divers wayes ”

“ The whole Orb of the Earth would at length grow dry, and perish, which nevertheless by the perpetual access of salt, never intermitteth, but is encreased and sustained.
There is no Stone which can want Salt, which argueth Salt to be its beginning and nourishment, and that those Mountains, in which is a great quantity of a saline nutriment, do grow and encrease thereby, as receiving it in a plentiful manner from the nearest sea. ”

“ Nor ought it to seem at all wonderfull, that common Salt doth so easily obtain by the Operation of the Fire, a better and sweeter quality. I do in very deed affirm, that not onely the common Kitchin Salt, but even those too, which are of a most biting corrosivity, as Aqua Fortis, Aqua Regia, Oil of Salt, of Sulphur, and of Vitriol, may by a certain sweet Vegetable, (without the addition of any contrary Salt) be brought to such a pass in three hours time, as that a Man cannot perceive the least Corrosion at all in them. ”

“ The Truth of which no man hath cause to doubt; for I have shewed in various places, that barren grounds are made fruitful by the addition of that. Of this salt, which we may use instead of Dung, there is great diversity, for it is prepared of Wood-ashes, of Stones burnt to Lime, and of other bodies putrefied by length of time. But the Chief of all these is Salt-petre, being the salt of Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals putrefied, especially because it is endowed with a certain occult and sweet Fire. ”

“ Christ saith in certain places, salt is good, or it is a good thing: When the Earth wanteth salt, being dead, it bringeth forth no Fruit; the same is Dung, when destitute of salt.
Here I have the eternal Truth Himself my Witness, reproving my impious Farnnerian Enemies, who endeavour to refel my Miraculum Mundi with their false Calumnies and Cavils. In which Book I have demonstrated by most manifest Arguments, that the Earth is rendered fat and fertile, not by Dung, but the Salt which is in it. ”

“ Tin is an enemy of all Salts, whether they are sulphureous or mercurial ones, when it is slain by Sulphur and Salt, and recalled unto life, it obtains a more pure and thin or fine body, whether of Gold or Silver, according as it shall be handled.
Moreover, if any should desire to obtain as yet a better essence out of better metals, its necessary that he slay them by their enemies, and raise them up again by their friends ”