Agricola, Georgius
,
De re metallica
,
1912/1950
Text
Text Image
Image
XML
Thumbnail overview
Document information
None
Concordance
Figures
Thumbnails
page
|<
<
of 679
>
>|
<
archimedes
>
<
text
>
<
body
>
<
chap
>
<
pb
pagenum
="
229
"/>
<
figure
number
="
132
"/>
<
p
type
="
caption
">
<
s
>A—SCORIFIER. B—TRIANGULAR CRUCIBLE. C—CUPEL.
<
lb
/>
fat from the ashes, still the cupels which are made from such ashes are not
<
lb
/>
very good because they often contain charcoal dust, sand, and pebbles.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>Some make them in the same way out of any kind of ashes, but first of all
<
lb
/>
pour water into the ashes and remove the scum which floats thereon; then,
<
lb
/>
after it has become clear, they pour away the water, and dry the ashes; they
<
lb
/>
then sift them and make the cupels from them. </
s
>
<
s
>These, indeed, are good,
<
lb
/>
but not of the best quality, because ashes of this kind are also not devoid of
<
lb
/>
small pebbles and sand. </
s
>
<
s
>To enable cupels of the best quality to be made, all
<
lb
/>
the impurities must be removed from the ashes. </
s
>
<
s
>These impurities are of
<
lb
/>
two kinds; the one sort light, to which class belong charcoal dust and fatty
<
lb
/>
material and other things which float in water, the other sort heavy, such
<
lb
/>
as small stones, fine sand, and any other materials which settle in the
<
lb
/>
bottom of a vessel. </
s
>
<
s
>Therefore, first of all, water should be poured into the
<
lb
/>
ashes and the light impurities removed; then the ashes should be
<
lb
/>
kneaded with the hands, so that they will become properly mixed with
<
lb
/>
the water. </
s
>
<
s
>When the water has become muddy and turbid, it should be
<
lb
/>
poured into a second vessel. </
s
>
<
s
>In this way the small stones and fine sand, or
<
lb
/>
any other heavy substance which may be there, remain in the first vessel,
<
lb
/>
and should be thrown away. </
s
>
<
s
>When all the ashes have settled in this second
<
lb
/>
vessel, which will be shown if the water has become clear and does not taste
<
lb
/>
of the flavour of lye, the water should be thrown away, and the ashes
<
lb
/>
which have settled in the vessel should be dried in the sun or in a furnace.
<
lb
/>
</
s
>
<
s
>This material is suitable for the cupels, especially if it is the ash of beech
<
lb
/>
wood or other wood which has a small annual growth; those ashes made
<
lb
/>
from twigs and limbs of vines, which have rapid annual growth, are not so </
s
>
</
p
>
</
chap
>
</
body
>
</
text
>
</
archimedes
>