The pots, lest they should become defective, are moulded from the best
potters' clay, for if there are defects the quicksilver flies out in the fumes.
If the fumes give out a very sweet odour it indicates that the quicksilver is
being lost, and since this loosens the teeth, the smelters and others standing by,
warned of the evil, turn their backs to the wind, which drives the fumes in
the opposite direction; for this reason, the building should be open around
the front and the sides, and exposed to the wind. If these pots are made
of cast copper they last a long time in the fire. This process for reducing the
ores of quicksilver is used by most people.
potters' clay, for if there are defects the quicksilver flies out in the fumes.
If the fumes give out a very sweet odour it indicates that the quicksilver is
being lost, and since this loosens the teeth, the smelters and others standing by,
warned of the evil, turn their backs to the wind, which drives the fumes in
the opposite direction; for this reason, the building should be open around
the front and the sides, and exposed to the wind. If these pots are made
of cast copper they last a long time in the fire. This process for reducing the
ores of quicksilver is used by most people.
In a similar manner the antimony ore,57 if free from other metals, is reduced
in upper pots which are twice as large as the lower ones. Their size, however,
depends on the cakes, which have not the same weight everywhere; for in
some places they are made to weigh six librae, in other places ten, and else
where twenty. When the smelter has concluded his operation, he extin
guishes the fire with water, removes the lids from the pots, throws earth mixed
with ash around and over them, and when they have cooled, takes out the
cakes from the pots.
in upper pots which are twice as large as the lower ones. Their size, however,
depends on the cakes, which have not the same weight everywhere; for in
some places they are made to weigh six librae, in other places ten, and else
where twenty. When the smelter has concluded his operation, he extin
guishes the fire with water, removes the lids from the pots, throws earth mixed
with ash around and over them, and when they have cooled, takes out the
cakes from the pots.
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