As great expense is incurred in parting the metals by the methods that
I have explained, as night vigils are necessary when aqua valens is made,
and as generally much labour and great pains have to be expended on this
matter, other methods for parting have been invented by clever men, which
are less costly, less laborious, and in which there is less loss if through care
lessness an error is made. There are three methods, the first performed with
sulphur, the second with antimony, the third by means of some compound
which consists of these or other ingredients.
I have explained, as night vigils are necessary when aqua valens is made,
and as generally much labour and great pains have to be expended on this
matter, other methods for parting have been invented by clever men, which
are less costly, less laborious, and in which there is less loss if through care
lessness an error is made. There are three methods, the first performed with
sulphur, the second with antimony, the third by means of some compound
which consists of these or other ingredients.
In the first method,16 the silver
containing some gold is melted in a
crucible and made into granules. For every libra of granules, there is taken
a sixth of a libra and a sícilicus of sulphur (not exposed to the fire); this,
when crushed, is sprinkled over the moistened granules, and then they are put
into a new carthen pot of the capacity of four sextarií, or into several of them
if there is an abundance of granules. The pot, having been filled, is covered
with an earthen lid and smeared over, and placed within a circle of fire set one
and a half feet distant from the pot on all sides, in order that the sulphur
added to the silver should not be distilled when melted. The pot is opened,
crucible and made into granules. For every libra of granules, there is taken
a sixth of a libra and a sícilicus of sulphur (not exposed to the fire); this,
when crushed, is sprinkled over the moistened granules, and then they are put
into a new carthen pot of the capacity of four sextarií, or into several of them
if there is an abundance of granules. The pot, having been filled, is covered
with an earthen lid and smeared over, and placed within a circle of fire set one
and a half feet distant from the pot on all sides, in order that the sulphur
added to the silver should not be distilled when melted. The pot is opened,