Agricola, Georgius, De re metallica, 1912/1950

Table of figures

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              <s>In certain places, as at Freiberg in Meissen, the upper part of the
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              cupellation furnace is vaulted almost like an oven. </s>
              <s>This chamber is four
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              feet high and has either two or three apertures, of which the first, in
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              front, is one and a half feet high and a foot wide, and out of this flows
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              the litharge; the second aperture and likewise the third, if there be three,
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              are at the sides, and are a foot and a half high and two and a half feet wide,
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              in order that he who prepares the crucible may be able to creep into the
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              furnace. </s>
              <s>Its circular bed is made of cement, it has two passages two feet high
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              and one foot wide, for letting out the vapour, and these lead directly through
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              from one side to the other, so that the one passage crosses the other at right
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              angles, and thus four openings are to be seen; these are covered at the top
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              by rocks, wide, but only a palm thick. </s>
              <s>On these and on the other parts
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              of the interior of the bed made of cement, is placed lute mixed with straw,
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              to a depth of three digits, as it was placed over the sole and the plates of
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              copper and the rocks of that other furnace. </s>
              <s>This, together with the ashes which
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              are thrown in, the master or the assistant, who, upon his knees, prepares
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              the crucible, tamps down with short wooden rammers and with mallets
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              likewise made of wood.</s>
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              <s>A—FURNACE SIMILAR TO AN OVEN. B—PASSAGE C—IRON BARS. D—HOLE THROUGH
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              WHICH THE LITHARGE IS DRAWN OUT. E—CRUCIBLE WHICH LACKS A DOME. F—THICK
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              STICKS. G—BELLOWS</s>
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