The reason why I enter upon the spirit of salt, before I say any thing of the spirits of vegetables, is this, _viz._ because it is even the chiefest, which can be made in this furnace: for few exceed this in strength and vertues; wherefore I also have given it the preeminency. Neither is there any of the acid spirits, about which the Chymists hitherto have been more busied, than this, wherefore also it is of all, of greatest price, _&c._ for some have mixed salt with potters clay, and have made this mixture into little balls, which they have to get the spirit, forced by retort in a very strong fire: some have mixed salt with bole, some with the powder of tyles, others with burnt Allume, _&c._ Others using a more compendious way have made salt to flow in a retort, which hath a pipe both in the upper, and hinder part; by the uper pipe of which they have dropped in cold water, to elevate the ponderous spirits of the salt, but by the hinder they have blown with Bellows, to force the spirits into the retort: and this way is not altogether to be slighted, yet it hath this inconveniency, that in process of time the retorts are broken that they can no longer retain the salt, and so the distillation is intercepted. Some have attempted it with Iron retorts, but by this means the spirits have been deaded, because they easily set upon the Iron, whence instead of spirit they have had flegme. And such, and other tedious wayes of distilling they have invented; and by the best of them indeed they could scarce distill one pound in 25. or 30. hours space with 50. 60. or 100 pound of coals; this being the reason, because the salt is very little wrought upon, and therefore it is that few ever had the spirit right and good, whence also the vertues thereof have been unknown. And this therefore I was willing to make known, that it might appear, what price this spirit hath hitherto been of, and how easie, and abundantly, and with what little cost, it may after my new invented way be made.