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mortified, not in small and clear spherical figures (which is a good prognostick) but in the form of long worms of a wan, pale, dark and leadish colour, then sick Mercury is easily cur'd of the worms (as they speak) by certain Magistrals, so called, that are diversly compounded, but have for their basis or master ingredient calcin'd Copper mingled with Salt. These worms indicate, that the Mineral abounds with Lead and Pewter, which overcharging the stomack (thus they carry on the Metaphor) of Mercury, hinder his appetite to the silver; in which case, those Copper-Magistrals with their vitriolick force consume and destroy this impediment.
The heaps of the Ore being thus mingled with Quick-silver, they are often stirr'd about, the better to incorporate it with the silver. I find, they have none but conjectural signes to know, when the Mercury hath intirely perform'd its office in separating all the silver from those heterogenial substances, the uncertainty whereof occasions often very great losses, especially when they work about Gold: for in passing the right time, the greatest part of the Gold dyes away in a fume, because, to borrow the reason of Chymists, Summa volatilis superat summam fixi; or rather because Nature hath not yet accomplisht the perfect composition and proportionate mixture of the volatile Elements with the fixt: which defect is supply'd by Art in this extraction by Mercury, in whose bosom the parts are combin'd together in small Atoms, and also by gentle fires, succeeded by violent ones, whose activity is assisted by Ingredients, fit for a sutable and easie fusion, and so curbing the volatile parts, that by air exquisite proportion they enter a perpetual amity with the fixt.
When by the colour of the Mercury, coagulated by the silver in clear massy lumps, they conjecture the work done, they wash it by means of three vessels, standing in order one under the other; so that the matter in the first and highest vessel being washed and stirred about with a Molinet, all the dust of the heterogeneous Minerals, that imbody not with the Mercury, is carried away together with the water into the other Vessels, and from thence quite thrown out by the continual current of the water; whereas in the mean while the silver in clotted lumps, called pella's, is by the weight of the Mercury depressed downto the bottom of the said tubbs.
This lavatory work being ended, the Mercury with the silver is taken out of the Vessels, and diligently squeezed in course and strong linnen, and even with stroaks of a beetle, the Quick-silver is separated, as much as may be, from the Silver. And this mass is afterwards reduced in molds of the shape of the Indian Pine-apple, into a pyramidal or conical figure, which they call Pineas de plata, thus fashion'd for the easier placing them round about the ridges of a great earthen vessel, of the form of a blind Alembeck; round about the top of which, a fire being made, all the rest
