Of Salts, 
If there be In a Uriel fenfe any fuch thing as a prin¬ 
cipal, fait is fo; but then it muft be termed foilil fait, 
or fal cremma; for this not only appears to be the plain 
production of nature, but to the molt homogenous and 
uncompounded part nature can be divided into. 
Its firfl: appearance is in fprings and rivers, being wafhed 
into them by fubterraneous currents ; thence by the fun 
it is in fome meafure exhaled by vapours; from whence 
it again returns, in fnow, hail, and dews (for common 
.rain-water does not feem to partake of it;) from this 
return the furface of the globe is faturated with it; 
whence it re-afeends in the juices of vegetables, and 
enters into all thofe productions, as food and nourifhment 
which the creation fupplies. 
fo extract vegetable falts. 
B URN any fort of herb, flower, fruit, wood, or 
whatever it be, and make allies thereof; with the 
allies and pure water in its natural temper, make lee; 
which afterwards {train through moift paper or a Alter, f& 
that it may become as clear as poflible; then put the lee 
into a glafs veflel, and let it remain in balneo mafias, 
until a great part of it evaporates ; the quantity of water 
is not determined, generally five pounds of water will 
extract all the fait from two pounds of afnes; falts ex- 
traded in this manner, are wont to melt when the air is 
foft; to prevent which, when you burn the materials, in 
order to reduce them to afhes, it is requifite to ufe with 
them a proper quantity of fulphur; and if it happens that 
the afhes are made to your hand, you may mix them with 
fulphur, and keep the fame at the fire, till fuch time as 
it be burnt j by this means the fait will never come to 
run. 
