Oil of tartar

Both hydrated and anhydrous potassium carbonates deliquesce rapidly in air, forming an oily liquid formerly called oil of tartar, liquor nitri jixi, and oleum tartari per deliquium, R. Brandes found that anhydrous potassium carbonate absorbed... 

The alcohol extract floating on top will be the Ens Tincture that will be removed after the digestion. The alcohol will become darkly tinted after a few days. After about two weeks (or longer) you can carefully draw off the alcohol tincture from the top of the Oil of Tartar / herb layer. Allow it to stand for a day or two then filter for use. 

It is helpful to let it stand in a freezer during this time, so that any water containing dissolved potassium carbonate will tend to crystallize out more easily. You will want to get the best separation of the two liquids as possible. Remember to save the Oil of Tartar for future use. It can be dried, calcined and used again. 

The salt will deliquesce, or become liquefied, by absorbing the moisture of the air which is loaded with the condensed Universal Fire—the Secret Fire. This liquid, called the Oil of Tartar per Deliquiem, was used in the Ens extraction. Remember, this liquid is quite caustic and will burn the skin and especially the eyes, so be careful with it. 

Most important, Lemery identified metallic dissolutions and displacements as one of the most difficult [questions] to resolve well, of any in Natural Philosophy, musing on their quantitative proportions and their speed of action. It was well known to chemists that metals dissolved selectively in acids and that alkali salts could precipitate metals from such solutions. For example, oil of tartar or spirit of sal ammoniac could precipitate gold from its solution in regal water. Lemery, recognizing an important theoretical question in such phenomena, tried to give a cor-puscularian answer ... 

AQUA FIECUM VINI — Water of Wine Lees (in German Weinhesen Wasser) is made when the lees, having been evaporated, whitened, and calcined, are dissolved with water in a marble basin, after the manner of oil of tartar. 

SAL AMMONIAC Vf- WAX TUTIA OIL OF TARTAR WHITE VITRIOL ARSENIC SUBLIMATE SALT... 

Besides the memoirs mentioned above, Lemery read some unimportant communications to the Academy of Science on mineral waters, camphor, honey,the analysis of cow s urine by distilling to dryness, igniting the residue, and weighing, on hydromel, wax and manna,the analysis of woodlice by dry distillation, coral, and on the odour of rosemary developed when a solution of gold in aqua regia is precipitated by ammonia or oil of tartar (potassium carbonate solution). ... 

I claim, is what the oil of tartar and the volatile spirits of alkah do. ... 

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