Rare Effects of Magical and Celestial Fire

Antimony is readily released from its ore stibnite (Sb2S3) by heating with iron and has been known for centuries. It may also be roasted and the oxide, thus formed, heated with charcoal to obtain the metal. But it has also been a puzzlement for centuries. While it is a silvery-white, brittle metal, antimony has a number of al- 

Nicolas Le Fevre performed careful quantitative work and discovered that calcinations involving sunlight amazingly increased the mass of antimony  

But those that are ignorant of the noble Works and rare Effects of Magical and Celestial Fire, drawn from the Rayes of the Sun, by the help of a Refracting or Burning-Glass, shall scarce believe that which we have to say, and are to demonstrate upon this Subject. 

Diaphoretical substances induce perspiration—a more gentle purge than vomiting. 

Le Fevre was not the first to discover that calxes were heavier than the metals. Biringuccio noted it in 1540 (see p. 28) and Jean Rey had made this discov- 

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