Table of alchemical equipment and operations by Athanasius Kircher

This systematic table of alchemical operations and apparatus is found in Athanasius Kircher, Mundus Subterraneus... Amsterdam, 1665. Tomus II., page 260.

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Chymia is engaged about :

Equipment

   Place
    
      Furnaces
         OPEN
            Proving
            Bellows

          COVERED
            Simple
               Calcining
                  Cementing
                  Reverberating
               Dissolving
                  Ascending
                     by the dry way
                        in a flask
                        in a sand bath
                     by the wet way
                        in a water bath
                  Descending
            Compound
               Athanor
               With auxiliary furnaces

      Vessels

         HEATED
            made from special materials
               Glass
                  Phials
                  Circulating vessels
                  Pelicans
                  Double pelicans
                  Philosophers Egg
               Mineral
                  Metal
                     Subtiliation
                        in flasks
                        in boiling vessels
                     Fusion
                        Moulds
                        Casting cones
                  Earthenware
                     made only of earthenware
                        for fusion
                           Ash cupels
                           Crucibles
                        not for fusion
                           cementation box
                     containing another vessel
                           sand bath
                           muffle furnace
            made from any materials
               Superior alembic
                  closed alembic for cooking
                  alembic with a beak
               Inferior alembic
                  Cucurbites
                  Retorts

         NOT HEATED
            for storing
               Receptacles
               Dishes
            for transferring
               Funnels
               Separating funnels

   Instruments

      Instruments for use in the fire

         Always necessary
            thin items
               gridiron
               iron rod or poker
            thick item
               shovel

         optional
            wooden
               dyoptra (for protecting the eyes against the fire)
            metallic
               iron plate
               Mortar

      Sources of heat

         Natural rays of the Sun
         Artificial
            simple
               for digesting
                  Athanor
                  Dung-bath
               for separating
                  gently
                     Ash-bath
                  fiercely
                     indirect
                        Sand-bath
                        Bath of iron filings
                     directly
                        Coal fire
                        flames
            mixed bath
               of sea water
               of dew


Operations

   Solution

      Calcination

         Corrosion
            by vapours
            by immersion
               in the wet way
                  by Amalgamation
                  by Precipitation
               in the dry way
                  by Cementatio
                  by Commixtion

         Ignition
            by Combustion
            by Reverberation
            by Incineration
            by Vitrification

      Dissolution

         SUBTILIATION
            by operations of short duration
               by Elevation
                  in the dry way
                     Sublimation
                  in the wet way
                     directly
                        in an Alembic
                        in a bladder
                     obliquely
                        through a side Retort   
               by Descension
                  by heat
                  by cold 
                     Deliquium
                     Filtration
            by operations of long duration
               Exaltation
                  by Circulation
                  by Ablution
               Digestion
                  by Putrefaction
                     by Imbibition
                     by Cohobation
                     by Coration
                  by Extraction

         LIQUEFACTION
            simple
            proving
               through Cineritium (ashes)
               through Antimony

   Coagulation
      by cold
      by heating