As mentioned under the Nützlich Bergbüchlein, our copy of that work, printed in 1533,
contains only a portion of the Probierbüchlein. Ferguson18 mentions an edition of 1608, and the
Freiberg School of Mines Catalogue gives also Frankfort, 1608, and Nürnberg, 1706. The
British Museum copy of earliest date, like the title page reproduced, contains no date. The
title page woodcut, however, in the Museum copy is referred from that above, possibly indicating an earlier date of the Museum copy.
The booklets enumerated above vary a great deal in contents, the successive prints
representing a sort of growth by accretion. The first portion of our earliest edition is devoted
to weights, in which the system of " lesser weights " (the principle of the " assay ton ") is
explained. Following this are exhaustive lists of touch-needles of various composition.
Directions are given with regard to assay furnaces, cupels, muffles, scorifiers, and crucibles,
granulated and leaf metals, for washing, roasting, and the preparation of assay charges.
Various reagents, including glass-gall, litharge, salt, iron filings, lead, " alkali ", talc, argol,
saltpetre, sal-ammoniac, alum, vitriol, lime, sulphur, antimony, aqua fortis, or scheidwasser, etc., are made use of. Various assays are described and directions given for crucible,
scorification, and cupellation tests. The latter part of the book is devoted to the refining
and parting of precious metals. Instructions are given for the separation of silver from iron,
from lead, and from antimony ; of gold from silver with antimony (sulphide) and sulphur, or
with sulphur alone, with " scheidwasser," and by cementation with salt ; of gold from copper
with sulphur and with lead. The amalgamation of gold and silver is mentioned.
uBibliotheca Chemien.
