269. Distilled Vinegar.

Fill a stone cucurbit about three parts and a half full of White Wine Vinegar; place the vessel in a furnace so contrived as to contain three parts of the height of the cucurbit; mould the openings that remain between the sides and the upper part of the vessel with clay tempered with water; lute the vessel, fix on a receiver, and begin your distillation with a moderate fire, which is to be increased by degrees till about five sixths of the Vinegar are drawn off, which is called Distilled Vinegar. A small quantity of acid Liquor still remains in the cucurbit of the consistence of Honey, which if you think proper may be dried hard by the assistance of a vapour-bath. The Vinegar distilled from this substance is infinitely more acid, than that which was drawn off by the first process.

To rectify distilled Vinegar, put it into a clean vessel, setting it in the same degree of fire as at first to separate more phlegm, and in every thing proceed as before, till the bottom is almost dry. Neither the fire nor distillation however must be urged too far, for fear of giving an empyreumatic flavour to that which is already distilled.

Distilled Vinegar is used externally, mixed with Water, to wash the face: it is cooling, and takes away the troublesome little pimples that sometimes affect this part.

270. Distilled Lavender Vinegar.

Put into a stone cucurbit any quantity of fresh-gathered Lavender Flowers picked clean from the Stalks; pour on them as much distilled Vinegar as is requisite to make the Flowers float; distil in a vapour-bath, and draw off about three fourths of the Vinegar.

In the same manner are prepared the Vinegars from all other vegetable substances. Compound Vinegars are made by mixing several aromatic substances together; observing only to bruise all hard woody ingredients, and to let them infuse a sufficient time in the Vinegar before you proceed to distillation.

Lavender Vinegar is of use for the Toilet; it is cooling, and when applied to the face, braces up the relaxed fibres of the skin.

271. Vinegar of the Four Thieves.

Take of the tops of Sea and Roman Wormwood, Rosemary, Sage, Mint and Rue, of each an ounce and a half; Lavender Flowers two ounces, Calamus Aromaticus, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, and Garlic, of each a quarter of an ounce; Camphire, half an ounce; Red Wine Vinegar, a gallon. Choose all the foregoing ingredients dry, except the Garlic and Camphire; beat them into gross powder, and cut the Garlic into thin slices; put the whole into a matrass; pour the Vinegar on them, and digest the mixture in the sun, or in a gentle sand-heat, for three weeks or a month. Then strain off the Vinegar by expression, filter it through paper, and add the Camphire dissolved in a little rectified Spirit of Wine. Keep it for use in a bottle, tightly corked.

The Vinegar of the Four Thieves is antipestilential, and is used successfully as a preservative against contagious disorders. The hands and face are washed with it every day; the room fumigated with it, as are also the clothes, in order to secure the person from infection.