This account of alchemical fire in a flask is from John French, The Art
of Distillation, London 1651.
To keep fire in a glasse, that whilest the glasse is shut will not burne,
but as soone as it it opened will be inflamed.
First extract the burning
spirit of the salt of tin in a glasse Retort well coated; when the Retort is
cold, take it out and break it, and assoone as the matter in it, which remains
in the bottome thereof after distillation, comes into the aire, it will
presently be inflamed. Put this matter into a glasse viall, and keep it close
stopt.
This fire will keep many thousand yeares and not burne unless the
glasse be opened: but at what time soever that is opened it will burne.
It
is conceived that such a kind of fire as this was found in vaults when they were
opened, which many conceived to be a perpetuall burning Lamp, when as indeed it
was inflamed at the opening of the vault, and the letting in aire thereby which
before it lacked, and therefore could not burne. For it is to be conceived that
there is no fire burnes longer than its matter endures, and there is no
combustible matter can endure for ever.
There may be many uses of such a
fire as this, for any man may carry it about with him and let it burne on a
sudden when he hath any occasion for fire.
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