ALEMBICK

ALEMBICK, or Limbeck, a Chemical Vessel, consisting of a Matrass, fitted with a roundish Head, perforated in a sloping Tube, for the condensed Vapours to pass through in Distillation. See CUCURBIT, and DISTILLATION.Alembic is popularly understood of the whole Instrument of Distillation with all its Apparatus; but in the proper Sense of the Word, it is only a Part hereof, viz. a Vessel usually of Copper, whereto a concave, globular, metalline Head is closely luted; so as to stop the rising Vapours, and direct them into its Rostrum or Beak. The Heat of the Fire raising the volatile Parts of the Subject, exposed in the bottom of the Vessel; they are received into its Head, where they are condensed, either by the Coldness of the ambient Air, or by Water externally applied; and become a Liquor, which runs out at the Beak into another Vessel, called the Recipient. See RECIPIENT. The Head or Capital of the Alembic, is sometimes encompassed with a Vessel full of cold Water, by way of Refrigeratory; though this Intention is now more commonly answered by a Serpentine. See REFRIGERATORY, SERPENTINE, &c. There are divers Kinds of Alembics: An Open Alembic, where the Capital and Cucurbit are two separate Parts; a Blind Alembic, or Blind Head, where the Capital is sealed Hermetically upon the Cucurbit, &c.The Word is formed of the Arabic Particle Al, and the Greek ἀμβιξ, a sort of earthen Vessel, mentioned by Athenaeus and Hesychius. Though Matthaeus Silvaticus, in his Pandectae Medicinae, asserts the Word Alembic to be Arabic, and that it literally denotes the upper Part of a distilling Vessel.

ALEMBICK