eavy, and very little
disposed by any active Quality to put the Spirits in motion; however,
being resolved to neglect nothing that is likely to unfold the Cause of
an Effect so wonderful, I undertook one day the _Chymical Analysis_ of
Chocolate, and altho' prejudiced that I should discover nothing this way
but a superficial Knowledge, yet I was willing to flatter myself that
my Enquiry would not be wholly fruitless.

I cleansed sixteen Ounces of Kernels without burning them, I ground them
in a Marble Mortar, and afterwards put them in a Glass Retort well
luted; I placed it in a Reverberatory Furnace, and fixed to it a large
Receiver; and after having luted the Joints well, I gave it the first
Degree of Fire.

The first that ascended was pure Phlegm, which dropt for about two
Hours; a little white unctuous Matter swam on the top of it.

The Fire being augmented, the Drops became red, and congealed as they
fell into the Receiver; this lasted about two Hours.

The Fire being again augmented, the Receiver was filled with white
Clouds, which I saw resolve into a kind of Dew, white and unctuous,
which was partly Spirit, and partly a white Oil; the red Drops however
continued to the End, which was about two Hours and a half.

This Operation let me know that Chocolate contains two kinds of Oil; the
one Red and Fixed, which congealed it self on the side of the Vessel;
and the other White and Volatile, which proceeded from the white Clouds,
and resolved itself on the other side of the Receiver.

On the Morrow after, having unluted the Receiver, and having placed it
_in Balneo Mariae_, to melt the congealed Matter, I was agreeably
surpriz'd to see the Vessel immediately fill'd with white Clouds: I very
much admired the Volatility of this Unctuosity, and I was fully
convinced, that Chocolate contained that _volatile Oil_ so highly
esteemed in Medicine, and that one need not go farther to seek the Cause
of the speedy Reparation of the fainting Spirits; which is confirmed by
the daily Experience of those that use Chocolate.

Having separated the Spirit by filtring through brown Paper, I divided
the butirous Matter into two Parts: I put one, without any Addition,
into a little Glass Cucurbit, which I placed in a Sand-Heat to rectify
it, and by this Operation I got an Oil of an Amber Colour, swimming upon
a little Phlegm, or Spirit[3].

I melted the remaining Part, and having incorporated it with quick Lime,
I put it into a li