Distillation using horse manure and ants

The Liber de arte distillandi de simplicibus is a reference work describing ancient and unusual distillation methods. Among these techniques, flowers and liquids could be purified by exploiting the natural heat of piles of horse manure or active anthills. These processes from another time made it possible to obtain spirits and floral waters without resorting to the fire of a still, with the manure treatment being able to last up to one whole month.