Nomenclature here depends on which text your reading. Junius refers to a product that contains all three principals, the salt has been purified but not the sulphur or mercury as a tincture. Hauck refers to a tincture as a product only containing the sulphur and mercury. I used his term above but I guess a better description would be "extract"?
A little more reading and research will clear up a lot of these questions. Read Hauck's Sorcerer's Stone, it is a very easy to read introduction to the philosophy of alchemy. Junius's book is a must if you want to pursue the herbal work. Albertus is also good to round out your beginner knowledge. After that you will have to go to the writtings of the old masters. Alchemy and Magick are backwards when it comes to books available. Magick has a lot of beginner books but only a handful of advanced material. Alchemy has only a handful of beginner books and a lot of advanced material.
As for your last question. Alchemy in a nutshell applies the same procedure over and over again. Take the subject, separate it into the three principals, purify each one, then recombine to form a product that is greater than before.
Animal alchemy is the same thing but uses animal products instead of herbs and planets or metals. Oil of Egg or experiments involving blood.
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