Spiritus Vini Tartarisatus.

℞ Of our artificial Brandy a Gallons; of the best Salt of Tartar lbiv, dried and brought to a Powder in a Crucible, and before 'tis quite cold throw it into a Still, and pour up­on it the Brandy, and in B. M. distil off the Spirit, until an insipid Water appears, and when almost cold remove and filter the Li­quor in the Still through a brown Paper, and gently evaporate the Flegm, and warm the Salt again, and put the said Spirit upon it, and rectifie a second time, and so 'twill be purely freed from its Flegm, which carefully pre­serve, as also the Salt, being dried, both of which being very profitable for many Chymical and Spagirical Operations, some of the which we shall now come to lay down. First, Of Tin­ctures in general; Which is only any Vege­table or Mineral, that is well open'd, and put into a Glass, and pour three times its weight of the aforesaid Spirit of Wine thereon, and put on a blind Head, and set in gentle Dige­stion until the Spirit is rich with the Tincture, the which pour off and put on more, as be­fore, and when highly tinged, cant it off to the former; thus do as oft as the Spirit of Wine will be tinged, and when it remains white 'twill extract no more: This method does well for such things wherein there is a fragran­cy, or the light Tincture desir'd; but for Bo­dies compact and virulent proceed thus:

℞ Of Hellebore, either white or black, E­literium, Guttagambuga, or any other of the most churlish Vegetables, and pound them ve­ry fine, and being sifted, mix either of them with its equal weight of the aforesaid Salt of Tartar, pound and macerate them well in an Iron Mortar, and put them then into Sugar or open mouth'd Glasses, and sprinkle them with good White-wine, tying the Glasses Mouthes up close with a Bladder, and as fast as it drys reiterate your moistening with White-wine, as before, to keep it of the consistency of Dough, close compress'd, and in six Weeks time they will be so macerated and overcome, as to lose their vomitive and purgative quality, without the loss of either taste, colour, smell, or speci­fick virtue, being by this Operation exalted; so that now they are only Diuretick and Diapho­retick, and therefore may be taken in a treble Dose, and will yield their pure Tinctures in the aforesaid Spirit of Wine, whence you may conclude, that the vomitive and laxative qua­lity of the simple is not the radical and spe­cifick Virtues thereof: These Tinctures are much enobled and graduated, when prepared with the Samech of Tartar, and brought to a cristaline Salt, as shall in our Spagirick Philoso. Triumph be shewn.

To Extract the Tinctures, Gums or Rosins from Woods and Roots.

℞ Of Jallap, or Scammony, or Briony, Guajacum, or any other that is gammous, and being reduced to Powder, take Q. V. cover them three fingers breadths over with the afore­said Spirit of Wine, and 'twill extract a blood red Tincture, decant and repeat till you have extracted all the Tincture, put all the Tin­ctures together, and by Distillation call off two thirds of the Spirit, and then with fair Water precipitate your Gum or Rosin, and wash it well, and in a gentle heat dry it, and bring it to a consistence, and keep it for use; if from Rosin or Jallap, 10 or 15 g. is a gentle Purge.

The Way to make Extracts.

Which is in a manner all one with Tin­ctures and Rosins; for if thou wilt make any Extract, either simple or compound, what thou desire to take must be put into a Glass; and first of all, take all the Tinctures of it out, and by distillation in B. abstract the Liquors from it, till that in the Glass be of the consistence of Honey, which may be dissolv'd in some pro­per Vehicle, or else made up into Pills.

Another.

℞ Of the best Alloes succotrin. ℥vj. dissolve it in the Juice of Elder-berries; filter all through a piece of Holland, and draw all off in B. to the consistence of an Extract, or else let the moisture exhale in the Sun. And thus you may make the Extract of Juniper-berries or others, either with or without addition; but as for the above-mentioned Extract of Elder, make it into Pills with the Powder of Saffron, Myrrh and Cinnamon, and you'l have a good Pill, which hath these following Virtues, powerful in the Scurvy, Dropsie, Gout, and Stone. Its Dose is a Scruple, or Scruple and half, Mornings fasting.

To make the Balsamick Tincture of Elder-Berries.

℞ Of the Juice of Elder-berries, and set it in a gentle heat for three Weeks, till it comes a little acid, like Vinegar, then filter it through a Holland Cloth, pressing out all that will go through, then put it into your Body, and draw off a fourth part Flegm, and then add to the remainder a fourth part of clarified Treacle, and then digest and circulate so long until it comes of a consistence of a blood-red Balsam or Tincture, which may be in 8 or 10 Weeks, the which is an excellent stomatick Cordial, now and then taking a lick of it.

To make any of the Spirits of the first Book, Golden or Purging.

Example on the Spirit of Scurvy-grass.

℞ Of Guttagambuga ℥ss, Jallop ℥j of the Spirit of Scurvy-grass lbj, put it into a Bolt-head, and set it in a gentle heat, and let it remain there till it hath drawn forth all its Tinctures, then cant off the clear for use; some adds to this Composition of Scamony ℥j.

Another way thus:

℞ Of Jallop ℥j, Coloquint' ℥j, Scamony ℥j, Guttagambuga ℥ss, or Saffron ʒij, Spirit of Scurvy-grass lbij, Salt of Tartar ℥ss, and ope­rate as before directed.

Thus much for Tinctures.

Glauber's Way of Distilling Vegetable Oyls, whereby a greater quantity is acquired, than by the common Way, by a Vessica.

Fill a Gourd with Cinnamon or any other Wood or Seed, upon which pour so much Spirit of Salt, as will be sufficient to cover the Wood, then place it with its Alembick in Sand, and give it Fire by degrees, that the Spirit of Salt may boil, and all the Oyl will distil off with a little Flegm: for the Spirit of Salt doth with its acrimony penetrate the Wood, and freeth the Oyl, that it may distil off better and easier: and by this way the Oyl is not lost by the addition of that great quan­tity of Water, in those great and large Vessels, but is drawn in lesser Glass Vessels with addi­tion of a little moisture. Distillation being fi­nished, the Spirit is poured off by Inclination from the Wood, being again useful for the same work. And if it hath contracted any im­purity from the Wood, it may be rectified; but the residue of the Spirit, that remains in the Wood; you may recover, if that Wood be cast in the aforesaid Furnace upon burning [Page 23]Coals, by which means it may come forth a­gain pure and clear; and by this means we lose none of the Spirit of Salt. And after this way, by help of the Spirit of Salt, are drawn forth Oyls of dearer Vegetables, together with their Fruit, which cannot be done by a Still.

To make the Oyl of Orange and Lemmon Peels.

℞ Oranges or Lemmons, and separate the Pulp from the Peel, and while 'tis fresh, cut it into bits, and put them into a Retort or low Body; and sprinkle it with the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium. Distil it in a boiling Bath by degrees, and you will have Oyl enough.

And thus you may distil Oyl from Cinna­mon, or any other Spices of a fragrant na­ture.

Dr. Hill's way of Preparing Oyls from Herbs.

℞ Any Herb, and pour upon it any small Beer-Wort; set it in a very gentle heat, until the smell begin to change a little towards sour, then distil it in a Copper Still, and you shall have Oyl enough.

To make Oyl of Gums; first of Castor: the best way.

℞ Castorium, (or any other Gum, as Ma­stick, Myrrh, &c.) cut it all into small pieces, and pour upon them, very well rectified, Spirit of Turpentine; let it stand several days in B. to extract, afterwards distil off or evapo­rate the Spirit of Turpentine, and there will remain an Oyl excellently fragrant at the bot­tom.

The Oyl of Mastick and Frankincense, ac­cording to Glauber.

℞ Of Frankincense or Mastick, powdered small, as much as will serve to fill the third part of a Retort, (which must be coated) upon which pour a sufficient quantity of Spirit of Salt, taking heed that the Retort be not filled too full, or else the Spirit, when it boils, flows over it; then place it in Sand, and give fire by degrees, and there will first come out some Flegm, after which a clear transparent Oyl, together with the Spirit of Salt, which must be kept by it self, after this a certain yellow Oyl, which must be received by it self, and last of all, there follows a red Oyl, which al­tho' it is not to be cast away, yet it is very unlike to the first, serving for outward uses, and to be mixed with Oyntments and Emplaisters, for it doth wonderfully consolidate, and therefore [Page 25]good in new and old Wounds. The first being well rectifi'd, is in its subtilty and penetrating faculty not unlike to Spirit of Wine, and may profitably be used inwardly and outwardly, viz. in cold Effects, but especially in the stiffness of the Nerves, caused by cold Humors, upon which follows a Contraction; but then you must first rub the Member contracted with a Linnen Cloth, that it may be well warmed, into which then the Oyl must be chafed with a warm hand. For it doth do wonderful things in such like effects of the Nerves; as you may see more at large in P. 1. p. 5.

To make the Oyl of Benjamin, according to Robert Boyle, Esq;

℞ Benjamin, (the best is that which is most yellow, fat, unctuous and ponderous, and not that which is white, the white not being so full of the true Gum, nor yielding so much Tincture) and dissolve it in the pure aetherial Spirit of Wine; filter it exactly, and put it into a tall Retort; first draw your Spirit of Wine very gently, then the Flowers will sublime, which you must wipe out of the Neck of the Retort with a long Feather, af­terwards, with a stronger Fire, there will come over an Oyl, which will smell of Em­pyream.

To make the Oyl of Turpentine.

℞ Of common Turpentine, and tye it up close in a Bag, and put your Bag into a large Still, and fill it with Water, and distil with a very strong Fire, till no more Oyl will come, and after the distillation is over, separate the Oyl, and rectifie it for use. Observe that your Turpentine being put in a Bag keeps the Colophonia from burning to the Still.

Then take of the prepared Oyl, and of the best Cypress Turpentine, and pu [...] them into a Retort, and digest two or three days in B. and then distil in a boiling Bath, and you'l have a Spirit come over, and an Oyl essentificated, mild of taste and pure; the which separate and rectifie for use.

Another way.

℞ Of the best Venice Turpentine and Mala­ga Sack, ana; digest in B. seven days, and af­terwards distil with a strong heat of the B. and when distilled separate the Oyl for use: Then take of this Oyl, and fresh Malaga Sack, ana, and to every lbj of Oyl and ℥j of Angelica Roots; circulate it seven days: Distil it as be­fore, and you will have a curious fragrant Oyl.

The Chymical way to make Oyl of Turpen­pentine so aetherial, as to unite with Spi­rit of Wine.

℞ Calcined Salt of Tartar, or decrepitated Bay-Salt, let it not touch the Air, but whil'st yet hot put it into an high Cucurbit, or un­cut Body, and pour upon it common Oyl of Turpentine, the breadth of four fingers; shake them well together, and with a very gentle Fire draw off, and there will be an Oyl, and a volatile Salt, take this Oyl and pour it upon new Salt: Distil as before, and repeat this O­peration till it will unite with Spirit of Wine, which may be tryed every Distillation.

To make Oleum Pini, or Oyl of Pine.

℞ The Gum of the Pine in a Retort, with a little Salt, and there will by degrees come over an Oyl and Spirit which rectifie and separate for use.

Oleum Regeneratum.

Its Preparation is shewn in pag. 22. of the Britannean Magazine; but, however, I shall here give it more large.

℞ Of pure Salt of Tartar cristalized from the Oyl per Deliquium, and pour upon it of the highest rectified Spirit of Vinegar, until [Page 28]digest 24 hours, and then draw off the Flegm, and again pour on fresh Spirit of Vi­negar; digest and draw off as before, repeat­ing this 7 times, until the Vinegar come off tipped, or as sharp as when you put it in; so have you a Balsamick Salt, in which is con­tained a Tartarum regeneratum, for that the Vinor Natures are concentrated: Now if this is mixed up with a third part of Bole or Pot­ters Earth calcined, and distill'd by degrees of Fire, there will come off a noble Spirit and Oyl; which Oyl, being separated, may be rectified through Spirit of Vitriol, in the same manner we have directed concerning those of the Spirit of Salt: Now the alchalized Salt re­maining in the Cap. mort. may be taken out with warm Water and preserv'd for the like use.

Virtues.

The Virtues of this Oyl are many, viz. for Fits, Obstructions, Agues, Feavers, and the like; the Dose is from three to ten Drops in Sugar; and drank in a glass of Wine. The many more Vir­tues and Uses of this Salt will be more largely shewn in that Chapter that treats of the Union of Acids and Alcalies.

Oleum Succinii: Or, The Oyl and Vola­tile Salt of Amber.

℞ Of the best white Amber, (for the yel­low is not so good, and the black is inferior [Page 29]to this) and mix it with clean Sand, being in course Powder, and put it into a large coated Retort, and distil it by degrees of fire, as long as any thing will come over. Observe, some use a little Water in their drawing of it, or rather a little of the Spirit of the Pine. Now when the Operation is ended, remove your Receiver, and there you'l find an Oyl, and an acid Water, and in the Oyl a volatile Salt, which must be precipitated from thence, and purifi'd by Sublimation, the Oyl being rectified with Spirit of Salt, or from the Cap. mort. of Vitriol, becomes very subtil; and yet more if once rectified from A. R. or Salt of Tartar.

Its Virtues are many, but seeing we do intend to speak largely of them in that Chapter that treats of Oyls and Powers, we shall omit them here.

Oyl of Soot and Stone-Coal.

℞ Soot of the Chimney, (wherein nothing but Wood is burned, and that which is fattest and greatest lumps is best) and put it into a coated Retort, and distil by fire of degrees, and there will come over a sharp, volatile Salt, and hot Oyl; this Salt hath adherence to o­thers of the Urinous Classes, and hath the same Virtues. The Oyl, without any rectification, may be externally used very successfully for all loathsom Scabs and scald Heads, but if rectifi'd, as before directed, it may safely be used inwardly, which is now prescribed by the Doctors for Hysterical Fits.

℞ The great Lump-Coal, (call'd Scotch-Coal, or Stone-Coal, which from the River of Thames is generally sold by weight) and fill a coated Retort half full therewith, and distil it by fire of degrees, and there will come from thence a black Oyl, the which separate from the acid Water that came over the helm with it, and rectifie it by Spirit of Salt, and so there will first of all come the clear and pure Oyl, then a yellow Oyl, not so sweet as the former, and the thick and black Oyl remains behind, and serves to be mixed with Emplaisters; for 'tis a wonderful healer, by reason of its innate faculty: now the yellow Oyl may be yet farther once more rectifi'd by the Spirit of Salt, that it may become pure, white and fair: It may be exalted so as to be a most excellent penetrating Medicine both inwardly and outwardly, and is equal in Virtue to the Oyl of Petraeolum: It is wonderful to consi­der what an excellent Balsam lies hid in the Earth as an Universal Sulphur, and as Glauber says, there is contained in Sea-Coal a precious Sulphur, no whit inferior, as to its Virtues, to any of the most precious Oyls or Balsams brought us out of the Indies.

Oyl of Hartshorn or any other of the urinous Classes.

℞ Hartshorn, Cranium humanum, Ivory, or dryed Bone, or that which the Turners leave in shaving Hartshorn, call'd the Pith or Black­ings, and put it into a Glauber's Furnace, or [Page 31]Iron Pot with a Copper, Earthen or rather Iron Cap, and lute fast, and distil with the fire of degrees till no more will ascend, and there will come over an Oyl and a Spirit and Vola­tile Salt, in various figures about the Glass, the which thou may'st rectifie and purifie, accord­ing to the Rules already laid down: the Office of the Salt and Spirit shall be shewn in the Chapter that treats of the Urinous Spirits. The way of making these Oyls being rightly under­stood will introduce the making any others: and as to the Mineral Oyls they shall be treat­ed of in the respective Chapter that appertains to the Mineral Work, and therefore we desist from them here.

But by the way, we think it needful to tell the Reader, that Oyls must be bereav'd of their floating earth and external aquacity, if ever you design they should act to their highest degree of subtilty.

To make a subtil Spirit useful in dissolving Amber.

℞ Of Venice Turpentine, what quantity you please, and draw the Oyl and the Spirit, which rectifie apart, and let them be united with the heat of Calx vive, and by distillation brought to a very great subtilty; then take of that and the etherial Spirit of Wine equal parts, draw and circulate, till fully united, and preserve for the use aforesaid. And thus we shall conclude this Chapter of Oyls.

Sal Mirabilis communis, Or

Salt Polycriste, which some call the Sal Mirabilis of Glauber, when indeed his true Salt hath an universal Tendency, and therefore must proceed from the universal. Principles of Nature, whatever to the contrary some may ungroundedly think; but however to our purpose in hand, sc. the Preparation, which is as follows:

℞ Common Salt and decripitate it, till done cracking, then dissolve it in clear Fountain Water, and draw off about a fourth part there­of, and then pour in of the best Oyl of Vi­triol sufficient to alter the form, and in a gentle heat digest, and after cristalize it S.A. The like may be done with Spirit of Niter or Allom, &c. And again, acid Spirits upon Sal Prunell. and fixed Niter doth well, and these also upon Salt of Tartar and fixed Alkalies; whose Birth we think convenient now to shew, which is indeed an artificial one.

℞ French or Rhenish Tartar (vulgarly known by the name of Argile) and put it in a great earthen Pot, and in a Potter's Furnace, or a Wind-Furnace, let it be calcined to Ashes, till it looks a blewish white, the which when cold dissolve in warm Water, and filter through a Cap Paper, and in a gentle heat draw off the Flegm, till a Skin appear on the top, and set it in the cold, and 'twill shoot into Cristals, the which remove, and the remaining Liquor filter as before, and shoot as long as any will come into a Salt; and again, these Ashes after they are calcined, may in the Air be run per Deli­quium, and then you may cristalize as be­fore directed; or else shoot in a gentle heat of Sand.

Observe, that from all Woods, Roots and Herbs, being dry and turned to Ashes, you may by warm Water extract a Salt; thus is [Page 34]made the Salt of Wormwood, Tobacco, and others, which are also Alkalies, little different from Tartar, only, what there is, Tartar in virtue excels any other, and therefore not un­deservedly called the Publick Family of Alka­lies.

Now these are produced by the fire of Con­flagration, in which the corporality of the bo­dy fixes down with the grosser parts of the Sul­phur, and so assumes a new [...]orm, yet of a caustick nature, and somewhat rough to be gi­ven as they are, as we have largely shewn in Chap. 1. of our Spagirick Philosophy's Tryumph.

Thus much in general concerning the Pro­duction and Nature of Alkalies, we shall now come to shew their Association with Acid Spi­rits, by which they are brought to a neutral Nature and made more friendly unto our Bo­dies: And first of

Tartarum Vitreolatum.

℞ Of the Spirit of Vitreol highly rectifi'd, and put it into a very large Glass, and by drops put upon it Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium, and you shall have a great Ebullition; conti­nue this pouring on by drops till the Ebulli­tion ceaseth, which is a sign the Alkaly is fa­tisfi'd, then separate (S. A.) the Flegm from the precipitated Matter or white cristaline Mass, which is called Tartarum vitreolat. it be­ing a neutral Salt distinct from each Parent, and although this be a Preparation inferior to [Page 35]some others, yet with us 'tis in great esteem, because the Alkaly hath lost its caustick qua­lity, the Acid its corrosive property, and so becomes an excellent Medicine: as not being liable to an alteration by any Ferment in the Body of Man.

The Dose is from 10 or 15 Gr. to 20 each Morn­ing. It cleanseth the Stomach, powerfully resolving Obstructions in the Meseraick Veins, and is proper­ly given as a digester, abstersive and cleanser in Fea­vers, Agues, Jaundies, Scurvy, Worms in Chil­dren, and for cold Crudities in the Stomach, which are the cause of many Diseases.

Now, by the way, we would let the Rea­der understand, that we are somewhat con­cern'd that this Doctrine is so little taken no­tice of; for by it Acid Spirits are not only made sweet, but also the Alkalies by these and our Red Wine may be made a powerful and excellent Medicine far above any to be found in common Dispensatory, and altho' this Do­ctrine of Acid and Alkaly hath been largely treated of by that ingenious and learned Otto Tachenius, yet hath he not so clearly deliver'd the Practick Part of this, nor indeed hath any that we ever read done it so fully, as we wish it were, when we consider the usefulness of it, and therefore we shall be the more large in shewing our Experience concerning the same.

Again, in like manner by pouring the Oyl of Tartar per deliquium upon the Spirit of Ni­ter, is made Tartarum Nitratum, which is a Salt [Page 36]of more easie fusion than the former, of a nitrous cold taste, being an excellent Abstersive in burning and putrid Feavers, Gravel, Heat of Urine, Heat in the Back and Kidneys, Heat in the Stomach, whence a hot and harsh Breath, and many other defects, which are seated in the first and second Di­gestion.

Also from the Oyl of Sulphur per Camp. and Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium, is had an excel­lent neutral Salt.

So likewise from the strong Spirit of Salt, or the strong Spirit of Vinegar, (as was touch­ed at in that Chapter that treats of Oyls) very noble Salts are made, which are yet in a higher degree if united with the purifi'd and cor­rected Tincture of Vegetables, in a due pro­portion, (the Salt being first dissolved in a little White-wine, or other convenient Liquor) by di­gesting the Salt and Tinctures till both become very clear, for at first mixing they will be ve­ry muddy, and precipitating a light Faecula will at last be very clear, decant this clear Liquor, that is ting'd, and in a slow fire draw away the moisture, till the known figure ap­pear, and in a cool place 'twill cristalize into a pure Salt tinged with the Tincture of the Vegetable, retaining its Taste, Odour, and Virtue.

Thus out of Hellebore black or white, Opi­um, or any other Simple, that will yield a Tin­cture in Spirit of Wine, a Salt may be made, which is call'd by the name of the Vegetable, with which 'tis joyned, as the Salt of Hellebore, [Page 37]Opium or Jallop, &c. which Salts, besides their abstersive virtue, have a super-additional and specifick one, according to that of the Con­cret, by which a sedulous and industrious Phy­sician may cure many stubborn Diseases.

Thus much we observe concerning the No­bleness of these Salts, that they work in a way agreeable to Nature, and also will prepare most excellent Menstruum's for dissolving of Mettals; and as that Famous George Starkey, in his Pirotechny asserted and illustrated, says, they are more powerful for opening metalick Bodies, than any other Preparation whatever, whereby Tartar can be volatized, as will be shewn in the Chapter wherein we treat of Menstruums.

Now seeing there are and have been many Conjectures, and various Opinions concern­ing this Author, and his Doctrines, we think it convenient to give in ours, from an ex­perimental Knowledge of the Truth of his Labours, which is, that he had a fundamen­tal Knowledge in Philosophy, and we assert, that no Man can be his Judge, unless a true Son of Wisdom and Child, that Nature hath got into her School, and qualifi'd with her hidden Diaploma, with which he certainly was, in that he trode so exactly in her steps, and had those parts as to Medicinal Philosophy, that we honour him above most of the for­mer Writers, and had he not been a little short sighted in some things, his Name would have had a lasting Renown, yea in Posterities and [Page 38]Ages to come; the least therefore that we can say of him in our Writings is this, sc. that he was a Master in Pirotechny, the Tryumph of which he promised to the World, which would have been a Key to open the Helmon­tian Doctrines for the good of the Sons of Art, doubtless this Book would long since have seen the Light, had God spared his Life, but the raging Plague, after all his Courage, took him off, by his too venturous opening of a Body whilest hot, that died of the Plague; but, how­ever, I hope his Soul is at rest.

But now, seeing 'tis impossible for him to perform what was there promised, we shall partly for his sake, (but more especially for Truth itself) endeavour to supply, by giving as great a light to that which hath been for­merly written, as any other Son of Art, hath hitherto done, and 'tis not to be questioned, but that Truth will be more cleared up, than hitherto, because (besides the Knowledge of what they've written and set down) we have the advantage of what Dame Experience hath taught us, by exceeding hard and continued Labours in the Fire, which always was and ever will be the true Interpreter of their Wri­tings, and that which adorns them also: and thus altho' but a Child myself, yet 'tis allow­ed by all, that such, being set upon other Mens shoulders, can see farther than they could; but this by the way: We then say, that the Doctrine of Acid and Alkaly deserves a Veneration, seeing it destroys the Activity of [Page 39]the most violent Corrosive, and makes them truly Medicinal; Ex. Gr.

If you pour Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium upon Aqua Fortis, and distil it off, you shall have a Salt left behind, in form of a Niter, and here the Aqua Fortis is mortified by the Salt of Tartar and both brought to a very good Medicine.

Again, 'Tis to be observed, that one Acid will mortifie another, and form a Salt. Ex. Gr.

℞ Spirit of Niter, and Spirit of Vitreol, and Cohobate upon the Spirit of Niter three or four times, and you'l have a Salt left behind, which by an ingenious Man ought not to be disdained.

Wonder not (Courteous Reader) that these corrosive Spirits are thus mortified, and their venom taken off, when that they were not originally such in their own nature, but pro­moted by the fire to be so corrosive, which you may see by the hand of the skilful, may be again corrected; therefore we shall state it thus, that Aq. Fort. A. R. Spirit and Oyl of Vitreol, Spirit of Salt Peter, or common Salt, are not Poysons, but Spirits of eminent activity, which, being mingled with Salts, Wine, Beer or Wa­ter, may be taken in a greater quantity (than alone would be mortal) without the least dan­ger, nay, rather they become wholsom and medicinal.

Thus vulgar Mercury hath been prescribed by the Ancients (being rightly prepared) as a choice Arcanum, but being sublimed with Salts, [Page 40]becomes a corrosive Poyson; but we say, that these Salts are again mortified, by being subli­med with new Mercury, as you may see in the preparation of that which is call'd Mercu­rius Dulcis, which is but a frivolous Toy, yet however 'tis medicinal.

We could indeed run out a large Discourse concerning Acids and Alkalies, and their uni­on with highly rectified Spirit of Wine, and their Office, being brought to combination, nay, a regenerated and glorifi'd Menstruum; but seeing these Preparations come under the Title of Arcana Pontissitata, we shall refer you thither for further satisfaction, as also to the Chapter of Menstruums in this Book.

And thus much shall at this time suffice con­cerning Salts; but we shall hereafter shew their union with Vegetable and Mineral Sul­phurs, as also with Urinous Spirits, of which we shall now come to treat.

The Anatomy of Ʋrine, and Way to be made use of in the Preparation of its Spirit.

We say then, that Urine is a Subject con­taining very many Properties, which may be many ways advantageous; for 'tis a wonder­ful Ens, not only that of the great World, but also that of the lesser; for Man bears a symbo­lizing harmony with the Universe, both in the Natural, Celestial and Intellectual World, ha­ving in his center Immortality▪ for we know that God's Works are uniform, and that every less bears some Analogy or Emblance with a greater, and Man being the chief of all subluna­ry things, we may thus define him, as a Com­pendium of all Forms, an Epitome of all Pow­ers, and a comprehensive System of the Uni­verse, &c.

After the manner of Philosophers therefore we have treated (in our second Debate of Tri­fertes Soladini) of the immortal Dissolvent un­der that Head, telling that 'twas contained in Blood and Urine, but with all have defined what that Blood and Urine is, and seeing this Subject is so largely handled there, we shall here omit it, and come to speak concerning the Urine of sound Men, of which Helmont gives this Encomium, where he compares it with the Immortal Liquor, saying that in the whole System of the Universe, It hath not its Fellow or Compare, neither Sea-Salt nor Foun­tain-Salt, [Page 45]Salt-Petre, Sal-Gem. nor any natural Salt whatever, no nor the Salt of the Urine of Beasts, which is not in any wise comparable to it.

But as nothing is more easie to come by, so on the other hand, nothing is more hard to be worked on, for he that can from it obtain a Spirit, that is neither Acid nor Alkaly, but wholly Saline, shall have no cause to repent his time and cost bestowed on it, especially if he work upon that of old Saturn; and that we may contribute our Mite into the Treasures of Philosophy, we shall give our Experience in the Preparation thereof.

The first thing you are to observe is, that Urinous Spirits are prepared through putrifa­ction, as the Vinor are by fermentation, where­by the Attoms are unlock'd and set at liberty, that the fire may have power to bring it to a more exalted state. As for Example:

℞ The Urine of sound People, and put it into a wooden Tub, or large earthen Pots; some do it in Glass, saying 'twill not so natu­rally putrifie in the Wood as Glass, and then they set it in a gentle heat, equal to that of the Horse-belly, for the space of 6 or 7 Weeks, for in this Climate 'twill hardly putrifie sooner, then they distil a Spirit from it; others putri­fie it the like time, being put three Foot deep in the Earth, and leave the Glass mouth to come open to the Air, looking upon it as the most natural of all other ways, saying that in the [Page 46]Body of the Earth is that internal heat that brings all things to an alteration of Form or Maturation thereof; others are very busie with their Horse-dung, and B. M. and many others, which we shall here pass by, and speak of that which best pleases us, which is a Putrifaction in the Air; for that will attract many Hetero­geneities from it, and so 'twill become more sweet in smell.

Take Urine thus truly putrifi'd, and put it into a Retort, and in B. or Sand set it to work, and distil from 10 Quarts the first five, in which is contained the spirit and volatile Salt, but that which remains in the Retort, is the Gum or Oyl, the use of which will be shewed here­after: Now the five Quarts of Spirit must be put into a clean Retort, and you may distil from it four Quarts, which you may afterward rectifie to what heighth you please, by bring­ing of it to a Quart or a Pint; but in every Rectification, be sure not to diminish above six or eight Ounces at a time; and thus you obtain a Volatile Spirit and Sa [...]t, which is no way inflamable.

Observe, That some both draw and rectifie this Spirit from Calx vive; but others through the Salt of Tartar.

℞ Of this rectifi'd Spirit lbj, of our pure Ae­therial Spirit, rectifi'd through Tartar lbiij, and in a short time 'twill coagulate into a Volatile Salt, and if you distil in a Body and Head, [Page 47]there will sublime in the Helm near half a Pound of dry active Salt, and some Liquor will come over in a fiery form, the rest will remain in the bottom like a stinking flat Flegm, which cast away; to what Liquor is come o­ver, add fresh Spirit of Wine so much as will make it up lbiij, and put this upon your subli­med Salt, and distil and sublime as before; and by repeating this Operation, you will have more of the fiery Liquor come over, and Salt sublime as before; turn this Wheel with fresh Spirit of Wine twelve times, and the fiery Spi­rit will each time be encreased, and your Salt will be most of it reduced to this fiery Liquor, and this we call the Vinor Hermaphrodite, or a Neutral Menstruum, which will extract good Tinctures from the Calx of any Mettal; but as to its Office, 'twill be treated of more at large in the Chapter of Menstruums.

Now follows the Preparation of the Fospe­rus, or the Astrum lunare Microcosmi­cum.

As is before shewed, take Urine well putrifi­ed in a Tub, exposed to the Air for seven Weeks, all one as you do when you're to make a Spirit of it; the Spirit being drawn, or ra­ther the whole being evaporated to the con­sistance of Honey, in which lies the Fosperus; but the Art is somewhat difficult to get it from thence, in two cases, the one is in ma­king choice of a proper Agent to be mixed [Page 48]therewith, and the other is the exact regiment of the Fire.

Now as to the Agent, it must not (as some have said) be Sand; but one that is free from Salt, and consequently from the glass-making Faculty, or any thing that will vitrifie, for if it doth that, you shall never obtain the Fospe­rus; but that you may, we direct you to make use of a Fire within and without your Vessel, which is thus to be be understood; take the Sap of Urine, as before 'tis said, or that of Dung and Urine putrified together, and incor­porate it with Charcoal-dust, and put it into a German Retort, and lute on a Receiver, that is filled half full with Water, that when the Fosperus comes over, it may immediately drop into the Water and be preserved thereby.

Observe, That you are to begin with a ve­ry small Fire, but you are to increase it gra­dually into the highest degree that possibly can be made, and let it be in such a Furnace, that upon occasion the Bellows may be used, and that the Fire may play well about the Vessel, continuing so long at its greatest heighth, till no more comes over, and you'l see Flakes like Lightening, that will come over in the Recei­ver of two substances, the one like a thick muddy Water, which will sink to the bot­tom, the other swimming over it; separate by inclination these two substances, and keep each by its self in a Glass, the gummy Nature may be made into what form you please, by being dissolved in Spirit of Sal Armoniack [Page 49]or other Urinous Spirits; in B. 'tis thereby pu­trified.

Observations concerning it.

It must always be kept in Water, for the Air sets it on fire.

The thick Liquor, if rubbed upon the Hands, Cloaths, or Hair, they will appear in the dark, as if all in fire, but will not burn, and if you open the Cork of the Glass, all its vacancy will appear like the flame of Brimstone.

If you put this thick Liquor, hardened by dige­stion into a Gum in Oyl of Cloves or of Cinnamon, and let it remain there 24 hours, and pour off the Oyl from it into a Glass, the same Oyl will as you pull out the Cork, and set it in the Air, appear so bright, that in the dark, if it's in a large and clear Viol, you may see to read distinctly.

If you write upon the Palm of your Hand, or upon Paper with the said Gum, what ever you write will appear all on fire, and the Letters may be read a long time after; but you must have a great can, that you do it softly, and to put it into Water, as soon as you have done, for if it happen to fire 'twill burn the place most dreadfully.

Cut a little piece of the said Gum, and lay it upon Paper, and rub it on with the point of a Knife, and 'twill set the Paper on fire.

Put a little piece of the said Gum to steep 24 hours in Spirit of Wine, then taking it out again, if you pour this Spirit of Wine by drops upon a Ba­son of Water, you will see Flashes like Lightening, [Page 50]somewhat like the flame of Brimstone, and some­what of a purplish colour.

℞ Of the aforesaid Gum ʒ j, and in a white earthen Vessel expose it to the Air, and the Air will set it one fire, and when it hath done burning, you will have ʒ iv. of a Spirit of Salt, which it attracts out of the Air.

If the Privy Parts be therewith rubb'd, they will be inflamed and burning for a good while after.

☞ There are many more Experiments made of it, which we shall here pass by, and come to consider the Nature and Texture of Urine, sc. Whether it contains the three Principles, Salt, Sulphur and Mercury, or not: but if you proceed to this Dissection, you must not take new Urine, but such as is stale and stinking and well putrified by nature, otherwise 'twill be very difficult to behold what is in it by a manifest separation; but being putrifi'd you may distil and rectifie its Spirit per se, to a great heighth, and you'l find in the Receiver [...] volatile Salt, which will (as hath been said) be coagulated by Spirit of Wine, and therefore must be of a Mercurial Nature, proceeding from the volatile Salt of those Concrets we eat; now the Sulphur is represented by the Fosperus, it being a light that burns, also by the oyliness that comes over by distillation, and after which there remaineth an Earth, which being so calcin'd you may wi [...]h warm Water extract from it a Salt, which is the fixed Salt of Urine, in smell and taste not much diffe­rent [Page 51]from common Salt, and there's great rea­son it should be so, seeing there is so great quan­tities of Salt taken in with our Food; but how­ever it doth represent the three Principles, viz. Salt, Sulphur and Mercury, as 'tis thus Chimical­ly dissected; but lest some should bewilder themselves in this point, and say for certain, that from hence then must proceed the Uni­versal Spirit, or Dissolving Menstruum, seeing Man is the chief of all sublunary things.

Altho' we allow him to be so, yet the Uni­versal Spirit can never proceed from him, see­ing what he receives thereof is only sufficient to uphold his Humane Nature, and that only by being changed into various substances; and here every Agent having obtained the end of its action is at rest, and is not as it was, but with the Grand Medicine 'tis not so, but always tends to a higher perfection, for the two first Principles; Sulphur and Mercury, are separa­ted from their grand Impurities, and being united to the sublimed Salt, are all turned to a Liquor, which by the middle pure substance of old Saturn's Urine, will be precipitated into a cristaline Earth, which may be multiplied at pleasure; therefore 'tis a Secret to be kept in si­lence, with a thankful heart to God, who is the giver of all good and perfect Gifts.

Here you have that, which is superior to any thing, that may proceed from Humane Urine; for the Microcosmical or Terrestrial Fire is uni­ted with the Macro or Celestial one, by the Act of Natura Naturarum, which operates so [Page 52]invisibly, that some call it the supernatural Fire, or Spirit congeal'd: Now these two be­ing united in their purity, there is contain­ed therein a double Lunar Gasse, or that cold Fire, which will not unite with the Blasse or Heat of Bodies, but displays itself like a noble Off spring, which carries with it the true marks of its Birth, for the most burning Charcoal is divided by it into its Principles, Oyl and Earth, which afterward are changed into ele­mentary Water, nay it performs many more mighty Deeds, in that it is powerful in dis­solving and conquering those Bodies, which 10000 Men could not do by any other Act, as we have plainly shew'd in our Trifertes So­ladini; and therefore shall omit to speak any more of it here, as also of Humane Urine, and so come to the other particular Classes: And first,

Concerning Common Sal-Armoniack

There are various Opinions concerning its Original; one saying, 'tis purely natural, and is digged up, as Salt Niter is, and so boiled ac­cordingly into a Salt; and others say, 'tis arti­ficial, prepared from Soot, Sea Salt and Ca­mels Urine, which looks indeed much like the truth itself; and therefore we shall not regard what the variety of Opinions are concerning it: for we know by experience, that out of it is prepared noble Medicament. We shall give you one for Example, sc.

The Spirit of Sal-Armoniack.

℞ Of Sal-Armoniack lbiij, Calx vive lbiij, or a strong Lixivium of Pot-ashes, Lapis cala­minaris lbiij, or rather the Oyl of Tartar per Deliquium, and so distil by fire of degrees, until 'tis come over, the which rectifie; and so have you a most subtil and penetrating Spi­rit, much to be esteemed in many Acute Di­seases: But we prefer this following before it.

Spiritus Mundus.

℞ Of Sal Anotasier Lybianus lbiij, the white sulphurous Earth Chimically prepared lbiij, of the Off-spring of Venus lbss. all. well macerated together, and then add in of the form and first Matter of Sassafrax lbiij, but observe that it be essentially made; and put them into a coated Retort, and distil with fire of degrees for 24 hours, till all is come over that will come, and then remove it from the Receiver, and being closely luted up, digest in a chicken hear, the longer the better; then by circulation and re­ctification in a Body and Head, let the whole be united and putrifi'd, which will be in two or three times. The Use of this will be shewn in the Chapter of Oleosums: Its Virtues are as follows:

This Spirit is of a sharp penetrating Essence, and of an airy, moist and warm Nature; and therefore [Page 54]may with credit be used in many Diseases: The Dose is from 8 to 20 Drops in Sassafrax-water. It doth immediately penetrate the whole Body, causing sudden sweating: therefore excellent in Quinsies, Pleurisies, and other acute Diseases; 'tis also pre­valent in opening the Obstructions of the Spleen, and dispersing and expelling many Malignities by Sweat and Urine: It cureth the Quartan, Cholick, the Suffocation of the Matrix, and many more Disea­ses.

In brief, This Spirit is a safe, sure and ready Medicine for to disperse and expel all tough, gross and venomous Humours. Also this Spirit acteth his part externally, quenching all Inflamations, cu­ring the Erysipelas and Gangrenes; it allayeth the Pains of the Gout, cloaths being dipt in it and ap­plied, and altho' it draw Blisters it matters not; laid to the Pulse, 'tis good in ardent Feavers; and it asswageth Swellings and Pains; discusseth con­gealed Blood, helpeth strained Limbs and benumbed Nerves; only smelled unto, it cureth the Megrim and other chronical Diseases of the Head; for it dissolveth the peccant Matter, and evacuateth it through the Nostrils; it restoreth the lost Hearing, being externally laid on with a little Instrument fit for the purpose: Also in the Obstructions of Womens Courses, applied by a fit Instrument in a spiritual way, openeth presently, and cleanseth the Womb, and maketh Women fruitful, &c. Mingled with common Water, and held in the Mouth, asswageth the Tooth-ach, proceeding from sharp Humours fallen into the Teeth.

A little of it applied in a Glister, killeth the Worms in the Body, and allayeth the Cholick.

This Spirit may also further be used, to many other things, especially by means thereof many pre­cious and effectual Medicaments may be made, as will be hereafter described.

Observe, That after the first distillation, the Cap. mort. that remains, may be calcined in a strong Fire, and then taken out and beat into gross Powder, and let it be dissolved by 🝞, and then filter it; then add to every ℥vj of this Li­quor or Oyl, ℥jss of the strongest and best re­ctified Spirit of Niter, or Spirit of Niter con­sentricated, and that will cause the greater part of the white sulphurous Earth to separate by precipitation.

And then you have a Menstruum, not corro­sive, which easily dissolves Gold, and manifests its glorious Garments, &c. Let this at present suffice, as to Sal Anot. Lybian. but however un­der this Title of the Urinous Spirits, you may understand all such as are drawn and prepared from Blood, Hair, Bones, Hoofs, Horns and Sculls, as was before touched; of which we shall only give you two Examples, the one of Harts­horn, the other of Cranium humanum; from the latter of which is prepared Goddard's Drops.

℞ Hartshorn, or Cranium humanum, and let it be put in such a Furnace as is order'd for ma­king the Oyl, and fill your Furnace three parts full, because the matter is dry and spongious, [Page 56]and will be compressed by the Fire, but if it were liquid, the Rules in Chymistry are not to fill the Vessels or Retorts above a third part, or at most one half full, and the Receiver be­ing luted on, at first you must give a gentle Fire for 6 hours, increase a little higher to the second degree, and continue for 12 hours, and then for 6 more let it be kept to the highest degree you can, so as the Pot may remain red the whole time; and when the Operation is finished, you will see no more Fumes come forth which, if you work right, will be per­form'd in 24 hours: It comes thus; First a Flegm with a yellow Spirit and volatile Salt in divers figures, and a deep blackish and fetid Oyl, and your Caput mort. black and burned, which afterwards may be calcin'd in a Potter's Furnace to make burned Hartshorn of; and thus are the different qualities separated, which may be further thus operated upon: Let what comes over remain together for about 20 days in a convenient Vessel in a gentle heat, that so as much of the Oyl, as will, may sallifie; then separate the Oyl from the Spirit and Salt by a Funnel, the which rectifie through the Spirit of Salt, as is in the Chapter of Oyls taught; and what Salt is formed by the acid Spirit must be sublimed from its impurity, and added into the first Spirit: and then the Spirit must be recti­fi'd two or three times from its Flegm by the addition of the pure Salt of Tartar, and so 'twill come exceeding pure. The Infallible Rule to know when the Flegm begins to come, is this, [Page 57]the Salt will begin to condense and fall to the bottom of the Receiver, then you may let all cool, for the Spirit is clearly off: This is the Spirit and Salt truly prepared, which may as yet receive several degrees of exaltation: but however as 'tis, it is a subtil, penetrating and active Spirit, and operates as is said of the Spirit of Sal-Armoniack, and opens those Obstructions, that are the cause of preternatural Convulsions, and hath a specifick virtue in many Diseases, and correcteth vo­latile Poysons, and therefore highly to be valued; for I've known those who have gone about to poyson themselves, by taking a large quantity of Arsnick, yet this being timely discover'd, the mischief hath been prevented, by giving large and repeated Doses of the Spirit of Hartshorn: 'tis excellent also for those that are poysoned with Antimonial Fumes, &c.

Now we say, that if this Spirit is united with its Oyl, twill be much more the highly en­riched thereby: thus, Let your Oyl be drawn off from an Alkaly, and the Spirit radically united with an aromatick Spirit of Wine, and that again united with the Oyl, by Fermenta­tion, Circulation and repeated Cohobation, until the Salt, Spirit and Oyl arise united; and so you have an essentificated Spirit, from Harts­horn, Cranium humanum, or what you please; and 'tis observable, that here the Urinous Foetor is turned to an Aromatick Fragrancy, and this is a Medicine upon which you may rely, where refresh­ment is required, as also for strengthening the Brain and Stomack, and if aromatized with Cinnamon or other rich Spices, so that the specifick virtue be [Page 58]exalted to the part afflicted, 'twill prove a rich Jewel in the hand of an ingenious Man; and the more especially if the Principles are brought to a compleat harmony through the Diâploma of Art, as is largely shewn in our Spagirick Philo­sophy's Tryumph, to which we refer you: We shall therefore conclude this Chapter with this Observation, which is, That all Urinous Spi­rits, none excepted, are Volatile Alkalies, as is easie to be demonstrated by their opposition to an Acid, making the same Effervessence as a fixed Alkaly doth, and also by the mortifica­tion of an Acid; for Spirit of Urine will re­vive Mercury; so all Alkalies are noble Medi­cines, none excepted: but there is a difference between Alkalies naturally and those that are volatilized artificially; for these being in them­selves originally fixed, can never be so far alie­nated from their fixed Nature, but that they retain a power to touch the root of all fixed Diseases, by passing the Digestions and dissol­ving all preternatural Coagulations they find in the way, &c. Concerning which we have written more largely in our Spagirick Philosophy's Tryumph, &c. to which we refer you: And so we shall end this Chapter concerning Urinous Spirits.

Aqua Anhaltina quoe & imperialis dicta est.

℞ Of Turbith, Mastick, Cloves, Nutmegs, Cinnamon, Galanga, Cubebs, Bdellium, ana ʒj, Venice Turpentine ʒij, the best white Vir­gin Honey ʒviij, the Roots of German Angeli­ca, Marjoram, small leaved Sage, Lavender, Balm, and Lignum Aloes ana ℥j. Having bea­ten and shred them small, put them into a Gal­lon Retort, and pour upon them five Pints of tartarizated and truly rectifi'd Spirit of Wine, and add in of yellow Amber in Powder ℥j; digest all two or three days, and then distil, first with a gentle Fire, and towards the latter end encrease it, till all is come over; then put this distill'd Spirit into a convenient Vessel, that you may stop it close, adding thereunto of the [Page 60]Powder of Coral and Pearl ana ℥j, of the Queen of Hungary's Water lbss, and after seven days, you may upon occasion give for Fits and oppression of Wind, two or three spoonfuls in a Glass of Wine; but its Office of Aromatizing will be shewn hereafter.

Aqua Aromatica Antipeliptica nostra.

℞ Of our tartarizated Spirit of Wine four Gallons, Lavender, Rosemary flowers, Rosa Solis, Flowers of the Lilly of the Valley, ana Miiij, Sage, Bettony, Bugloss and Cowslip­flowers, all gather'd in their prime, ana Mj; Balm, Motherwort, Bay-leaves, Leaves and Flowers of the Orange-tree ana, Mj. or for want of them the Peel; digest these in a gentle heat, like that of the Sun, and then distil; af­terwards take of Sassafrax ℥vj, Citron-seeds, Peony-seeds, ana ℥iv, Cinnamon ℥ij, Nutmegs, Mace, Cardamums, Cubebs, yellow Saunders, ana, ℥ss, Lignum Aloes ℥j, Jujubebes new and good stoned lbss. Let them be all exactly pow­dered and macerated, and put them into a Bo­dy with its blind Head, and pour upon them the afore distill'd Spirit, and let them digest 14 days, and then distil a second time: Then add to this distilled Water, Pearl prepared, Musk, Ambergreece, Saffron, ana ℈j, red Rose leaves ℥j, and hang them in a Bag in the Liquor for ten days; And then, upon occa­sion, you may give from twenty to thirty drops in a Glass of Wine, in any Convulsive Fits whatso­ever. [Page 61]For the Use of these Spagirically, pro­ceed as follows:

℞ Of Sal Anotasier lybianus lbj, of the white sulphurous Earth, prepared as before directed, the like quantity; pound them well together in an Iron Mortar, and put it into a Retort, and pour upon it, of the best tartarizated Spi­rit of Wine, either lbij or lbiij, as you will have it stronger or weaker of the Sal Anot. lyb. and distil by degrees of fire, till all is come over, and when cold, remove it from the Receiver, then rectifie it thus: take of the Oyl of com­mon Salt, run per Deliquium ℥iv, and of Cin­namon macerated therein, the like quantity, and put into a Retort, and in B. dissolve it off, and cohobate it again thereon, and dissolve as before. Repeat this a third time, and you'l have a neutral Spirit aromatized with the Cin­namon, and is the foundation of a true Oleo­sum, as also Spiritus seditivus; Also if you dis­solve in this quantity ℥ij or ℥iij of Camphire in B. you have a noble Cephalick Spirit; which will also serve well to bathe grieved parts. But here proceed as follows:

℞ Of Aq. Aromat. Antipelipt. lbij, of the Menstruum Sedativum lbiss; mix them, then add in of the common Balsamick Uniter ℥ij or iij of the Oyl of Cinnamon, Nutmegs, Mace, O­leum regeneratum, ana ʒij; of the Oyl of Juni­per, Oyl of Mints, of Balm, ana ℥j; Oyl of Cedar ℥ss, Oyl of Oranges ʒvj, Oyl of Roses [Page 62]chymical ʒj, shake them all together, and they will incorporate and unite, and by digestion become a noble Oleosum. The Dose is from 10 to 30 drops in a Glass of Wine; prevalent in most Diseases incident to humane kinds.

Sal Volatilis & Oleosus.

℞ Of the Oyl of Mints, Orange-Peel, ana gr. xx; Rosemary, Mace, and Juniper, ana gr. xij; Cloves and Anniseeds, ana. gr. viij; the best rectified Spirit of Wine ℥iv, Tartar ℥ss.

Let your Salt and Oyls be incorporated in a Mortar for 6 or 7 hours, and then wash them out with your Spirit of Wine in a glass Body; digest gently for 24 hours, then distil and cohobate your Spirit two or three times, until the Spirit and Oyls be well united.

Then ℞ of Cardamums and Cubebs ana ʒiij, (or, which I like better, Cinnamon and Nut­megs) Roots of Imperatoria, Daucus, Corian­der-seeds, Orange and Citron-Peel, Lignum Sasafrag. ana ʒj, Sal Anotasier Libianus ℥ij, Salt of Tartar ℥iss; macerate and beat all together, except the Sal Anotasier Libianus; and then put all together and distil with a lent Fire, and there will come over a Volatile Salt and Spi­rit, which by often cohobation will unite to­gether; then pour this Spirit upon Salt of Tar­tar, so that it may swim two fingers above it, and digest three days, until it be tinged of a Gold colour.

This is an excellent Spirit, and may be given at Meals, from 15 to 30 drops in a Glass of Wine.
Another.

℞ Of the best Salt of Tartar and Sal-Ar­moniack ana lbj, of the tartarizated Spirit of Wine from lbj to lbiv, as you please to have it in strength, and put it into a Body that hath a Verge, and lute an Head closely and exact­ly thereon with its Receiver, and distil very easily on the surface of the Sand, and there will arise a crystaline Salt of divers figures in the Head, and into the Receiver will come a Spirit, which Spirit being mixed with some Wa­ter, and put to the place affected, will still the pain in the Teeth; but for the Teeth lbj of the Spi­rit of Wine is the true proportion. But for the Oleosum, proceed as shall hereafter be direct­ed; but by the way observe, that upon the Cap. mort. that remains after distillation, pour good Spirit of Salt, and you will have good fusible Salt, that shall tincture Spirit of Wine as red as a Ruby. I remember, I once poured a certain Spirit of Urine upon a highly recti­fied Oyl of Vitreol, and with addition of a little Salt of Tartar, I had a fusible ingressive Salt, flowing like Butter on the Fire: Then proceed thus, ℞ of the aforesaid Spirit lbiij, and put it into a Retort, then take of the pu­rest Salt of Tartar, and Oyl of Cinnamon, Oyl of Anniseeds, Oyl of Oranges, and Oyl [Page 64]of Juniper ana ℥j, grind them well together in a Glass Morter with the Salt, and then put them into the Spirit, and distil and cohobate two or three times, till all is united. The Dose is the same with the former.

Another.

℞ Of our Aq. Anhaltina lbiij, Spiritus Seda­tivus lbj, Oyl of Anniseeds, Mint, Balm, Juni­per, ana ℥j, Oyl of Amber, Hartshorn, and Stone-coal, ana ℥ss, the Volatile Salt of Amber and Hartsshorn, ana ℥ij, Spirit of Hartshorn lbss, Camphire ℥iij, Salt of Tartar prepared as hereafter shall be shewn, ℥iv; digest all se­ven days, and then distil and cohobate till all is united. The Dose is as the former.

The Salt of Tartar is thus prepared: ℞ Of the Oyl of Tartar per Deliq. lbj, Crystals of Tartar lbss; dissolve them therein, and evapo­rate to driness.

Sal Volatilis, Aromaticus & Oleosum.

℞ Of the Volatile Salt of Hartshorn, Amber and Sal-Armoniack ana, and sublime them to­gether, and you have an excellent Cephalick; but it may yet be higher exalted, if you de­stroy the coagulating faculty of the Volatile Salt, and then enriched by Essential Oyls, such as of Juniper, Mace, Cinnamon and Anni­seeds, all put upon a butterified Salt of Tartar, [Page 65]and adding thereunto of our Aq. Aromat. An­tipilept. and sublime and distil as you do in ma­king the Volatile Salt of Sal-Armoniack, and you have a noble Volatile Salt, that may be smell'd to, as also a Spirit, which is such a Medicine as will never fail of raising some honour to an ingenious Practitioner; 'tis exceeding fragrant, and therefore may be drank in Wine at Meals. The Virtues of it are as the former.

Thus having run through various Examples in Oleosums, which are sufficient for any one to understand how to prepare others thereby, yet we think it convenient to add Dr. Thomp­son's, which Dr. Bacon bought of him, and is doubtless the Basis of that Treatise, which he published under the Title of a Key to Hel­mont.

℞ Of our butterified, Salt of Tartar ℥iv, the Essential Oyl of Amber ℥iv, Spirit of Turpen­tine ℥v, Oyl of Juniper-berries, (which is ad­ded by me) ℥iij, all Philosophically prepared; then incorporate your Oyls and Salts in a Glass Morter very well, and put it into a Retort, adding thereunto of the highly rectified Spiri­tus Mundus ℥xij, of the Philosophical Spirit of the Microcosmical World, 17 times rectified lbiss, of our tartarisated Spirit of Wine, recti­fi'd till it becomes aetherial lbviij; being all put together, draw them over the Helm from butterified Salt of Tartar, and spagirically unite them; and thus is it prepared. We shall [Page 66]now proceed to the Medicines prepared by it: And first of the

Elixir Proprietatis.

℞ Of Myrrh, Aloes and Saffron (in fine Powder) ana ℥j; pour upon them of the Men­struum lbj, and set it in a gentle digestion nine days, then pass it through a Filter, and so is the Medicine prepared. It hath all the Virtues, and more than can be attributed to any Elixir Propr. commune. Its Dose is from 20 to 60 drops, in Beer or Wine.

Dr. Thompson's Stomatick Tincture, or Pepper Drops.

℞ Of this Menstruum one Gallon, of white Pepper lbj, put in whole, of Orrice-roots ℥ij; gently digest and separate by filtration S. A. and reserve the Tincture for use.

Which strengthens the Stomach, destroys Thirst and abates Feavers, helps Indigestions, and cures Surfeits, and stops all kind of Fluxes, therefore of great consequence for the benefit of Mankind.

The Tincture Hemetine.

℞ Of Virginia Snake-root in gross Powder ℥iv; of the Menstruum lbj: Let this be prepa­red as the Tinctura Stomatica.

This is a great Antidote against Poyson, and pre­vents the effect of any Pestilential Air whatsoever.

Now in the like manner may you obtain a Secret for Agues out of Jesuits Bark. The Dose of these are as the former: but for Agues, you may give the largest Dose, and an hour before the Paroxism.

Thus (Reader) have we taken thee by the hand, and brought thee to the pleasant Gardens of Physick, where various excellent Specificks are, but a great business lies in the true prepa­ration thereof; and for the teaching of which, we'll not impose upon the World a Doctrine, which we approve not ourselves; that is, we admit not of the gross Body of Species, before a previous preparation, such an one as will ri­pen their Crudities, and separate their Venoms, and volatilizes by its fermentative Power the Gummosities, and yet exalts their Balsamick Sulphurs, so that it may be radically united with the Saline-Property, of which Nature is the Volatile Salt of Tartar, and more principal­ly the Sal Circulatum of Paracelsus, which will prepare such Medicines, as will really over­come Diseases, and by their subtil, fragrant, and balsamick Nature, are prevalent to main­tain long Life; but since these are not to be obtain'd by every searcher, I shall lend my hand to help such by a candid Communication of the way of making

Potestates Succinii Nostrae.

℞ Amber, prepared as is prescribed in the Chapter of Oyls, and let the acid Spirit be coagulated upon the butterifi'd Salt of Tartar, until the Salt is assatiated therewith, and will make no more ebullition; then add equal parts of the Oyl of Amber, rectifi'd through Aq. R. and a fourth part of the Salt of Amber sublimed, the which digest in an open Vessel in a very gentle heat for six days, and then add the double weight of all our Aq. Aro [...]at. Antipilept. and lute in a Head with its Receiver, and di­stil off the Spirit, which carefully keep; the Flegm must be evaporated, and then add in half its weight of our Red Wine, and circu­late the Salt, till changed into Oyl, dissolvable in Water or Spirit of Wine, the which dulcifie with Aromatick Spirits; then separate this Balsamick Sulphur, and by digestion unite it with its first Spirit; so is the Powers prepa­red; for this is the true, right, and genuine way, to make the Powers of any Body what­soever.

Virtues.

These Powers of Amber are a most excellent Me­dicine, known to very few, for which reason the Oyl of Amber hath been of so high esteem so many years; but 'tis not yet by far comparable to this Spirit, because 'tis cloathed with an evil Earth, or [Page 69]heterogeneous combustible Sulphur, which hinders its union with Water or Spirit of Wine; and till Oyls are so prepared, as to unite with either, they are not truly Medicinal, and although Cures are performed by them, either by their Effluviums, or being dropt into Sugar and taken inwardly, yet this is but from the Volutile Salts they contain▪ for their substantial parts are not divested so, as to unite with the Se­rum and circulate in the Body so, as to divide the offending matter: But this aforesaid Spirit is of such a nature as to perform both; therefore preva­lent in the Diseases of the Head, Breast, Liver, Heart, Spleen, Sweetbread, &c. as Palsies, Con­vulsions, Falling-sickness, Vertigo's, Difficulty of Breathing, Pleurisies, Consumptions, want of Ap­petite, Vomiting, the Cholick and Oppressions of Wind, Rising of the Mother, Jaundice, Dropsie, Hypochondriack Melancholly, Scurvy, Obstructions, Feavers, Agues, Strangury, and Gravel in the Reins and Kidneys, either in Men or Women, so general is its Operation; and therefore published for the great service it hath for Humane Kind.

The Dose is from ten to sixty drops, in a Glass of Wine, Mornings and Evenings, or before the ap­proach of any Fit; but if the Disease be stubborn and chronick, then must its use be continued till re­lief is found.

Elixir proprietatis Helinontiae.

℞ Aloes succotrin. Myrrh, Saffron, ana ℥j, (for Helmont saith, if you take more, you will find it to be done in vain; his reason for it is this, because before the Species will be mollifi'd at the top, the bottom part will be burnt; but if you proportion your Glass (being flat at the bottom) that the Species may only lye the thick­ness of a Barley-corn, you may do as large a quantity as your Glass in this manner will contain;The Form of the Glass for making the Elixir Proprietatis Helmontii is descri­bed in Figure 6. for his whole intent was, that the matter might not be burn'd, but be wholly opened and dissolved, circulating in the form of a white Milk, which could never be in a small Glass.)

Let your Myrrh, Aloes and Saffron be ex­actly grounded into Powder and mixed toge­ther in a Morter, or else your Saffron may be made into round Pills, and put them into the Glass, being strong and capacious, and let the Neck be so strong, that it may be nipt; and set it in digestion, in a moderate heat of Sand or Ashes, for 16, 18 or 20 days, keeping of them in a gentle circulatory heat. [I approve of the adding in of the Oyl of fixed Niter, about ℥ij.

Observe, not to give too strong an heat (for fear the Vessel should burst asunder) and when the matter is all grown together like a lump at [Page 71]the bottom, and the clear drops of Water be­gin to look like Oyl in the Glass, then with an Iron cut off the Neck; for 'tis enough, when it sticks to the sides of the Glass; being open, pour to every ℥iij, lbj of rich Cinnamon Wa­ter, or rather our Neutral Spirit, which is the Foundation of our Spiritus Sedativus, or that which is made by the Union of Spirit of U­rine and Spirit of Wine, and aromatized with Cinnamon; and then for the Sedativus, it is put upon Myrrh, Aloes and Saffron, and coho­bated two or three times in B. M. and so you may this: for the moist B. will bring up the Essence of the Concrets into the Spirit by fresh Distillations or reiterated Cohobations, which the volatile Salt in this Menstruum will per­form; and when the Operation is over, and the Feces of little virtue, you may add to eve­ry Pint of this Liquor of Musk gr. j, and of Ambergr. gr. iv, being ground apart, and then together, and put in before your last Co­hobation.

This Spirit being digested in a heat almost insensible for Months together, (the longer the better) contracts a subtil, balsamick, fragrant Na­ture, which relieves the Archei [...]s, and so conquers the fury of most Diseases. For this faithful Com­munication be very thankful.

For that its Virtues are many, being prevalent in Feavers, Measles, Small-Pox and Swine Pox, and many other Diseases, concerning which we could write very large, as also of the aforesaid [Page 72]Preparations, but seeing we have touched at their Virtues in our general Treatise of Diseases, as also in our Medicina rationall. we shall omit them here, being not willing to fill the Book with that.

The Dose of this is from 10 to 30 drops in a Glass of Wine: Now how Wines are to be used, as proper Vehicles, you must look to my Britannean Maga­zine, where we treat of Grapes.

Now, we having in this Chapter treated of Oleosums and Powers, which being liquid things and all to be given in drops, we think it con­venient for some Palates, to add something of this nature in form of a Pill.

Pilula Anodina, Specificata & Cathartica: Or, The Friendly Balsamick Pill.

Whose Nature and Virtues are such, that it operates as Nature would have it, in order to cleanse the Body from the root of Diseases, viz, by Sweat, Urine and Stool, and some­times with Vomit, and other times by insensible Transpiration, according as the occasional matter wants to be carried off.

℞ Of the Volatile Salt of Tarter lbij, or for want of that, the purified Butter of Salts; Salt of Amber lbss, Opium cleansed from all its filth lbj; incorporate these, till through ingress is made into the Opium, and 'tis corrected by these Volatile Salts; then add of the Oyl of Sassafrax ℥iv, Oyl of Amber ℥iij, of Anni­seeds [Page 73]℥ij, and of Cinnamon ℥j, spagirically o­pened, and incorporate them well; then add in of Mercury lbss, so prepared as not to be revived by the Volatile Salts, or for want of that, the corrected Flowers of Antimony, of the Narcotick Sulphur of Venus ℥iv, the Pow­der of Cinnamon and Ginger, ana ℥vj, the fine Powder of Liquorish sufficient to incorpo­rate it into a Mass, which as it drys may be moistened with Oyl of Turpentine, or ra­ther Juniper.

Its Virtues.

'Tis a most noble Preparation, and far above any that hath been hitherto extant to the World, for the Medicine is exalted to the true intension of healing, and comes but little short of our Pil. sam. Nepen. for such is its property, that it first works as an Anodine, and allays the enraged Archeius, and then carries off the offending and poisonous Matter by stool or some other most gentle way: It totally corrects and destroys the virulency of vege­table poisons, either out or in the body; and being taken as a Corrector, shews its effects: For if you are assaulted with the violent working of any Po­tion, vomitive or purgative, twill so take it off, as to settle Nature in her due Decorum; such is the nature, force and operation of this Pill as a Cor­rector.

For its prevalency will be seen in helping Nature to discharge those things that offend her; for if you dissolve a Pill in a Glass of Mull'd Sack, and the [Page 74]Patient put to sweat in Bed, 'twill immediately disperse it self through the Body, and fortifie the Fountain of Life, and so expels Poison in any part of the Body, carrying it off by all the Emunctories, or such a way as Nature wants to be discharged: The friendly and virtuous Nature that this Pill is indued withal, hath been for some Years demonstra­ted.

In fine, therefore 'tis prevalent in most Diseases incident to the Body; but particularly by its abster­sive Nature and apacative Virtue, it pacifies the enraged Archeius, and by this means insinuates it self into the languishing Fountain of Life, and performs much to the Patients content and Physi­cians honour, especially in Surfeits, Colds, Coughs, Fluxes, Feavers, Pleurisies, Calentures, Head-ach, Tooth-ach, the distilling of Humors called Catarrhs, which destroys the Lungs; also 'tis prevalent in the Pains of the Breast, Tremblings of the Heart, gi­ving the Blood a fermentation, and cleansing it from superfluities; and therefore prevalent in the Jaundice, Dropsie, Scurvy, Gout, and in inveterate Gonorrhea's, and several other Diseases, as may be seen by

Its Dose and Application.

For any of the afore-named Diseases, you must take the bigness of a large gray Pea, and drink it down with a Glass of Mull'd Sack, or hot Mace Ale; and being in Bed, dispose your self to sweat. This does excellent in the King's-Evil, Measles, Small-Pox, or Swine-Pox, to bring the Venome from the Heart.

For Agues, you may take a Pill the bigness of the largest gray Pea, and drink it with a Pennyworth of Anniseed-water, and as much Pep­per as will lye upon a Groat, an Hour before the Fit, and sweat plentifully in Bed, drinking a little Rosemary, Marigold or Carduus Posset-drink; this being continued three or four times, generally takes it off.

For Swoonings and Convulsions, it must be ta­ken in our Spiritus Prophelact. imperialis, di­lated to a Cordial; and for Virulent Obstructions, it must be taken in White-wine every Night going to Bed.

For Fluxes and such Distempers in Women, as mightily debilitates them, is must be taken in a Glass of Sack mull'd with Cinnamon, as before directed.

For the Gout and Rheumatisms of the whole Bo­dy, let it be taken in our Vinum Vitae proprieta­tis, both dilated in a Glass of Rhenish Wine, sweat­ing plentifully in Bed, and drinking now and then a little Spiritus Mundus, and bathing any grie­ved part with the same; this generally eases at twice taking. It divides also the Clods of Blood, and breaks inward Imposthumes, carries off their Matter and heals them; so it doth Bruises and Squats.

Now for difficulty of making Water, the Stran­gury, the Stone in the Bladder, or Gravel in the Reins and Kidneys, proceed thus: ℞ A Pint of White-wine wherein a black Flint hath been several times quench'd, and then dissolve gr. xx. of the Pill therein, and sweeten it with ℥iij or iv. of Marsh­mallows, [Page 76]mallows, and let it be for two Draughts, with three Hours intermission, in the most violent pain; and so will the offending Matter be carried off.

Observe, That little Children of three or four Years old take somewhat more that a Barley-corn in quantity, but Children under that age, about the bigness of a Barley-corn. It may be varied in its Dose, acoording to the Wisdom and Discretion of the Parent.

Thus much may suffice for this Chapter, we shall now proceed to that of Menstruums, and Mineral Preparations.

Menstruum Ʋrino-acidum.

℞ Of the highest rectified Spirit of Urine lbj, and put it into a large Body with a nar­row Mouth, and pour gently on it of the high­est rectified Spirit of Vinegar you can make, un­til it is assatiated, and 'twill give an insipid [Page 78]Flegm, and if the Flegm is not insipid, you must pour on until it is; then very gently draw off the Flegm; and if the Salt is not well satisfied, repeat the former Operation un­til it is, and then distil in fire of degrees, and lastly rectifie it; and it is not only a good Men­struum, but also an excellent Medicine for the Diseases of the Ears, and other pares of the Body. Also if you take any of the aforesaid Volatile Salts (that are sublimed in the Chapter of O­leosums, especially that of the third prescrip­tion) ℥iv, of the best Spirit of Wine-Vinegar lbj, the which put in by little and little till the Salt is assatiated; and then evaporate the Flegm and put it into a Retort, and distil by degrees of fire, at last giving a very strong one, and when cold on that which remains in the bottom, cohobate the said Spirit, and concen­trate it so, that it may become fiery; repeat this Operation by fresh addition four or five times, and you have a true Dissolvent for Crabs­eyes, Pearls, Talk, and many other things.

Another for dissolving of Talk.

℞ Of the S. Armon. next following, lbss, and dissolve it in lbij of the stronger: Acet. distilla­tum from Wine you can get; put all into a Retort, and distil it in Sand, and give it a strong fire at the last, and then cohobate it anew on what remains in the bottom of the Retort; and then distil again, repeating un­til a fourth time; and lastly, rectifie it ve­ry [Page 79]well, and by it self, and so is your Men­struum prepared.

To make your S. Armoniack.

℞ Of the Salt of Pot-ashes, (or for want of that, use that of Tartar) and common S. Ar­moniack, of each lbj, which reduce into a Pow­der, and put it into a Glass; and pour thereon the rectifi'd Spirit of Wine ℥iv, and lute well thereon its Head, with a little Receiver there­unto, and distil softly on the surface of the Sand, and there will arise a crystal Salt in the Head of divers forms.

℞ Of the fine sarced Powder of Talk ℥iv, the which put into a Matrix, and pour there­on of the aforesaid Dissolvent ℥viij, and digest the same for 15 days, and the whole will be­come like Milk, the which pour off by incli­nation into a little Body, and pour on that which remains in the Matrix of your fresh Menstruúm, and digest again for 8 days, and there will arise more of the aforesaid Milk, which add unto the other, and the which evaporate on a vaporous B. as much as will rise, and you'l have a remaining Milk some­what thick, the which pour into a Retort of Glass well luted, and distil in Sand by degrees, and there will arise an Oyl like that of Tur­pentine.

Observe, That Talk dissolved by the secret S. Armoniack of the wise, will produce an Oyl [Page 80]which will whiten Scarlet all white, and turn­eth a black Hat into a gray.

The Use of the Oyl is thus:

Wash the Face twice a day, (ziz.) Mornings and Evenings, with Water distill'd from Bean-flowers; then take three drops of the Oyl of Talk, and apply one drop to the Forehead, and a drop to each Cheek; you must cover the Eye-lids with a Plaister of white Roses, shutting the Eyes, and then apply a round Look­ing-glass polished, and after, being warmed over Wood-ashes, 'twill cause the Oyl to spread over the whole Face, and beautisie it for a con­siderable time.

You may also make a noble Menstruum from the Spirit of Urine, assatiated with the Oyl of Vitreol, and the Flegm evaporated until a secret Sal Armoniack is formed: the Oyl of Vitreol must be well deflegmed and rectified. Ex. Gr. ℞ Of the aforesaid Vitreol lbj, on which put by degrees Spirit of Urine highly rectified, un­til there is no more action; from both will arise a sharp penetrating Liquor, which is the Menstruum.

Also from the Spirit of Urine and Spirit of Salt may be obtained a noble Menstruum; the like from the Spirit of Urine and Oyl of Sul­phur per Campan. also from that and the Spirit of Niter; and more particularly from the Spi­rit of Urine and Spirit of Verdigrease: for seeing that Urinous Spirits are but Volatile [Page 81]Alkalies, they are really fixed by the Acids. Concerning which we might fill a Treatise, but seeing these Examples are sufficient for any ingenious person to build his Operations upon, we shall desist therefrom, and shew the way of making Acid Menstruums: And first of.

Menstruum acidum Radicale Zwelfare.

℞ Good Verdigrease of Montpelier lbiv, fine­ly pulverized, put it into a Cucurbit, and pour upon it the best Spirit of Vinegar, that it may stand six Inches above the Matter, stir it often with a wooden or glass Spatula, when tinged with an high green, decant and pour on fresh Vinegar, and extract all you can, till there be not above ℥v of Feces left.

N. B. That if there remain many Feces after the fourth time of extracting; you may let the Spirit of Vinegar and the Matter be boiled to­gether, until it have got all out that possibly can be got out.

All these Tinctures must be filter'd through P [...] or a Fustian Bag, and what will not pass, extract with new Spirit of Vinegar. [N. B.] That all the Tinctures must be as green, and clear, as an Emerald: Put all these Tinctures together on a warm B. M. Evaporate to a skin, and then put your Pan into a very cold place, or in Water of S. Armoniack, to shoot for 24 hours, and you will find there a fair blew Vi­treol; then evaporate again, and shoot as before, as long as any thing will shoot, by [Page 82]reiterating your Evaporation and Crystaliza­tion.

N. B. That if your Crystals be foul towards the latter part of your Operation, dissolve them in fresh Spirit, evaporate and crystalize as be­fore: for they must be all most pure and tran­slucid.

Then dry the fair blew Vitreol between Pa­pers, on a Furnace in a very gentle heat, or else you will hurt them very much: you may proceed to a new dissolution with fresh Spirit of Vinegar, until you discern that the Vinegar in a gentle B. sends over nothing but an insipid Water.

Digest upon this well purified and dried Vitreol an alchalized Sp. V. three fingers high, and three times distilling it off most gently each time, and after every distillation adding fresh.

Pour this choice Vitreol, being very finely powdered into a well coated Retort, with a large Mouth going four Inches into a large Receiver; make all fast with a Bladder dipt in the White of Eggs and quick Lime; but first mind to cleanse well the Neck of the Re­tort with a Feather. [N. B.] That the Joynt of your Retort and Receiver be very close.

Then distil in such a Furnace, as you may command all the degrees of fire.

First begin with a gentle fire for 24 Hours, to procure clear drops, so as you may count six between each drop; at the end of four Hours will come a green Spirit with Fumes; conti­nue [Page 83]this Distillation five Hours, with a Fire of one degree; after this, begins to come a yel­low Spirit, which by little and little turns to redness, which is the sign that the Operation is ended. The whole Operation requires fif­teen Hours to compleat this Work, having had a special care all along, and it must be done in a light place, so that you may govern it by the Colour, Drops and Fumes: all being cold, with care unlute this subtil sulphurous Spirit, and pour it into a clean Body, with a Verge, to lute on its Head exactly, and put it into a gentle B. and you'l see your Spirit ascend, like Spirit of Wine; encrease the heat, till no more will ascend, and you have a Spirit of more virtue than Tongue can express, whether for Menstruum or Medicine, and that in a word we may speak our experience, whosoever shall have recourse to this Spi­rit, as a sure refuge in many Diseases, that deride and contemn the most Herculean Remedies, shall find a Medicament not to be valued by any price whatsoever.

This Menstruum will volatilize Salt of Tartar, and dissolve Pearl, and most other Bodies.

We shall now come to the making Acid Spi­rits: And first of

The Spirit of Nitre.

℞ Of Salt Nitre, and twice as much Bole, Brick-dust or burn'd Clay, and frame it into little Balls, to prevent melting, and put it into an Earthen Retort, and distil by fire of degrees, [Page 84]until all is come over, and then rectifie S. A. Or you may prepare it as Glauber hath prescri­bed it in Part I. pag. 23. How it may be con­centrated so, as to become a powerful Medi­cine, shall be hereafter shewn. After the same way may the Spirit of Salt also be drawn.

But we best approve of a Spirit of Salt made from the Liquor that runs from the Salt, after it is boiled and lies in heaps, which is by the Salt-Boiler called Bittern: 'Tis also to be had at the Salt-Merchants at Billingsgate, running a­way from the heaps of Salt, which they call Brine; 'tis of colour yellow, fat and unctious: If this have its Flegm evaporated away, and drawn over with a strong fire in a Pot and Cap, and be violently forced as long as any will come, and then rectified S. A. you have a most excellent Spirit of Salt.

Oyl of Vitreol.

℞ Copperas, Dantzick or Roman Vitreol, and calcine it in an earthen Pan, then pound it into gross Powder, and put it in earthen Retorts, and set it in a Reverberatory, and lute on the Receivers, and give fire by degrees; first begin gently till all is warm, and then encrease your fire moderately for 24 hours, so as to keep the Receiver full of Fume; thus continue to en­crease the fire from 24 hours to 24 hours, for three days and nights, and at last force it over with the most violent degree of heat that can be. When the Operation is over, let all cool; [Page 85]remove and rectifie the Oyl from its Spirit.

For the Oyl and Spirit of Vitreol, you may also work as Glauber hath laid down in pag. 17. of his second Part of Philosophick Furnaces.

Now with Allom and Nitre, after the same manner, may be made AF. which being recti­fied, dissolve a Penny weight of Silver in an Ounce thereof, and then casting that into lbij or iij, will give such a Ferment to it, as that 'twill act the more kindly in dissolving and se­parating Gold and Silver. A. R. is nothing else but S. Armoniack dissolved in the aforesaid AF. and this is for the dissolution of Gold.

The Way of Trying of Oars, and the Separating of Mettals, and to Refine, Cupel and Test by Cone and Quart, will be shewed under the Title of the Separation of Mettals.

Now, seeing all Acid and Corrosive Spirits are hereunto so useful, we could not omit it here in this Chapter of Menstruums: Now 'tis to be observed in the Rectification of Acid Spirits, as Vinegar, Nitre, Vitreol, Sea Salt, Salt Gem, or any other that will yield an Acid Spirit by Re­verberation, that their Flegm comes over first. Now seeing the true Spirit of Salt and Spirit of Nitre, are the two Acidities we mostly esteem, we shall shew the Concentration of the Spirit of Nitre, by which 'tis made more powerful in Dissolution, according to Gl. Par. II. p. 119.

℞ And dissolve in one Pound of the Spirit of Nitre, ℥iv of Lapis Calaminaris, put the Solu­tion into a Glass Viol, upon a vaporous or dry B. that the Flegm may evaporate by little and little, (for the Lapis Calaminaris holds all the Spirits, and permits the Flegm to go off) and the Spirit of Nitre will remain in the Viol like Oyl. Take one part of this concentrated Spi­rit of Nitre, and half a part of Oil of Tiles or Wax, put them both in a Glass Retort well luted, and force them out (by a Distillation in Sand) from the concentrated Spirit into a great Receiver, and by this Operation 'twill be far more penetrative than it was before: For the Spirit of Nitre being by concentration by the Calaminaris freed from all its Flegm, and seeing it is thereby become the more attra­ctive, and can find nothing else that it might attract, it associates to it self all the humidity that lyes hidden in the Oil, and which could not be separated by the former Distillation, and hereby brings to pass, that the Oil doth necessari­ly become more subtil and efficacious, yea so penetra­tive, as that it performeth wonderful things, espe­cially in the effects of the Matrix, the which nought but very subtil Spirits can heal, and which those concentrated Spirits can do more certainly and se­curely, that all the other Medicaments in the whole World. After the same manner is the Concen­tration and Purification of the other Oils to be performed. We shall now shew their Dulcifi­cation; And first of

Spiritus Salis dulcis.

℞ Of the aforesaid Spirit of Salt highly re­ctified lbj, of Aetherial Spirit of Wine lbj, pour your Spirit of Wine gently by drops on the Spi­rit of Salt, and then gently digest 24 hours, and then distil in a Retort, with a large Recei­ver well luted, and you shall have come over a sweet Spirit of Salt. After the same manner is made the sweet Spirit of Nitre, which are noble Specificks in the cure of those Diseases which are caused by Obstructions, and where the Blood is not in a due fermentation, &c.

Oleum Vitrii & Spiritus Vini: Or Ra­bel's Drops.

℞ Of highly rectifi'd Oil of Vitreol lbj, high­ly rectifi'd Spirit of Wine lbj, of the Tartar of Vitreol well dulcifi'd ℥iv, all put into a Retort and distill'd over: These are the white Drops, good for Wounds, Epilepsie, and Palsie. Now if you distil without the Tartar of Vitreol, you will have remaining a red Balsam in the Retort, whence you may make the red Drops, by ad­ding thereunto equal parts of the Spirit of Wine: Digest them 14 days in a gentle heat, and then are they prepared. Or thus:

℞ Of the Oil of Vitreol lbj, highly rectifi'd Spirit of Wine ℥xij, and digest them till they be­come red. After the same way may be dulcified [Page 88]any Acid Spirit whatever; concerning which, we could run out a large discourse: but having given these as clear Examples, we shall con­clude the rest may be understood.

Having proceeded thus far with Acid and Alkaly and their Union for the forming of a different Nature from either, as may be seen in the foregoing Chapter of Salts, also the Uni­on of Acids and Urinous Spirits, as may be seen in this Chapter of Menstruums, also the Union of Acids and Vinor Spirits; we shall now come to shew how Acid Spirits are mortified by Alkaly, so that both may be still'd over in a Volacile Spirit; which prepared Menstruums come un­der the Title of Arcana Pontissitata: And thus may be made a noble tartarizated Spirit of Vi­treol, Nitre or any other; but for the perfor­mance thereof, true Art and Labour is requi­red, as also the knowledge of a proper A­gent, &c.

'Tis Mens short sightedness in this point, that is the cause why there is still in the World such a great complaint amongst the Practitio­ners in Physick for want of true and proper Spe­cifick Medicines: Alas! 'tis no wonder, seeing the fundamental Doctrins of Nature, and the right Composition of Menstruums and Medicines is so little understood, and much less practised; we must confess 'tis not for want of Books, for there are so many that treat of this Art, that were they all put together, twenty Horses could not draw them, yet nevertheless is Truth barren enough in the World, and our lofty [Page 89]School-men look upon it as an undervaluing to their pretended worth and gravity to be in­formed, altho' it be from Truth it self. Will but these Men become honest and take up the laborious part of Chymistry, they would quickly discern their Insufficiency: for then they would see, that they had as much need of particular Directions, Instructions and Practice, as would be required were they to undertake a Handy­craft Trade. Ex. gr. would you make a hand­som Pair of Shooes, then must you not disdain to be instructed by one that is Master of the Trade; without disdain, the like must be in this Art, seeing 'tis so difficult, for that very often Mental Theory framed in the Mind proves Dotage, when it comes to the Touchstone of Practice: for Labour is to be made use of for the Interpretation of all true Philosophers Wri­tings; this is the way that I took, and all the true Sons of Art that ever went before me.

Now the Foundation upon which every Son of Art built was a Menstruum, which would radically dissolve Bodies, correcting and ad­vancing their Medicinal Virtues, of which num­ber are all the Corrosive Specificks, as Oil of Vi­treol, Oil of Sulphur, Spirit of Nitre, Vinegar, and the like; or in short, any other Acid Spirit: and being so prepared, they attain the Name of Acetum fortum, Acetum radicale, as Paracelsus often calls it: Concerning which we shall give an Example.

℞ Of the Oil of Tartar per Deliquium cry­stalized, and pour upon it strong Spirit of Vi­treol, or any other Acid Spirit, until the Alkaly is assatiated, which is known by the ceasing of the Ebullition; then dry it very well, and add of the aforesaid Oleum Vitrii and Spiritus Vini, distill'd over into white drops, equal weight; distil it off from the said Salt, until the Salt become very hungry, which 'twill ea­sily be, if you add in our Reconciler, and satisfie its thirst three or four times by adding in fresh Spirit, which distil off; the Salt being dry, mix it with two parts of burn'd Clay, and distil it after the manner of Spirit of Salt, or Spirit of Nitre, and at last, give it the high­est degree of fire, and so distil all that will come over: The Salt that remains in the Ca­put Mort. may be drawn out, and assatiate it with Oil of Vitreol as before, and repeat this Distillation with the Acid Alcalizate, till all the Salt is brought over, by which means the Salt hath lost its costive quality, and the Oil its cor­rosive one, and the former volatilized, as the expert Operator will find by reitered Cohoba­tion or rather Imbibition.

This is a most noble Menstruum, and will dissolve Metallick Bodies by Cohobation, which being dulcified, you may draw forth their Tin­ctures in Spirit of Wine, in which their Specifick Virtue lyes.

Reader, We could enlarge concerning this Point, the secret Sal Armoniack of the Philoso­phers, and our Sal Panaristos, but if we should here, a Snake would lye in the Hedge, so that he might be apt to sting, for too many words would make a thing that's plain and easie, seem hard and difficult, misty and ob­scure: therefore having laid down what is sufficient for every true Spagirick to under­stand in our Tryumph of that Art, as also in our Trifertes Soladini, where the Office of Menstruums is fully handled, and therefore we shall omit it here: and so conclude this Chapter concerning Menstruums.

Of Saturn, or Lead.

Lead is thus calcined or reduced to Ashes: Put on a Cuppel under a Muffle lbj, ij, or iij of Lead; let it be red-hot; then cast into it ℥ss, ℥j, ℥js of Tin, and you'l see the Tin mount a­bove he Lead, and burn to yellow Ashes, which [...] be taken off with an Iron Instrument, as long as any Ashes amount or appear on the sur­face of the Lead; when no more Ashes ap­pear, then cast in a fresh quantity of Tin, as before, turning the same to Ashes till no more arise; continue so long with this Incineration of fresh Tin, until the Lead and Tin be turned into Ashes: from which Ashes, if you distil off the subtil and penetrating Sal Armoniack of the Wise, there will form a Regulus, which by several reiterations being brought to the Test, will leave behind it ⊙ and ☾.

Saturn being calcined and brought into Mi­nium, you may with distilled Vinegar extract his Salt, which being cleansed and shot in a leaden Pan, you have the Saccarum or Su­gar thereof: Good for Wounds, Ulcers and viru­lent Gonorrhaea's.

Glauber's white Precipitate of Lead.

℞ Of Lead-ashes lbj, ij, iij or more, which put in a strong well glazed earthen Pot, then pour thereon some Wine or Ale Vinegar, or Vi­negar of Honey, as much as may over-top it an hand's breadth. Set your Pot upon the Coals, and make the Vinegar boil.

N. B. The Ashes are to be uncessantly stir­red in the boiling with a wooden Spatula, lest they gather into one entire solid Mass; after that the Vinegar hath boil'd for about half an hour, and is become yellow, and as sweet as Sugar, you must decant it from the Ashes, and pour on more, and again boil it, and extract more sweetness; and this labour must you re­peat so often, until the Vinegar can extract no more sweetness: then having put all these Vi­negars together, pour them gently off from the Feces, that settle in the bottom of the Vessel; and being thus separated, filter the same through Cap Paper, or by a Filter, that so the Liquors may be very clear, and may give you by separation, that sweetness of the Lead which they hold up in them.

Into these clear Vinegars, therefore being put in a Glass Vessel, pour thereinto (by little and little) as much rectified Spirit of Salt, that so the yellow Vinegar may be turned into a white Milk, and may by little and little settle to the bottom like curdled Cheese, from which the Vinegar, being now become clear again, is to [Page 102]be removed by decanting; then put the Satur­nine Cheese in some strong Linnen Cloth, and tye it hard up, and squeeze out the residue of the moisture, and so dry it and lay it by for use. It is a most tender Powder, of a bright snowy colour, and void of all taste: for in the Precipitation, all the sweetness being introvert­ed by the Spirit of Salt, hath hidden it self with­in, which doth again by this following Opera­tion discover its former taste.

Buy some Steel Filings at the Needle makers, and take thereof as much as you please, dis­solve them in rectified Spirit of Salt, which So­lution will be green, and be of a sweetish taste; abstract the insipid Flegm, insipid I say, for al­tho' it be a very strong Spirit of Salt, that is pou­red upon the Iron, yet nevertheless no Spirit comes off, but only an insipid Flegm, in the abstraction and distillation, and the Iron retains all the acidity of the Salt, and remains a red, sweetish, astringent Juyce.

Take of this, and of the Saturnine Powder, which we taught you the making of but now, of each a like weight, and put them into a well coated Retort, and the Saccharum Satur­ni, will presently drink up the Juyce of the Steel. Put the Retort in a Vessel fill'd with Sand, and augment the fire by little and little, that all the insipid Flegm may be wholly drawn off. When 'tis all come off, and acid drops be­gin to come, then must you apply thereunto a Glass Receiver, and the fire is to be encreas'd by degrees, until the Retort be throughly red [Page 103]hot, which must continue so about an hour, or half an hour at least: by this means the Spirits of the Salt which were in the Steel, do almost wholly come over into the Recei­ver, and do carry over with them [the Spirits] of the Saccharum Saturni, and Oyl of Mars, in the form of a red Sublimate, which settles it self in the Neck of the Retort, which subli­mate; when the Retort is cold and broken, you must take out of its Neck, and keep it from the Air; for in the Air 'twill dissolve in­to a red, sweet and astringent Oyl, of no small Virtues in Medicine and Alchimy. Furthermore, as Basilius saith, if from calcined Saturn you ex­tract the crystaline Salt with distill'd Vinegar; and afterward, with Spirit of Wine, and distil it into a red Oyl. This Oyl cureth Melancholly, fiery Pox, old Ulcers, and many other Infirmities besides. This Oyl coagulateth and fixeth Mercury, being first precipitated with Oyl of Vitreol, for all Pow­ders and Medicaments, which are to make Sol and Lune, must be made fix, holding in all fiery tryals.

But here you must understand the difference of the Analogy between the Magical Saturn, and Saturn vulgar.

Now as to the molten Mass in the bottom of the Retort, resembling Lapis Hematitis, which being separated from all defilements, will give you a red, brittle, fusile Stone, and in some sort astringent, of great Virtues in Medicine, and without doubt in Alchimy too, if it were but first made constantly to abide in the fire. And [Page 104]ever this too, must you keep from the Air, for it is still impregnated with the Salts, and there­fore is easily dissolv'd.

Now when you would make use of this Stone in Medicine, break a little bit thereof into small Powder (for 'tis no harder than other Salt, and therefore doth easily admit of grind­ing to Powder.) This Powder heals both inter­nal and external Wounds and Ulcers, being admi­nistred in the quantity of two, three four, five, six, or more Grains, according to the age and condition of the sick, and being taken in a convenient and proper Vehicle, it is highly sanative and a stopper of Blood. Being applied externally to Wounds, it wonderfully forwards healing; hinders all Sym­ptoms, and fundamentally drys and cures all Ul­cers and Fistula's, if used outwardly and inwardly too.

It doth most safely and most certainly help all the overflowing of the Menses in Women, and is so excellent a Medicament in the Dysentery, Lientery, and other Fluxes of the Belly, that its like is not to be found.

Thus have we that true and genuine Hema­titis of the ancient Physicians, of which we have many great Mysteries yet to write; but however, brevity being design'd, we must omit them; for we had not been so large, had we not highly esteemed of the Process, and there­fore what we have further to say is, that the Sublimate in the Neck, is more powerful in vir­tue, than the Stone: Now we say, that from his Preparation proceeds Arcanu [...] Minerale No­strum, [Page 105]or the Sulphur of the Blood-stone, which being spagirically exalted so as to dilate in Oyl of Turpentine, stops bleeding either internally or ex­ternally to a Miracle; the exact Preparation of which is shewn in the fifth Debate of our Spa­girical Philosophy's Triumph, where also the Of­fice of the Circulatum minimum is shewn in se­parating the Sulphur from the Mercury of Bodies, and principally of Saturn, how his Sulphur is embibed, and his Body reduced to a running Argent. vive; for which also we refer you to the use of our Sal Panaristos in Trifertes Saladi­ni: And so conclude concerning Saturn in this profitable Way of Calcination, Distillation and Sublimation, &c. Of Antimony.

Antimony is indeed esteemed Lord in Medicine, therefore as Basilius says, in c. 41. of his Elucida­tions, Saturn and Antimony have promised to each other a sociable Brotherhood, because Saturn's qua­lities do rest in some sort on the qualities of Antimony, in an equal concordance, therefore do we treat of them thus: First of

Species Antimonii Russilii.

℞ Of the best Antimony lb50, of the cold Earth Salt lbiij, mix them well together, then flux them; being thus compounded, and ha­ving had a middle fusion, pour them forth into a Tub of Water, wherein some of the afore­said Earth Salt is dissolved, or its Spirit cast: [Page 106]now having fluxed and projected all the above said quantity of Antimony into the Water, then trouble and move it, and the light parts, which is the Species, will swim in the Water, which must be poured off into another Tub, to stand and settle, and after a small settling, you will, by gently casting off the clear Water, find your Species in the bottom. Note, That you add fresh Water, in the room of every Water you cast off, to the crude Antimony, and so do till no more Species may be had: Observe, The crude Antimony, remaining, when dried, serves for fluxing again, but you must add the cold Earth Salt, as before.

This is a very effectual Medicine, working by the four Emunctories; 'tis very safe, in that it on no wise works violently, neither does it work upon all alike; for it works on every one such ways as Nature requires to have the Disease thrown off; 'tis prevalent in Feavers and Agues and many other Diseases, and is an excellent Antidote a­gainst the pestilential one. It's Dose is from ten to forty Grains, in Wine or any other proper Ve­hicle.

Observe, That it was the Opinion of Dr. Collance, High-Dutcher, that the great Se­cret in the Preparation of this Powder, was to flux the Antimony without the Earth Salt, which is performed by the sifted Powder of Charcoal ad­ded in place thereof.

To draw the Salt of Antimony.

℞ Antimony, and reduce it into a subtil Powder like Meal, and calcine it on a small fire of Charcoal, stirring it constantly with an Iron Rod, until it becomes white, and that it smoaketh no more, and that it may endure a good heat; then put it into a Crucible, and run it down that it appears like to a clear Glass; then take and grind it with distilled Vineger, that is good, and set it on an easie fire, and your Vinegar will draw therefrom the Tincture, which will be of a high colour: after having drawn all your Tincture, and that your Acet. distillatum tinge no more; dry the remaining Powder, which will become black, and grind with the same, ana, of common Sul­phur, and put it into a Crucible well luted into a good fire, and leave it there till all the Sulphur is consumed; after grind the remain­ing matter very fine, and again pour thereon fresh distill'd Acet. distillatum; out of all which draw the Sal Communis, and draw off your Acet. distillatum by distillation; then sweeten the Sal Communis with distilled Water by reite­rated Distillations, and clarifie the Salt through Sp. V. until the Sal Communis becomes very white. This Sal Communis accomplisheth almost all the same effects as that of Sol, taking thereof but Gr. ij. at the most, it purifieth both the Body and the whole Mass of Blood, and destroys all pre­judicial Flegm and Humours, which cause dange­rous [Page 108]Ulcers, curing the Distempers of Venus, ta­king thereof at the most Gr. iv. with ʒ j of the Ex­tract of Guajacum and Sassafrax water distilled, then sweat thereon, in Bed.

The Liver of Antimony and Antimony Dia­phoretick.

℞ Antimony and Salt Petre, and lbj, pul­verize them severally, then mix and put them into an earthen Pot, narrow at the bottom, or a great Crucible; and with a red-hot Char­coal, fire it; and when 'tis cold, separate it; the red shining in the bottom is Crocus, and the rest save for Antimonium Diaphoreticum: when the Crocus is separated, pulverize the re­mainder, and weigh it, and take as much Salt Petre as it doth weigh, pulverize it, and then put in by degrees into a Crucible placed in the fire, and let it remain glowing hot; about an hour and half after detonation, take and pulverize it very fine, whil'st hot, and then sweeting it, by washing it well with Water, for two or three days; then cant off the Wa­ter, and add fresh, until 'tis sweet; then fil­ter it, and dry it on white Paper, and keep it for use.

Antimonial. Lapis Prunella.

Filter and Evaporate the first two Waters, and you've a fine Lapis Prunella Antimonialis, good in Feavers; it may be made purer by Cal­cination and reiteratred Filtrations.

To make Vitreum Antimonii.

℞ Antimony and Salt of Tartar ana, and melt them till they run to a Glass. You may also calcine Antimony per se, as directed in making its Salts, and then flux it into a Glass. Also from the Flowers, (according to Glauber, pag. 14. Par. I. of his Philosophical Furnaces) where he says, they are to be melted into yel­low transparent Glass; neither is there taught an easier way of reducing Antimony of it self into a yellow transparent Glass, than crude Antimony being first sublimed, and being sublimed is melted into Glass. This Sublima­tion serves instead of Calcination; by the help whereof 20 Pound is more easily sublimed, than by the help of the other one Pound is brought into a Calx. He commends this way both for safeness and quickness, above any o­ther: The Way of Making the Flowers is faithfully and exactly there set out; together with their Office and Use.

The Antimonial Cup.

℞ Of Antimony lbss, Sal Nitre and white Tartar ana ℥iv, melt them till they run to a Regulus, and so fashion it into a Cup, S. A. The most exact and best way of forming this into a Cup, is set down by Glauber, in pag. 92. Par. V. of Philosophical Furnaces; and in pag. 93. he gives the Proportion, which something differs from ours, therefore make choice of which you will: for some desire them most like a Regulus, others of nearer adherence to the Crocus; the Use of it also being there gi­ven, we shall here omit it.

To make the Regulus of Antimony, and to separate the superfluous Antimonial Sul­phur.

℞ Of Antimony lbss, of Nitre and Tartar ana ℥xij, of the tops of Filings of Steel Needles ℥iv, put them into a Crucible, and melt them all very well, till they flow in the Crucible like Water; the which pour forth into a Cone, and give the Cone a twist half about, and there will form a Star very glorious; the Re­gulus may be purified by being two or three times melted with fresh Niter; the Regulus be­ing the Mercurial part, save all the Scories, for therein is the glorious Sulphur of Antimony; the farther Preparation and Use of which will be shewn more in the following Lines.

Glauber's way, in Part II. pag. 59. ℞ Of crude Antimony, Tartar, and Niter, of each a like, powder them each apart, commix the Powders; being mixt, put them in a Melting-Pot or Crucible, and kindle them with a live Coal, that by this kindling they may fly up, and go into a reddish kind of coloured Mass. Your Pot being yet hot, set it into your Wind-Furnace, and melt it, that all your Matter may flow in the Crucible, like Water; then pour it out into your Cone, and, being cold, take it out, and separate the Regulus therefrom, and lay it by for other uses, because 'tis not ser­viceable for the Operation here minded. Now out of one Pound of Antimony, you'l have eight Lots, or ℥iv, of Regulus, so that of your one Pound you'l get a Regulus of ℥iv, or the fourth part of a Pound. The Scoria's, which will be of a reddish colour, and of a fiery taste upon the Tongue, must be again melted in the same Pot they were melted in, if it be whole, or in some new Pot, and when they flow, put a live Coal into the Pot. The Salt Petre will seize upon the Coal, and being occupied about, corroding the same, will let fall the remainder of the Regulus it as yet held up. Then the Matters being poured out into your Cone, and cool, strike off the Regulus at the bottom with the stroak of an Hammer, and beat the Sco­ria's, which will be of a red colour and fiery taste, into Powder, and being thus powdered, let the Salts be extracted [or dissolved] in the heat with common fair Water; the which [Page 112]holding in them the most pure Sulphur of Anti­mony, do turn the Water into a red Lixivium, in which is hidden the Medicine we seek after; and is to be gotten thence, by the following way: For after that the Sulphur is dissolved, by dissolving all that will be separated by the Salts or Lye, the reliques or remainder are good for nothing.

Having so done, dissolve white and purifi'd Tartar in fair Water, in some glazed Pot, and you'l have an acid Solution; being thus hot as it is, (for when 'tis cold, the Tartar will again shoot in it) pour it by little and little into the Antimonial Lixivium, and 'twill debilitate the same, so that the Sulphur of the Antimony will fall down to the bottom, in the form of a yel­lowish or reddish Powder. When all the Sul­phur is setled, separate the clear Water of the Salt, from the Sulphur, by canting it off; then pour on some warm Water, and wash it so often till all the Salt be gone off. Then filter it, that all the Water may be separated, and the Powder stay in the Filter, which you shall put upon new and dry Cap Paper, there­by to remove all the watriness, and then dry it in the heat of the Sun.

This is an universal purging Medicament, which drives out all the malignant Humours by all the Emunctories, sc. by Vomit, Stool, Sweat, Urine, and Spittle, and may be very safely administred in any Disease whatever in young or old. The Dose is from one to six Grains.

'Tis no wonder there should be so many Virtues in Antimony, if you do but rightly con­sider its formation and universal Nature; for were it not so, why should Basilius Valentine write a Triumphant Chariot thereof; and in ano­ther place say, that it deserves to be placed as a third Pillar of Medicine? Have not also Para­celsus, and Alexander Suchten, Glauber, and Van Helmont, written many great Mysteries con­cerning it? For, as Helmont saith, The Flow­ers of Antimony sublimed with Sal Armoniack, and the Salt again washed off, and from those Flowers, the Liquor Alchahest being distilled, you've a Medicine that infallibly cures all kind of Dropsies. And our Sal Panaristos produces the same effect: But what need we to elevate our selves so high, seeing Starkey's Febrifuge is the Sulphur of Antimony, corrected by the Circula­tum minimum, or Volatile Spirit of Tartar, which brings it to a white Powder; 10 Grains where­of cures all Feavers and Agues; and our Species Mineralis is the aforesaid Regulus of Antimony 3 or 4 times melted and refined, and then fine­ly powdered, and the Menstruum made from the cold Fire of the Eagle, distilled off from thence, or its Body precipitated therein; and so being dulcified, you've an excellent Medicine against Plagues, Feavers, and other Diseases, that are to be expelled by sweat; which also operates by all the Emunctories, and cleanses the Body and Blood from the Reliques of old Diseases, as Epilepsies; also an excellent Purge in the Gout, Leprosie, French Pox, and other most grievous Diseases, and likewise in [Page 114]external new Wounds, Fistula's and old Ulcers, what-name soever they are called by, if it be but used inwardly to purge them. Briefly, This Me­dicine hath scarce its fellow: So that we have no reason at all to regard such Men as out of meer ignorance, oppose and slander Antimony in their learned Bawlings, and say that 'tis no­thing else but Poison, and therefore no ways profitable. But let no body believe their Bark­king, but first try the same, and he will clear­ly find the contrary. For we say, that the crude solar Antimony is corrected and dissolved by the aforesaid fire, and being dulcified and brought to a Pink coloured Species or Powder, two Grains thereof is a certain Emetick and Ca­thartick, and will with pleasantness perform all whatever is said of the former. And thus we shall conclude concerning Antimony, at this time, seeing we have written largely thereof in our Spagirick Philosophy's Triumph; where the Rea­der may discern, that we have demonstrated him as Lord of Medicine.

Of Jupiter, or Tin.

Tin being calcined as Saturn is, you may with the Spirit of Vinegar extract its Salt; but the way we best like, is that prescribed by Ba­silius, thus:

℞ Pummice-stones, sold in Shops, [...]eal them, quench them in old good Wine; neal them a­gain, and quench as before; let this nealing [Page 115]be iterated a third time; the stronger the Wine you quench withal, the better it is; after that dry them gently; thus are they prepared for that purpose. Pulverize these Pumice-stones sub­tily, then take good Tin, laminate it, stratifie it in a cementing way, in a reverberating Fur­nace, reverberate this matter for five days and nights in a flaming fire, and it draws the Tin­cture of the Mettal, then grind it small, first scraping the Tin-Lamins; put it in a glass Bo­dy; pour on it good distilled Vinegar; set it in digestion; the Vinegar draweth the Tin­cture, which is red-yellow; abstract this Vine­gar in B. edulcorate the anima of Jupiter with distilled Water; exicate gently, and bring it to a dry Calx, which being gently reverberated, becomes a subtil Powder, on which depends many Mysteries. This Calx may be again sublimed with Sal Armoniack, and the Regulus being preserved, the Sal Armoniack dulcified therefrom, the Sulphur may be separated by the volatile Spirit of Tartar, and so distill'd over into an Oyl, endued with all the Powers of Jove. And thus you have the Calcination, Sublimation and Distillation of Jupiter; and if you desire to understand more, we refer you to Glauber's Works, where, in Part I. pag. 323. he shews his Calcination and Fixation by AF. and how he may be purg'd from super­fluous Sulphur, Part I. pag. 130. also the Pro­paration and Making the Fulmen of Jove, in Part I. pag. 201, 202. and he farther saith, in Part I. pag. 180. that Tin or Pewter may be [Page 116]hardened, and brought to a delicate white­ness, so that 'twill resemble Silver both in co­lour and found, &c. which is by its often be­ing melted with fixed Nitre: But we say, If Tin is melted with the Regulus of Antimony, wherein ♂ and ♀ are, 'twill acquire a hard­ness and beauty, little inferior to Silver, espe­cially if the Block-Tin is good.

Thus much for the noble Jupiter, whose su­perior Star is the Son of Saturn, who let down Juno in a showr of Gold, himself being clothed with the Thunderbolt, who astonishes such as do not understand his Power, Virtue and Ope­ration; therefore omitting to speak any far­ther of him, (lest we should offend his Kingly Dignity, by extending the Pythagorean Rules) we shall proceed to that

Of Mars, or Iron.

Mars, that noble Champion or God of Bat­tel, that conquers Alcides, and is not to be conquer'd by any but Venus, and that in the pleasant Beds of Delight; he therefore that deals the most gently by him, shall get the most from him: One way by which he is to be calcined, is as follows.

℞ A Bar of Steel or Iron, and heat it red­hot, and clap it into a great Lump of Brim­stone that stands over the Water, and what melts and runs into the Water, you must pre­serve. Continue this Operation, until you've [Page 117]as much of the calcined Mars as you please the which being powdered and dulcified, is proper for the Obstruction of the Menses in Women. The Dose is ten Grains in any proper Vehicle; but how this Calx may be farther exalted, will be shewn by and by.

Salt of ♂ made per se.

℞ Four or five Bars of ♂, put them in a Smith's Forge, and quench it in distilled Rain­water; do this so often till the Bars are wore out, the which Operation will be very tedi­ous, but very profitable. Now this said Wa­ter gently evaporate in a Glass Bason, and a brownish Salt will remain in the bottom, which as you've a quantity of, you may purifie by Calcination, Solution, Filtration, and Conge­lation. 'Tis excellent for sore Eyes, and being mixt with Empl. Mellif. for cancerated Breasts; the Salt it self is also excellent for the Obstructions in Women.

♂ may also be dissolved with the Liquor of fixed Niter, or with the Spirit of Niter, and more principally with the Spirit of Salt, ac­cording to the example you have in the white Precipitate of ♄; which Dissolution being dulcified, and the Tincture taken out in tar­tarizated Sp. V. as long as any will be extract­ed, you have a noble Balsamick Tincture, fully endued with the Virtues of ♂.

Flores Martis, or ♂ sublimed.

℞ Of the ♂, calcined by Brimstone, as before prescribed lbj; or Lapis Hematitis com­munis lbj, Sal Armoniack lbj; beat and mix them exceeding well together; then put them into an Earthen Retort, and close a large Re­ceiver, and give fire, but gently at first, but encreasing it from three hours to three hours, until it is sublimed; the last three hours you must observe to give it the strongest degree of fire you possibly can, that so what remains, may be well calcined: It being cold, remove and break the Retort, and you shall have in the Neck a noble Martial Sublimate; and from the Caput mort. in the bottom, you may extract with a warm Water a Volatile Salt, the both which have many Virtues, having some adherence to the Lapis Hematitis, but not so powerful.

The Anima of ♂.

℞ Of the red Vitreol Oyl, or Oyl of Sulphur, one part, and two parts of ordinary Well-water; put those together, dissolve therein Filings of Steel; this Dissolution must be filtred: being warmed, let it gently evaporate a third part of it; then set the Glass in a cool place, and there will shoot Crystals as sweet as Sugar, which is the true Vitriol of ♂; cant off the Water, let it evaporate more, and set it again in a cold [Page 119]place, and more Crystals will shoot; neal them gently under a Muffle, stirring it still with an Iron Wier, then you get a fair Pur­ple coloured Powder; on this Powder cast di­stilled Vinegar; Extract the Anima of ♂ in a gentle B. abstract again the Vinegar, and dul­corate the Anima. This is the Anima of ♂, which hath many Virtues.

Sal Calybis magisterialis.

℞ Steel-dust, or filings, lbj, and let them be dissolved by Spirit of Salt, as before directed, which must again be dulcified well there from, and the Powder gently calcined under a Muf­fle, and then being put into a Retort, pour upon it of the Volatile Spirit of Tartar lbij, and put in the second degree of heat and the whole will be dissolved, and then draw off what Spirit will come over, and carefully de­flegm; put on the Spirit again, and repeat this Operation, until it shoot into a noble crysta­line Salt, the which dulcifie, and then will it give forth its Sulphur in Spirit of Wine, or by a higher Exaltation may be brought over the Helm in form of an Oyl: All of which are noble Medicaments and far exceeding any Preparation of Steel, that hath hitherto been published to the World, as we know by large experience; and although some would fain imitate this Preparation, by sprinkling the Fi­lings of Steel with the Liquor of fixed Niter, or Oyl of Tartar per deliquium, and so bring it to [Page 120]Dust or Powder by means of the Air, and then prescribe it as a great Arcanum; yet we have no such value of it, because the body of the Steel is not by such a Preparation macerated, or overcome, as by the former, that being a way succedanous to the Alchaest, and so commands its Balsamick and Herculean Vir­tues.

Prevalant in Feavers and Agues, and for open­ing the Obstructions of the Pancreas, Liver, Spleen, and Mesentery, and also the Urinous Passages; therefore excellent for the Scurvey, Dropsie, and Stone, and also for the Diarrhea and Dissentery. 'Tis also powerful in Womens Diseases, both in o­pening their Obstructions, and likewise to stop their Overflowings: In fine, 'twill cure those Disea­ses, that are not to be touch'd by any other Preparation of Steel whatsoever: We have therefore faithfully communicated it to the World, which cannot fail of doing it service; and the more especially in an Age wherein Steel is so much made use of, and esteemed as a principal Pillar in Medicine.

And thus much for the Calcination, Subli­mation and Distillation of Mars, we shall on­ly add how a Bar of Iron may be broke; Thus,

℞ Of ☿ sublimed and Sal Armoniack ana lbj, red Arsenick lbss, reduce all into a Pow­der, and sublime it three times, and you will have an Oyl in the Sublimatory, which con­ [...] [...]ke Wax in the cold; pulverize, and [Page 121]set it in a Cellar to dissolve per deliquium; unto which Water add as much ordinary AF. which being done, take some Cotton and moisten it therein, and apply it round the Bar of Steel or Iron for twelve hours, and you may easily break it, tho' as thick as a Man's Arm, by gi­ving it a blow at the place the Cotten was ap­plied to.

Of Sol, or Gold.

First of its Calcination or being reduced to Calx, thus: ℞ Of Hungarian Vitreol two parts, Sal Nitre one part, and distil therefrom an AF. in an earthen Retort. S. A. Then take two parts of this Water, and one part of Acet. de­stillatum, and distil them together in a Retort in MB. or in Sand, with a very gentle fire, until all the Water comes off, and there re­main a dry Menstruum or Powder in the bot­tom: Then take of the best Antimony well powdered lbss, and pour thereon the afore­said Spirit, covering the Antimony two or three singers breadth therewith; distil this in a Re­tort in Sand, with a very gentle fire, until all the Water that comes out from it, by often pouring back upon the Menstruum and repeated Distillation, hath lost its sharpness, and be­comes like common Water; and this weak Water you must separate from that which comes forth first, which yet hath a sharpness, and as much as hath been of this weak Water add so much of the first Menstruum to the Wa­ter, [Page 122]which yet hath a sharpness; and pour it back into the Retort again, and do as before, till you apprehend that your Liquor coming forth is full of the virtue and substance of your Antimony, which may be perceived by its weight and whiteness, and your Work is to be carried on as before, till the whole sub­stance of Antimony is come forth into a white Matter.

The Preparation of the Gold.

℞ Of the AF. before spoken of lbiv, Sal Armoniack lbj, make thereof an AR. then take of pure Gold ℥j, and pour the AR. about eight or nine fingers thickness over your Gold; and distil this in a Retort, and pour back the Water that comes from it, and distil it again, repeating this so long, as till your Liquor hath lost its taste, and becomes as weak as Water: Then take the same quantity of AR. and do the same several times, the oftener the bet­ter; and there will remain in the bottom a Calx of Gold.

℞ Of this Calx one part, and of the asore­said Water of Antimony five parts; set them in a digesting heat, for seven or eight days, close covered; afterward let it be procipitated in its own proper Water of Antimony, which be­came so weak, as before spoken of; then let your Powder be sweetened, and well dried, and kept for use.

Observe, that in the Preparation of the An­timony, it must be beaten and sifted very fine, through any Hair Cieve.

This is prevalent in the King's Evil, Grand Pox, Cancers, Ulcers, and Buboes, with Malignant Feavers. Its Dose is four or five Grains at a time, given in this following Decoction.

℞ Bark of Guajacum, Sarsa-parilla, ana ℥iv, Tartar ℥ss, common Water twelve Pints; boil all till the third part is consumed; then put thereunto of German Ground-Pine ℥iv, of the Flowers of French Lavender, Marigolds ana Mj, Saffron ℥ij; make thereof a Decoction for the use predicted.

Another.

℞ Of Gold-dust ℥j, of Salt-Petre lbj, of Roch-Allom lbss, of Salt ℥vj; put them into a Retort, and add thereunto four Quarts of Water; set it in a Sand-Furnace, and put to it a Receiver; encrease the fire, and let it boil till it be dry; put away the yellow part of it, and beat the other in a Glass Mortar, into Powder; put it into a Glass Body with a broad Mouth; put in three Quarts of Water, being warm; stir it well, and let it settle two hours; then pour off that Water, and take care that no thick Matter go off in the Water; repeat more Water to it, and do as before, till no more Water comes that is yellow; save the Water that is yellow, and take a good large [Page 124]Bolt-head, with a long Neck, that will hold a­bout three Quarts; pour in three Pints or two Quarts of the yellow Water, and put in ℥v of crude Mercury; stop it up, and shake them one hour together, and let it settle two hours; then filter it off, and put to it more of the yellow Water, shaking it as before, and let it settle; and thus do till all your yellow Water is ended▪ then put all in to filter, and take care that it lose not any of the black Matter; put all the Matter into a Crucible, putting on the Crucible a little Cover, and over the same a Charcoal-fire; calcine it till it smoak not; then take out your Matter, and test it: This is the Powder to be exalted further by several Cohobations in a true Sp. V. and 'tis then a Medicine for the Scurvey, Pox, and Gout.

To draw the Θ of Mettals, called Sal Sa­pientiae.

℞ Fine Gold (as being the noblest of Met­tals) in Calx ℥j, dissolve it in our AR. when dissolved, evaporate the Water, till driness ap­pear; then pour upon the Calx of Gold distil­led Water, and boil it for two hours; cant off your Water, and put on more; repeat this with fresh Water, till it becomes sweet, and the Water insipid; the pour thereon more of the said Water, and evaporate the same: Then put your Calx of Gold into a Glass, and put it into the Water of Calcination for one hour, [Page 125]keeping your Water to one degree of heat; then grind well your Calx of Gold in a Mar­ble, pouring thereon good distill'd Wine Vine­gar, putting the same into an Urinal in MB. until all the said Acet. distillatum be evapora­ted away, and you will find in the bottom of your Glass a white Salt of Gold, like Snow; and on the remaining Gold pour fresh distill'd Vinegar, and operate as before, so long as your Acet. distillatum leaves any Salt; for you will find them always whiter: Repeat this Operation until the Acet. distillatum will draw no more Salt; and upon the remainder pour Rain-water, in which dissolve the same three or four times, and have a care that there remain no more Salts, and when there remain no more Salts, 'tis enough clarifi'd. This is the Essential Sublimate, and the Salt is the Sal Sapientiae: When you have thus passed it through the Rain-water, distil your said Water into driness, and keep that Salt in a Vessel well stop, For 'tis a most excellent good Medicine in all desperate Distempers and Diseases: This Salt leaves nothing in the Body to offend or prejudice the same, and all Distempers are thereby cured in three or four Weeks. Its Dose is Gr. iij, which put into a Viol, and add thereunto one Glass of Wine, and set it in boiling Water to dissolve in the Wine; and when dissolv'd, the Patient may drink it, covering himself in his Bed, and he will sweat abundantly through the whole Body.

To make an Oyl of the Salt of Mettals.

℞ Of the Salt of Gold, or what Mettal you please, and put it into a Matrix, and seal it up Hermetically, and set it in Sand in a moderate heat, like that of the Sun, for eight days; after encrease your fire the space of eight more, until it becomes yellow; continue thus until 'tis quite yellow; then encrease your fire more until it becomes brown, and continue it in that degree eight days, until it become red; and when 'tis red, continue the same fire for eight days, until it becomes of an high red, and after you may encrease your fire without fear, to what heighth you please; for your greatest fire cannot wrong the same, for 'tis fixt; then let it cool: after that, take and grind it into an impalpable Powder, the which put into a Body, pouring thereon distilled Vi­negar, and set it MB. and stir it every day, covering well your Vessel, and do thus for four days; then cant off your Vinegar by inclina­tion, being grown cold: Reiterate your Ope­ration three times, and that which remains in the bottom of your Vessel cast away, for 'tis useless for this your said work; then put all your Vinegar into an Alimbeck, and distil unto driness, and thus you will have your Matter more beautifull than before; you may set it a­gain into digestion with fresh Vinegar, until there remain no more Feces; then 'tis enough for to draw out its Oyl, when dry, which put [Page 127]into a great Glass well stopt, and apply there­unto a large Receiver, all well luted, and let the bottom thereof rest in a Vessel of Water, and give it a soft fire for four hours, and con­tinue your encreasing of the fire by degrees, until you see the yellow Spirits rise; then keep your fire in the same degree of heat un­til the Head becomes red, and encrease your fire by little and little, till the Head becomes red like Blood; continue the same degree of fire, until redness begin to decline; encrease your fire anew, that your Vessel may be red like a glowing Coal, and keep that degree of fire for an hour, and your Head will become white like Snow; and then encrease your fire high as you can, till your Head becomes clear like to the first; then let it cool, and you'l find in your Receiver your Oyl, which is not to be got without pains.

'Tis not only good for the Scurvey, but also for most desperate Diseases incident to the Body of Man, be they internal or externa [...] [...] [...]ut exceptions, but especially prevalent in the Di [...]er of Venus, Pti­sick, Dropsie, Gout, &c.

Its Dose is ℈j, diffused in a Pint of White wine, to be given the Patient in a Morning fasting, let­ting him sleep in his Bed, and you'l see Wonders in its Operation: The said Medicine works by Stool, Urine, Sweat and insensible Transpiration, accord­ing as Nature is disposed, till its sharp matignant Humor is expelled, strengthening the Patient as much as if he had eaten a good Meal, and when you find that your Medicine operates no more by [Page 128]Stool, you shall not need to give him any more than three times: For Cancers and Wolfs, you must anoint the same with a little Oyl, apply­ing a Colwort or Cabbage-leaf, and a Linnen cloth above it; and the said Medicine will produce won­derful Effects.

The Preparation of ☉ for an Arcanum.

℞ Of Gold in Calx or Powder ℥j, the which put into a Realgar, to make it red-hot in the fire, which then cast into another Real­gar, in which you have heated ℥viij of Mer­cury, and this will amalgama together, the which Realgar set on the fire, to exhale the said Mercury, which ought to be converted with a purifi'd Realgar on the top; and your Mercury being exhaled, dissolve the Gold in AR. the which filter through a gray Paper, and dry the same; burn it in a Realgar, and wash your Ashes in warm Water, and your Gold will remain in the bottom, the which dry in a glazed Vessel, and pour thereon four fingers breadth in heighth of the rectifi'd Sp. V. to which give fire, and being consumed, your Gold will remain thickish in the bottom, which put into a Glass Vessel, and pour thereon fair Water, to take off some Salts, which cant off, and pour on more for three times, and your Gold will be in subtil Attoms, the which dry of it self without fire, and the Gold is pre­pared.

Then put this Gold into a Bolt head, and put thereon of the forementioned 🝆 ℥vj, and stopping the Matrix, set it in digestion for 24 hours, and then gently deflegm it till it is a little acid; then in a Vessel well closed, give it degrees of digestion, till it comes to a red An­timony, then imbibe it with more of the afore­said 🝆; deflegm and increase your fire one de­gree higher, until a redness appear, as before: and thus repeat this Operation, till the Medi­cine is penetrant; after sweeten it with a true Philosophical Sp. V. and then you've a Medicine prevalent in the Diseases of the Pancreas; purify­ing the corrupted Mass of Blood in the Pox, Lepro­sie, Ulcers, and all other evils: The Dose is twen­ty drops dilated in Spirit of Wine.

Panchymagogon or Catholicon, purging all Humors in the Body of Man.

℞ Of Regulus of Antimony ℥iv, of Gold ʒij, of Silver ℥ss, of ♀vj, of ♃ and ♂ ana ʒiij; melt them in a Crucible during one hour, ad­ding by little and little ℥j of Tartar and Salt Petre pulverized together, and when the whole is in a good melting heat, cast it into an Ingot, and you will have a very beautiful Reguius. Take and pulverize this Regulus in a Mortar, and add thereunto of the Mercury prepared as underneath ℥iv, and grind and amalgamate them during two hours, that they may be well united together; wash and take off all that [Page 130]which is black, until the Amalgama becomes clear like a Star; then take your Amalgama and put it into a Retort well luted, and distil it in an open fire, into a Receiver half full of Water, and you'l have your Mercury come o­ver, of the same weight you put it in. Then take the Regulus which remains in the bottom, and melt it in a Crucible with a like quantity of fresh Regulus, which reduce into a fine Powder, and joyn thereunto the Mercury past; then distil again as before, and the Mercury will come over qualified with a double Vir­tue. Then distil a third time with fresh Re­gulus, as before, and there will remain no more of the Mettals, than the Dross, which you may taste, to try and if any Gold remain therein; then take of your best sublimate lbss, and sublime it three times with the like quantity of decrepitated Salt; then take of Sublimate ℥ij, and of the prepared Mercury ℥vj, and grind it for three hours with the Re­gulus, that the Mercury be no more seen, [N.B. That is, what comes from the first joyning.] Now this must be sublimed for twelve hours by fire of degrees, and there will arise in the Neck of the Subliming-Glass a foolish Flower, (which is Poison) which you must separate and cast away; then joyn that which is in the Crown with that which is in the bottom, and sublime again anew in a fresh Subliming Glass for six hours, and you will have a Sublima­tion, which begins to come like a Crystal; [Page 131]throw away your Dross, and sublime again for five, six, or seven times, and you'l have a sweet Mercury, impregnated with the virtue of all the Planets, and an excellent Purge to expel all the Humours peccant in Man's Body. The Dose is from thirteen to fifteen or twenty Grains in Pil. Co­chiae, or Rosin of Jallop, &c. made into Pills.

How to Prepare the Mercury.

℞ Of the Filings of Needles lbss, of Mer­cury drawn from Cinnabar lbss, and amalga­mate them well together in a Mortar, and then put the same into a Retort well luted, and distil in an open fire into a Receiver half full of Water, and you Mercury will come over into the Receiver; which revived Mer­cury, being prepared, is for that first Prepara­tion with the Regulus.

Aurum Fulmineum.

℞ Leaves of Gold, or pure Filings of Gold, and dissolve them in a strong AR. after perfect dissolution, precipitate with Oyl of Tartar per deliq. and then fulminate upon a fulminating Vessel made of Copper for that purpose; put on Gr. j. with a small scope for that purpose, and be sure you put on but one Gr. at a time, and give fire from above, and you will have a bounce, like that of a great Gun; but be sure you stand at a distance, that it touch you not, [Page 132]for if it should, 'twould hurt you; and after the bounce is over, it strikes through the Cop­per downwards, where you will find it in a purple colour; so do it Grain by Grain, until you have done all, which reserve for use: Upon which circulate our Aireal Sp. V. till it hath drawn out all the Tincture; which is a good Aurum Potabile.

Aurum Potabile.

℞ Of the Regulus of Antimony ℥j, fine Gold-dust ℥ij, and flux them together with Niter and Tartar, and reduce the Gold several times, till it all comes to a Scory; the which dulci­fie in Water or Spirit of Wine, then make this following Menstruum.

℞ Oyster-shells and wash them very clean, and then calcine them in an open fire, to an exceeding whiteness: then take of them lbj, in fine Pulp, and mix them very well with Sal-Armoniack, or an Urinous Spirit redeemed and vindicated from its Foetor; and then di­stil off the Spirit, and rectifie it; then take Nutmegs, Cloves, Cinnamon, ana ℥iv, Mace and Cardamums ana ℥iij; then distil this Spirit two or three times from it; then is it prepared.

Put lbj of this upon the aforesaid Calx, and digest in B. 21 days, to draw out all the [Page 133]Tincture, and cant it off; and so have you a true Medicine, and a Specifick prevalent in many stubborn Diseases, fortifying the Parts afflict­ed, &c.

Half and Aurum Potabile.

℞ A Lemon, and make it hollow, by ta­king away the Seeds and Pulp, and put therein Leaves of Gold, not driven to the utmost thin­ness, upon which pour the Juice of another Lemon or Orange, and let the Body be co­vered with his Cap very close; set it in a hot place, or by a Furnace, for seven or eight days, so that thereby the Gold may be brought into an Oyl; let the Juice be separated from the Oyl, and the Oyl mix'd together with the strongest Aqua Vitae, which must sometimes be separated again from the Oyls by Distila­tion: and to know when 'tis perfect, let a little of the Oyl be anointed upon a piece of Flesh, upon which if it glides not, but pierces into the deep parts thereof, then is the distilation and working thereof well done.

Aurum Potabile nostrum.

℞ The Calx of Gold ℥j, of the Volatile Spi­rit of our Sal Panaristos ℥vj, and in a small Re­tort, close stopt; digest in Sand six days, till it is dissolved; then draw off the Menstruum, which preserve for the like occasion; the Calx [Page 134]will be left solvable as Wax, the which dulci­fie; then take of our Volatile Spirit of Tartar, lbj, and cohobate so long thereon, till it gives forth all its Flegm, and the Salt is coagulated upon the golden Oyl, and both become one: then with true Spirit of Wine extract all the Tincture, and then draw off two thirds of the Spirit of Wine, and what remains in the bot­tom is the Aurum Potabile.[N.B.] The white Body that remains, after you have drawn forth your Tincture carefully preserve, whose use shall be shewn in our Spagirick Philosophy's Tri­umph, and how the beauty of Venus shall allure it to that of Sol.

This Aurum Potable hath the Virtues of all the aforesaid Preparations of Gold; It cures Diseases, and fortifies the Heart; it [...] general inten­tions are in working and operating, in order to pre­serve the Body of Man in sanity. Its Dose is from two to ten drops, in a Glass of Muscadine.

Of Venus, or Copper.

To calcine Copper, let it be made into thin Plates, and smeered over with Salt made into a Paste with the best Vinegar; then let it be put into a great Crucible, and set in a Wind-Furnace, and be burnt in a strong fire for a quarter of an hour, but so that the Plates melt not; let these Plates, being red-hot, be quench­ed in Vinegar, in which Sal Armoniack is dis­solved, always ℥ss in a Pint of Vinegar; let the Plates be made red-hot again, and quench­ed [Page 135]in Vinegar, as before, always scraping or knocking off the Scales, that sticks to the Plates after quenching, into the Vinegar. Do this so long, till the Plates of Copper be in good part consumed by this means: then di­stil off the Vinegar, or let it vapour away in an open Vessel, and be coagulated into a most hard stone. So thou hast the best Crocus of Copper, the use whereof is great both in Medicine and Alchymy. Many make Crocus of Copper, by ex­tracting of it with the Spirit of Wine, or Vi­negar, as they do Crocus Martis: but we com­mend this way far above it.

The Tincture of Venus.

℞ Filings of Copper, and pour thereon good distill'd Wine-Vinegar, and set it in di­gestion for thirty days, in a circulatory Vessel; then pour off the distill'd Vinegar, which is coloured, and add fresh, and so repeat until 'twill draw out no more Tincture; then filter, and draw off the Flegm with an easie fire, or evaporate in a low Preserving Glass, until it shoots into Crystals. On which Crystals pour fresh distill'd Vinegar made warm, and then pour off by Inclination into another Glass, and by Evaporation separate the corrosive Crystals from a red Earth, that will remain under, which is the Sulphur: Continue this Opera­tion so long with fresh Spirit of Vinegar, until no more Sulphur falls. If you burn off Spirit [Page 136]of Wine seven or eight times from the corro­sive Crystals, until they become sweet: Then have you a Medicine good in Feavers, Ptisick, Con­sumption, Gravel, Gout, Epilepsie, and divers other Distempers. The Dose is five or six Grains in a Glass of Wine.

Of the Vitriol of Venus made into a Noble Medicament.

The signs of good Vitriol are, when there appears like little Diamonds, whereof some are in form of a Piramid, and when you break them, you will see small bright Veins, and of the colour of a Saphir, and variable colours, and if you dissolve it in Water, 'twill cause a residence, like sweet Cream mixt with small Diamonds and Marcasites; 'twill also, be­ing rubbed upon a Knife, tinge it of a Cop­per colour.

℞ Of the best Vitriol lbxij, dissolve it in Rain-water, in Ashes; being dissolved, filter and evaporate easily, until there arise a Pel­licle; then take it off, and set it for three or four days to crystalize in a coo [...] place; then put it into a Glass of 4 or 5 fingers high, the which set on Ashes to dry, until the Crystals come into white Powder; then dissolve it in fresh Rain-water, on Ashes for 24 hours, and the Water will become more green and beau­tiful than before, and there will precipitate [Page 137]more Feces, which you must throw away; as at the first, filter and evaporate into a Pellicle, and crystalize as before, and reiterate this O­peration, until the Vitriol have no more Feces, and that it begins to come sweet, and you find it strong on the tongue, and it becomes more beautiful in colour than the Sky, or any other colour in the World: then keep the same close stopt in a Glass, that no dust fall there­in. [N.B.] That you lose not the greenness, for then you lose the strength and liveliness of your Medicine.

℞ The Vitriol thus prepared, and put it into a Matrix well luted, and put it naked in­to your secret Furnace, and give it a propor­tionable fire, encreasing of it by little and little, from ten days to ten days; and you will see, that your white Powder will be converted into a yellow Powder, in colour like to Gold; then encrease your fire by little and little, un­til it comes to a reddish colour, at last like a Ruby: Then put this Matter into a Matrix, and pour thereon the Aireal Spirit of Wine, and digest it four or five days, and pour off the Spi­rit by Inclination; and thus do so long as any Tincture will be obtained, and what remains is of no worth.

Then take all the Tinctures with Spirit of Wine, and put them into a Glass, and distil off in MB. till your Matter is become dry; then dissolve it in fresh Spirit of Wine, and [Page 138]again separate the Feces, and distil as before; repeat this three times, each time throwing a­way the Feces; so is it well cleansed.

Pour on this dry Matter Rain-water distil­led, and stir it with a wooden Spatula, and ferment on warm Ashes four or five days, and thus continue with fresh Water, till all the Tin­ctures are drawn out; then filter, and coagu­late in MB. and dry it by degrees in Sand; and so you have the beautiful and exalted Sulphur of Venus, proper against many Distem­pers incident to Man's Body, as well as those of the Pancreas.

The Sublimations of ♀, or Ens Veneris.

℞ The Colcothar of Dantzick-Vitriol, and dulcifie it with warm Water, from all its Salt, till no more sharpness come forth; then dry it over the fire very well: thus you may do by the Cap. mort. of AF. made from the best Dantzick-Vitriol and Indian-Niter; then take either of these so serv'd lbij, of the best Sal-Armoniack lbij, and grind them well together in an Iron Mortar; then put them in an ear­then Retort with a large great and long Neck, and set them in an open fire; put on a great Receiver, lute fast, and give fire gently by degrees, till all is warm, and then sublime it from three hours to three hours, till all is come up, which will be in twelve or fifteen hours time; observing the last three hours, to [Page 139]give it the most violent degree of fire: when all is cold, break the Retort and take the Subli­mate out of the Neck, which may again be ground with fresh Colcothar, and repeated a second time, and so a third, until it comes from a golden to a rubifi'd Colour.

'Tis as a general Abstersive in the Body of Man, powerful therefore in opening Obstructions, curing Rickets in Children; 'tis also prevalent in Agues, Feavers, Pleurisies, Calentures, Measles and Pur­ples, or any other acute Disease, wherein the Life is eminently threatned. The Dose is from six to twelve Grains, Mornings and Evenings.

Species Veneris gradus Aureosa.

℞ Of the best Dantzick-Vitriol lbiij, and make a Solution in distill'd Rain-water, and filter the Solution very exactly▪ or take the Chaos of Vitriol and Sal-Armoniack, and extract its Salt, the which digest and vaporate off to an aurifi'd Powder, the which preserve: Ei­ther of these may be precipitated into a Sul­phur by the well decocted Salt of Tartar, the which dry very carefully; and then put them into a Retort, adding thereunto equal weight of the best Spirit of Vitriol, but unrectifi'd, and digest it till the Spirit give off all its Flegm; then put on half the quantity of the said Spirit of Vitriol, and digest as before, and so do as long as Flegm will come; then will true Spirit of Wine force it through a Retort by Cohoba­tions, [Page 140]till all is elivated; then fix it down a­gain upon the aurifi'd Powder, so long as it will drink in Spirit, and send off Flegm; then dulcifie, and so is the Noble Medicament prepared.

Which is prevalent in Feavers, Agues, Dropsies, Gout and Stone, having an Anodine and pacative Virtue with it, by which the fury of the enraged Archeius is allayed, working in a way only succe­danous to our Narcotick Sulphur of Venus, or Ens vitae Mettallorum, whose Preparations are shewn in our Spagirick Philosophy asserted; to which you are referred. The Dose is from five to ten Grains, Mornings and Evenings, in a proper Vehicle.

Of Mercury, or Quick-silver. First the Magnet of Mercury.

℞ Of Mercury sublimate ℥iv, put it into a Cucurbit of Glass, pour thereon the best Spirit of Urine (vindicated from its filter, that coagulates Spirit of Wine, by its high rectification) enough to swim four fingers breadth over it, give it two days digestion, and in a lent heat distil, and most of the Spirit will come over in Flegm, and the Animal Spirits of the Urine will unite themselves with the Mineral Spirits of the subli­mate Mercury: put new Spirit of Urine upon what remains in the Cucurbit, digest and distil, as before, repeating this with new Spirit of U­rine, [Page 141]till it comes off as strong as you put it on. Then pour upon it four fingers breadth of pure Essential Oyl, or rather the Mineral Oyl, which is essentificated with being open'd by the Cir­culatum Minimum; and digest them two days, then distil with a very lent heat, and an Aqua­city will come off insipid; pour upon the re­maining Matter new Oyl or Sulphur; digest and distil, as before, and repeat this, as you did the Spirit of Urine, till the Sulphur of Mercury, or what other Oyl or Sulphur you think best, come off, as strong as it went on, [& hoc est pondus Naturae] having distill'd it to a driness: then encrease the fire to sublime what will arise, and Terra foliata will ascend, and the remain­ing Feces throw away.

℞ Of this Terra foliata ℥x, of Gold ℥j, give them a strong fire, and the Salt working on the Gold will come into a viscous and heavy Water, and will reduce all the Mercury of Sol and of all other Mettals: The Sulphurs being ta­ken in true Spirit of Wine, is prevalent in the Pox, Gout and Stone. The Dose is from 15 to 30 drops, and sweat thereon.

The white Precipitate of Mercury.

℞ Of Mercury ℥j, and dissolve it in A. F. ℥ij, with Water and Salt twenty four hours; precipitate it into a white Powder, decant the Water, and reiterate this Work three times, [Page 142]or you may filter it, then wash the Precipi­tate in fair Water, till it be sweet, and dry it or burn it with Spirit of Wine, to make it sweet. S. A.

Mercurius Dulcis Diaphoretic. & Cathar­tic.

℞ Of Mercurius Sublimat. lbj, Argent. vive ℥xij, grind them very fine in a Glass Mortar, until the Quick-silver appear not; then put it in an Urinal or Subliming-glass, and place it in a Sand-Furnace; make a gentle fire under it, for an hour or two; then encrease the fire, for the space of five or six hours, or until 'tis sublimed; then take it out, and separate the black Matter in the Neck of the Glass or Viol, and cast it away; and when cold, grind again, and sublime as before▪ then take it out, and keep it for use, if sweet on the Tongue, or else do it the third time. Observe to stop the mouth of the Subliming glass with Cotton.

To make Mercurius Praecipitat. per se.

℞ Of Mercury lbj, and put it in a Bolt-head, and gently close the mouth for two or three days, to let out the Gass; then nip it up, and give it fire by degrees, and cover the bo­dy of the Bolt-head with Sand, and 'twill dai­ly be more and more used to the fire, so must [Page 143]the fire be gradually encreased for five or six Months time, till it comes to a red Precipitate. A Dose of which is from five to ten Grains, to be taken in the Scurvy, Pox and Gout.

Observe, that if this Precipitate is sweetened in Spirit of Wine, it may be higher advanced, by cohobating on it the spiritualized Sulphur of Venus, until they embrace each other; and then it becomes succedanous to our Arcanum specificat▪ Metall. of which we have written large­ly of in our Spagirick Phil. Assert.

The sweet Oyl of Mercury.

℞ Of red Precipitate lbss, and wash it well in Cordial Waters, as Suebius or Carduus Bene­dict. then dry the Powder, and put it into a Bolt-head, and pour thereon of the radical Vi­negar under mentioned two fingers in heighth, cause it to boil, and 'twill all dissolve into Wa­ter, and if it be not all dissolved, put on more of the said Vinegar, and boil it as before, un­til all be dissolved, except the Feces, which re­mains in the bottom, which is the Feces of the Mercury; then pour off the Vinegar by incli­nation, or filter it; put it into an Alembick, and distil it off in MB. and then will you have in the bottom a pure white Salt, the which dissolve in distilled Vinegar, and evaporate away with a moderate heat, until a Pellicle arises, the which cause to crystalize.

Then take those Crystals, and dry them ea­sily, and put them into a Glass, and pour thereon of our Aireal Spirit of Wine four fin­gers above it; then set it in MB▪ or in Horse­dung, for twenty five days, and 'twill come into a Mucilage, the which put into a Re­tort, and distil easily, and you'l have an insi­pid Water; encrease the fire, and there will a­rise white Fumes, and somewhat will sublime into the Neck of the Retort, the which re­turn into the Retort, and distil as before; re­peat the same three times, and the whole will turn into a clear Oyl; Prevalent in the Di­stempers of Venus, Dropsies▪ Quartans, &c. The Dose is from four to six drops in Canary, Con­serves, or Syrups, every other day, until a perfect Cure.

The radical Vinegar, that dissolves this Mercury.

℞ Of Honey and decrepitated Salt ana lbj, mix them, and cause them easily to boil to driness, the which reduce into a Powder, and put it into a Retort, and pour thereon of good distilled Wine-Vinegar, and distil and cohobate three or four times, and 'tis pre­pared.

Another sweet Oyl of Mercury.

℞ Of Mercury sublimat. lbss, and dissolve it in lbij of Aireal Spirit of Wine, adding there­unto of the Spirit of Salt ℥ij; digest it for eight days, then distil on Sand, giving a strong fire, towards the last, and keep that which passeth or cometh over; then add fresh Wine-Spirit, and Spirit of Salt, as much as is needful for dissol­ving the Matter, and digest as before for eight days, and repeat the said Operation for four or five times. [N. B.] That there will remain a black Feces: Then take all the Liquors that are past, and digest them in a double Pellican fifteen days; then distil on a vaporous B. all that may ascend, which will be only Flegms, and there will remain in the bottom an Oyl, which is scented like Amber, the which put into a Retort, and give a good fire of digestion, and there will come over an Oyl as clear as Crystal, and of a sweeter smell than that of Civet.

Its Dose and Virtue. For the Stone and Gra­vel, take Gr. iv. or v. in Sassafrax-water, in the time of the most violent pain: For a Clap or inveterate Gonorrhoea and Pox, with Ulcers, whether inward or outward, in any part of the Body or Face; take it in a Glass of Sack, drinking after it a good draught of that Decoction, prescribed with the Preparation of Antimony and Gold.

Mercurius Praecipitat. & Diaphoretic.

℞ Of Vitriol and Niter ana lbj, Spiritus Vi­ni lbj, Verdigrease ℥iv; mix the whole, and put it into a Retort, and distil it off easily to a dri­ness; then take of that Water lbj, and add thereunto of Mercury drawn from Cinnabar lbss; and put it into a luted Matrix, and set it on an hot fire of digestion, to boil four days; then put it into a Retort, and distil to a driness, and return the Mercury into the same matter again, and pour thereon of the fresh Men­struum, and boil as before for four days; and repeat this four times, and the last time distil with a strong fire, and you will have a Mercu­ry precipitate as red as Blood, the which wash and edulcerate with Cordial Water, sc. Suebius or Carduus Benedictus, and being dry, circulate in Spirit of Wine, and then draw off your Spi­rit of Wine by distilation, and reverberate it in a Reverberatory.

The Dose thereof is from 3 to 5 or 7 Grains, in Conserve or Cordial Water, and drinking a Glass of Canary after it: Prevalent in the Scurvy, Pox, &c.

Arcanum Mercuriale & Catharticum.

℞ Of well purged Mercury lbj, of our concen­trated cold Fire of the Eagle lbiij, put them into a ve­ry high Retort, and distil off the Menstruum, and the Mercury will become fixed and very-red, far beyond what may be performed by AF. or [Page 147]Spirit or Oyl of Vitriol, Oyl of Sulphur, or any other Acid whatever: This Arcanum may be dulcified from its saltness by distill'd Water, and then it becomes an excellent Medicament, prevalent in the Pox, Kings-Evil, Cancers, Ulcers, and all such loathsom Diseases. The Dose is 1, 2, 3, or 4 Grains at the most. [Observe, That this is inferior to our Arcanum Specificat. Metall. that having a Mineral Sulphur introduced, as you may see at large in our Spagirick Philosophy as­serted, where its Virtues are largely treated of.]

Of Lune, or Silver.

Lune (as you've before heard) is the Wife of Sol, and is endued with the perfect purity of the four Elements, only wanting the Sulphur of Sol for her perfection, which is that indeed wherein the Medicinal Virtue mostly resides; but seeing that she is attributed to the Head and cold and moist Diseases, we shall prescribe this Preparation of her as follows.

Pillula Lunaris, or θ of ☽.

℞ Of the best burnt Silver Lace, or such like, as much as you please, and of the clean­sed Spirit of Niter four times as much, and put them into a Glass Body, and let it remain there till all the Silver be dissolved; and when dissolved, evaporate all the superfluous moi­sture, [Page 148]till it hath a good Cream on the top; then set it by to cool, that the Crystals may shoot; then put the Crystals into an open mouthed Glass, and dry them in a Sand Fur­nace, till all the stinking Spirit of the Men­struum be dried away, always keeping it stir­ring with a stick, but let it not stand too hot, for that will make the Crystals to flow: then make them up into Pills with Crumbs of White-bread, when dry. Then dissolve Al­loes succotrina in the Juyce of Roses, or Senna-water, and when the Pills are too dry, dip them into it, and lay them thus dipt in a Glass again to dry, and keep them in a Dish in a dry place, in the Powder of Liquo­rish, and in a well-stopt Glass, that they may not dissolve.

Virtues.

Good for all Pains in the Head, sore Eyes, foul Stomach, Dropsie, Palsie, and many other stubborn Diseases. The Dose is from six to nine Grains.

The Sublimations of Lune.

℞ Of the Calx of Lune ℥iv, of the Volatile Spirit of Tartar lbj; distil in a Retort, and the Spirit that first comes, carefully save; de­siegm the remainder, and again pour on more Spirit, and operate as before; and thus do, till the sign appears; and then sublime with a [Page 149]very strong degree of heat, and the Sulphur of the Lune will pass up with the Volatile Salt of Tartar, into one Noble Medicament, which is prevalent in all Diseases whereunto Lune can be attributed. [Observe, The Caput mont. white Body or Mercury that remains in the Retort, carefully to save.

The Distillation of Lune, or Luna Pota­bilis.

℞ Lune, and calcine it into sine Attoms, or laminate it into thin Plates, and in a Crucible take off the Metallick lustre, and put it into a Retort, and pour thereon three times its weight of the Volatile Spirit of our Sal Panaristos, and stop it close, and set it in the heat of a B. and in few days the Lune will be dissolved in the Liquor without any sediment; the Liquor be­ing then distilled therefrom, leaves it in form of a fusible Salt; upon which often cohobate the Liquor, and 'twill be made volatile and come over in distinct colours: Now the Liquor may be separated from it, being putrified for a Month in B. and then distil in fire of the second degree, and the Lune will come over, leaving the Liquor behind: The Mercurial Bo­dy may be separated, and the Sulphur is that Fifth Essence, which cures all Lunaticks.

Let thus much suffice for the Preparation of Minerals at this time, seeing the more high [Page 150] Specifick Medicines are largely treated of in Our Spagirick Philosophy Asserted; as also in Our Spa­girick Philosophy's Triumph; and the Arcana in Our Trifertes Soladini: so that we love not fruitless repetitions, this only being design'd as a general Course or Compendium of the many voluminous Writings, and those that are desirous to be satisfied in the Practick Part of Chymical Operations, whether in the Schro­darian Pharmacopoeia, or in the Cartesian Me­chanical Demonstrations, or in the Helmon­tian Doctrines, may apply themselves to us, where they may be instructed in any, or every one of these, being three distinct Courses.