fluidness and the bitterness of Salt and sharpness of Mercury by its own sweetness Salt Salt is a dry body saline and defending mixt things from putrefaction is endowed with wonderful faculties of dissolving coagulating cleansing and evacuating and from it is every solidity determination taste and other infinite virtues It is analogious to the Earth not as it is cold and dry but as it is an Element firm fixed and the subject of generation of all bodies But the said principles to speak properly Chymical Principles possess a nature between Bodies and Spirits are neither bodies because they are plainly Spiritual by reason of the influx of celestial Seeds with which they are impregnated nor Spirits because corporeal but they participate of either nature and have been insignized by Phylosophers with various names or at the least unto them they have alluded these as by the following Table will appear SALT SULPHUR MERCURY Common Salt Salt-peter Salt armoniack Unpleasant bitter Sweet Acid. Body Soul Spirit Matter Form Idea Patient Agent Informant or movent Art Nature Intelligence Sense Judgment Intellect Material Spiritual Glorious Moreover every mixt body may be and by us is resolved into these three principles so according to the Pythagoreans every thing and all things are terminated in three fixed in the sacred Ternary Although this might be proved by weighty reasons yet ocular and evident inspection doth far exceed all these Therefore by examples taken from the various kind of mixt things we shall for the benefit of young Beginners delucidate every thing We will first begin with green Woods which if you burn there will come forth a certain Wateriness which is plainly unapt for taking flame and if gathered when converted into fume it is resolved easily into water and by the same reason to seek drink from a flame is not impossible and this is called Mercury then there goes forth an oleaginous substance easily inflamable which resolved into vapours if taken will pass into Oil and that is called Sulphur at length a dry and terrestrial substance remains which from the ashes by the benefit of water is extracted and in the humid and cold it is dissolved but in heat congealed and it obtains the name of Salt So Milk contains a Sulphureous buttery substance then Mercurial Whey and at length saline Cheese or Curds In Eggs the White exhibits Mercury the Yolk Sulphur the Skins and Shells Salt In like manner from Linseed we draw Oil by expression Water by separation from the Oil and Salt from the remaining feces by extraction By like reason from Cloves a most famous Mercurial water a most excellent Sulphureous Oil and from the feces a Salt is extracted So Nitre is divided into aquosity fatness and Salt No otherwise of Sea Salt do we produce Mercury 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is bitter-sweet Sweet Chrystals plainly of a Sulphureous nature and at length a most fixed Salt Of Antimony a Regulus is made which is the Mercury thereof then a Red Sulphur conceiving flame and at length a Salt which is vomitive And thus may you of all other things judge the same But you are chiefly to note that none of the aforesaid principles can be found simple No principle is plainly simple and alone that doth not participate with the other For Mercury contains a Sulphureous and saline substance Sulphur a Salt and Mercurial substance And Salt an oleaginous and Mercurial substance It is also to be observed that in the Spagyrick 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Caput-mortuum and phlegm are not principles or separation of parts after solution beside the former precited three principles truly active there are two other substances which by Chymists are not admitted into the number of principles because they are only as it were the Shells or Coverings of the said principles and are destitute of all Hyppocratick * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 virtue One of which is dry a sandy Earth or lifeless ashes and it is called damnate Earth and Caput-mortuum endewed with no other virtue then than drying and emplastick and it is easily converted into Glass The other is humid and accidentally airy viz. insipid and unsavoury phlegm which only moistens without any other * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Energy or Medicinal activity CHAP. III. Of Calcination THere are two kinds of Solution viz. Calcination and Extraction Calcination Calcination is the Solution of the mixt body into a Calx It is defined by Geber that pulverisation of a thing is made by fire through privation of the humidity consolidating the parts By Calx Chymists understand every most subtile powder made by ablation of the superfluous humidity Calx of Chymists especially from Minerals But when the powder or Calx is plainly rendred impalpable and most subtile as to sense like the finest Flower then do they call it * Read Alcohol Alcohol the same appellation they properly give to the most subtile Spirit of wine rectifyed by often repeated distillations which then they call Alcohol of wine Alcohol of wine Calcination is made by Corrosion or Ignition Corrosion is a Calcination of the body by things corrosive This is done divers ways but especially by four viz. by Amalgamation Precipitation Stratification and Fumigation Amalgamation is the corrosion of a Metal by Mercury Amalgamation And this is done when a Metal filed small or beat out into very thin plates is commixed with eight parts of Mercury or eight times its own weight of ☿ that it may be a Mass every where like unto it and be as one body for dissolving the unity of that Metal for the Hydrargyry being evaporated over a fire the Metal is left like unto a thin Calx Precipitation is a corrosion by strong and corrosive Waters Precipitation and that is done when bodies are emerged in corrosive Liquor and afterward being corroded or dissolved either by abstraction of the Water or some other way they are repercussed into a Calx Stratification Stratification is a corrosion by corrosive powders It is thus made viz. when a crucible or other convenient Earthen vessel is filled with thin plates of Metal and corrosive powders making S. S. S. or lay upon lay thus first put some of the corrosive powder in the bottom of the crucible then lay in the thin plates of the Metallick body upon which strew more of the powder then again lay in more of the plates and so go on till the vessel be full Afterward put coals round about or give it fire of Reverberation encreasing the fire leisurely as the matter requires It is also called Cementation Cementation of affinity to which is Commixtion Commixtion wherein the body to be corroded is mixed with corrosive powders and by the adhibition of fire is reduced to a Calx Fumigation Fumigation is a corrosion of Metal by sharpe fume or vapour This is done divers ways In general let it suffice to
four pound of fountain water forty pound macerate them in a hot place as long as shall be convenient adde of Tartar â„¥ ij afterward distil it by a brass Vesica with its Refrigeratory and you will have â„¥ viij of oil In the same manner Mace Pepper and the Seeds of Anise and Coriander c. may be distilled It helps in cold diseases of the Stomach Liver Heart and the Diarrhaea from a cold cause it dissipates melancholly spirits and clarifies the gross Externally it heals green wounds and performs the office of true Balsom Oil of Sugar â„ž Of white Sugar grosly beaten â„¥ iiij Aqua vitae â„¥ viij Set fire of the Aqua vitae in a silver or earthen dish glazed into which cast the Sugar continually stirring it with a Spatula until the flame cease then add of Rose-water â„¥ â—j mix them It corroborates and by experience certainly helps those that labour with a cough caused by coldness of the Lungs Oil of Tartar This oil beside the way above delivered in preparing the spirit thereof is also made per deliquium by putting Tartar calcined to a whiteness in a Cellar This oil is an admirable Remedy in the Measels all Ulcers especially venereal in the Tinea Scab and Warts It makes the face smooth and the skin soft or other moist place until it be resolved into oil which must afterward be filtred Also it may be prepared If Tartar after calcination be dissolved in common water filtred and coagulated and the coagulate placed in a cold moist place until it be resolved Oil of Amber Digest a pound of Amber beaten in one pound of white wine Then adde a handful of prepared Salt distil it by Retort observing degrees of fire By distillation twice rectifie it with Salt only This oil was once called Sacred by reason of the admirable virtues it hath being as well exhibited per se as mixt with others in the Epilepsie Appoplexy Melancholly Cramp Vertigo Pest Stone cold defluxions of the Head Palpitations of the Heart deliquiums of the mind difficulty of breathings difficulty of making water difficult Birth Strangulations of the womb retention of the Menses white flux of the Matrix Worms and Fevers A compounded Oil for the Hemicrania â„ž Of Rue one handful boil it in one pound of oil Olive in a new earthen pot for half an hour Then pour it it into a Retort and to it adde of Venice Turpentine â„¥ xij of Colophony â„¥ iiij distil it in sand the clear water which comes forth first being of little value separate Afterward gradually encreasing the fire the oil will come forth which receive apart In the time of the Fit heat a little of it over a fire and with Cotton moistned in it anoint the fore-head and Temples and the dolourous part also ordering the Patient to go to bed A compounded Oil for the Womb. â„ž Of the powder of Rue a little dryed one â—ound Castor â„¥ ij Olibanum Myrrh of each â„¥ iiij â—il of Linum ½ pound digest them four days in â—orse dung or like heat afterward distil them by â—etort in a close Reverberatory With this Liquor â—oint the Womb morning and evening Oil of Tiles Small pieces of Tiles or Flints like Beans make Red hot in a Crucible which so fiery hot cast into old oil Olive close the vessel and leave it for a night Afterward distil the small Stones with the oil by Retort Rectifie the oil by distilling it the second and third time with prepared Salt Oil of Sulphur â„ž Of Sulphur beaten one pound Calx-vive ½ pound Mercurial Salt â„¥ iiij mix them and distil by Retort For wounds and Ulcers it is very profitable Oil of Salt Salt consists of divers parts earthy The nature of Salt aqueous and fiery It s consistency and solidity is from earth its Liquability from water and its biting property from fire It is sharp * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitter-sweet cutting subtile penetrative pure fragrant incombustible and preserves other bodys from corruption perspicuous as air by reiterated distillations dissoluble in humid and Liquable in fire like Metals And it is as the Soul in the body according to Pliny who after the Stoicks saith Salt is given to Swines flesh being as it were dead in its own nature instead of a Soul For this in manner of â—erment where it hath power of penetration converts the body with which it is mixed into its own nature by consuming the humour obnoxious to putrefaction Raymund Lully calls the salsuginous Liquor dispersed through the whole body Urinal humour Paracelsus Mummy There are divers ways invented by Artists of extracting the oil of spirit of Salt Some distil Salt decrepitate per se without addition of any external thing But since salt is of easie fusion and when co-united in one it retains the most contumacious spirits after distillation for twenty four hours all being cooled they break the Retort grind the Mass of salt and put it in a new Retort with the distilled Liquor and this they repeat so often as till the whole salt be resolved into oil which in the eighth or ninth distillation is wont to be This Operation is too tedious Others dissolve calcined salt in a Cellar or with Rain-water and impaste it with Potters Clay sifted and thence make smal balls or pellets which when dryed they put into a Retort and so extract the spirit But I am wont thus to prepare it I take of Sea salt calcined two pound and I mix it with six pound of flour of Tiles Red Earth or common Bolus all which I put into a firm and large Retort so as at least a third part may remaâ—n empty and applying a capacious Recipient into which I first pour one pound of distilled water then do I keep it distilling for thirty hours observing the same degrees of fire mentioned in distillation of spirit of Vitriol After separation of the water and phlegm I receive â„¥ xx at least of most sharp o l which must be rectifyed It is endued with most poâ—ent virtues whether it be used internally or externally It renovates the whole Man and preserves â—rom all diseases if it be used in râ—ch Wine or Aqua vitae Mixt with salt of Wormwood and taken either in Wine or water of Wormwood it expels the Dropsie It cures the Epilepsie Jaundies Fevers Stone and Maw-worms By anointing it heals Members disjoynted contracted paralytick and apostemated Also it mitigates dolours of the Gout if mixed with oil of Turpentine or of Wax or Camomil Also it calcines all Metals Stones yea Glass it self the most perfect work of Art Another way Dissolve common salt in humid per se filter it so often as till no feces be left then set it in horse dung for two Moneths afterward with most strong fire distil it and separate the phlegm from the unctuous salsug nous Liquor by B. M. Whatsoever is most obnoxious to corruption if imbibed with this Liquor it remains incorrupt
afterward by Baln with repeated cohobations until no feces be left Then circulate it for forty days It s use is for extracting Tinctures of Meâ—als and stones Of the same Mercury and its oil is made an Elixir for expelling the most desperate diseases in this manner â„ž Of this Mercury â„¥ j. unto which add an eighth part of its own weight of its proper oil rectifyed decoct them in hea of Athanor for eight days afterward with a sixt part and then with a fift part reiterating the former labour so often as until the matter become thick as syrup and by decoction will be no further hardned After this digest it forty days and it will be a most red stone of which the Dose is one grain or two in appropriate Liquor CHAP. II. Of the Quintessence of Wine IN circulatory vessels of a just magnitude digest a good quantity of rich wine in horse dung for a moneth Then in high cucurbits distil off the spirit in B. M. which afterward rectifie seven times each time separating all its phlegmatick humour Distâ—lling it so as in the seven times from forty pound of wine you may separate one pound more spiritual â—an the other for what is distilled between the spiâ—it and the phlegm is Aqua ardens Keep the spiâ—it in a glass vessel of such a magnitude as it may be â—alf full firmly closed that nothâ—ng may respire in 〈◊〉 cold place In the mean while distil the remainâ—ing phlegm to the consistency of Liquid honey What is distilled off revert upon the feces and again by gentle heat of Baln draw off three parts Then take out the cucurbit and set it in a cold place that the matter may Crystalize the Crystals washed from all filth so often dissolve and coagulate as until they resemble the Ice of most pure water Now if you desire by force of Art to have a fat and combustible oil from wine distil the pâ—legm separated from the Crystals in Baln unto the thickness of Liquid honey afterward in a retort placed in sand force it with strong fire First comes forth a water mixed with yellow oil then a red oil Lastly Rosin Unto the Crystals beaten very smal pour the spirit above reserved digest them in Baln for three days afterward distil off the spirit in sand repeating the same process so often as until the spirit be perfectly impregnated with its proper soul and the â—ody made so very dry as if put upon a glowing â—late it will yield no fume Then on the body â—â—rst calcined according to Art revert an eighth â—â—rt of its own weight of the animate spirit digest â—nd distâ—l it as before then give it a sixth part of the â—â—irit afterward a fift and then a fourth so often â—ontinuing the imbibition with a fourth part as unâ—â—l the greater part of the body put upon a burning â—ate shall vanish into air Then is fulfilled that â—hich Morienus saith This also it behoves thee to know that the soul soon hath ingress into its own body which with another body can by no means be conjoyned Having this sign cover the vessel and to it placed in ashes administer fire for the space of two days until the vegetable sulphur adhere to the sides of the vessel like Talck Of this sulphur â„ž â„¥ j. Of the pure spirit â„¥ iij. Mix and digest them for one day natural then distil them in ashes cohobating often until the whole body shall ascend After which twice distil it in a boiling Baln and circulate it for sixty days And having separated the Hypestasis which will adhere about the bottom of the Pellican keep the Quintessence of wine for curing infinite diseases to be used both internally and externally Also this Quintessence of wine may be perfected in a shorter space of time Yea when I did this in the presence and sight of certain of my disciples in the space of five weeks I finished it and with the same extracted a most red Tincture of Gold For as Geber witnesseth there are many ways to the accomplishing one effect and one intent But In this place I can never sufficiently admire why French and Germane wine circulated have not that admirable odour which Baptista Porta attributes to Neapolitan wine in these words Then open the mouth of the vessel and if such an admirable fragrancy issue out as with it nothing may be compared know that you are come to the desired end But if the odour or colour answer not close the vessel again and re-place it to be circulated until you shall have the aforesaid sign Nor is the Italian spirit of wine endued with such an odour as Rubens testifies For he in the second Chap. of the second Sect. on of his book of distillation in this manner writeth I would that good Man and most excellen Physician Eustachius Sancto Severinas had now lived For he not to speak of my own knowledge could have evinced by his experience most diligently acquired that Aqua ardens if circulated not only for a moneth but for two or three moneths yea for a whole year as Raymund prescribes can never be deduced to that sweetness of odour but rather will be found more hot and be rendred more acid as who so will may easily prove and reason it self by observation of the fire and motion perswades the same But Raymund did not understand or intend that of simple and pure Aqua ardens as some of late have thought but of that in which the metallick body was dissolved For in the second Canon of the first book he thus writeth But this Quintessence so circulated and rectifyed will not possess such an odour unless the body be distilled in it Whence it appears that Porta drew not such a Quintessence of wine from his Labour in the fire but from the writings of Lully and John de Rupescissa evilly understood CHAP. III. Of Quintessence of Corals FIrst a great quantity of most sharp vinegar must be distilled with separation of the phlegm for this work wholly unprofitable Distilling it nine times upon the former feces until you shall have about a hundred pound of vinegar most perfectly rectifyed per Baln Also you must have thirty pound of red Corals reduced to a most subtile powder likewise many large vessels with long necks in every of which one pound of Corals must be put unto them pouring on of vinegar leisurely and at times to prevent ebulition so much as may stand above them four or five fingers then they must with the vinegar be digested in Baln for one day natural or until the vinegar wax sweet and be invested with a yellow colour Which being done pour off the Menstruum and repour on fresh repeating the same Labour til what is dissolvible be dissolved Put the evacuations in high cucurbits and abstract the Menstruum by heat of Blan. then to every one pound of the salt pour â„¥ ij of vinegar and distil it which being done again add â„¥ iiij after â„¥ vj. and so
of the Tartarisate Quintessence distilling it by Alembick to a dryness Repour on other and distil it doing this so often as until the essence shall be distilled off sweet as when first poured on Which being done upon one part of this medicine pour four parts of spirit of wine without phlegm digesting it until the spirit be consumed So you will have the perfect conjunction of Sol and Mercurius Vitae The Dose of which is four drops in white Wine It is exceeding profitable in desperate diseases and in those wherof the cause is occult The End of the Second Book TYROCINIVM CHYMICVM OR CHYMICAL ESSAYS Book the Third CHAP. I. Of Quintessence Of the Quintessence of humane Bloud THE denomination of Quintessence is variously taken Sometimes it signifies any Chymical Species which hath put off the Elementary grosseness of matter and corpulent feces and is opposed to a Magistery in which almost the whole bulk of its substance remains only it is exalted and purifyed Sometimes also as we here take it it denotes an Aethereal Celestial and most subtile substance taken from the three principles of any mixt body dissolved freed by various Chymical Operations from their Elementary Sensible Corruptible and Mortal quality and coagulated either into one spiritual body or a corporeal spirit It is by some called Medicine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by reason of its eminency By others Elixir by reason of those famous virtues it exerciseth in preservation of the humane body from sundry diseases By others Heaven for a double reason First because as Heaven consists not of the four Elements but is made of a certain Aethereal matter and as it were a fift Element and is not obnoxious to corruption so also the true Quintessence is separated from all feces of Elements and although it be not plainly incorruptible yet it is reduced to that subtility tenuity and spiritual simplicity that it seems to contain in it self nothing of heterogeneity by which it should be corrupted Secondly because as Heaven powerfully acts on these sublunary things contributing Life to all and conserving them so also this Quintessence conserves the health of the humane body prolongs youth retards Age and expelleth every disease The Quintessence of humane bloud is in this manner prepared â„ž A great quantity of the bloud of sound men in the flower of their Age. Put it in Circulatory vessels of a convenient magnitude which place in B. M. continually boiling until the Dragon shall have devoured his own tail The vessels cooled take out the matter which will be like Liver and cut it to pieces very smal And in high Cucurbits with the same heat of Baln by distillation separate the aqueous element or phlegm The distilled Liquor repour upon its earth and set it in the former circulatory vessels in a boiling Baln for ten days as before Repeating the same process five times and the last time keep all the distilled phlegm The vessels being cooled take out the matter and put it into a large Retort applying a capacious Receiver in ashes distil off the air by fire gradually encreased The smal and thin clouds in the recipient dissolving intend the fire so as the Element of fire may also come forth in form of Red or Purple oil Toward the end a little Salt armoniack will sublime it self The vessels being cold separate the air or spirit from the fire or oil either by gentle distillation in Baln or by a Separatory The spirit with the Salt armoniack again pour upon the feces digest them for three days then by a new Retort distil off the spirit toward the end giving fire apt for sublimation that the whole spiritual salt or at least the greater part thereof may be sublimed and mixed with the spirit in the Receptory Again pour new spirit upon the feces digest and distil as above so often as until the earth be deprived of its soul which you shall know if when put upon a burning plate it fume not Note That before the spirit be animated it must be seven times rectifyed every time separating the phlegm and feces and part thereof reserved for preparing the dissolvent as afterward shall be spoken Calcine the black blacker than black in a reverberatory fornace with moderate fire in a vessel every where closed for the space of five days until the blackness be turned to a yellowish whiteness and so into a red colour Then will the earth be apt for receiving its animate spirit Digest it by Baln as long as shall be sufficient afterward by gentle distillation separate the insipid humidity Which being done revert upon the earth a ninth part of its animate spirit digest and distil as before Then give it the eighth part of the animate spirit afterward the seventh the sixth the fifth the fourth part so long with the fourth part imbibing it as til the earth be encreased to double of its own weight before imbibition And this is what Avicen saith know that the earth must be nourished first with a little of its own water and afterward with more as is seen in education of Infants Therefore often grind the earth and leisurely imbibe the same from eight days to eight days Decoct it and afterward moderately calcine it in fire And let not this Labour seem tedious to thee in so many reiterations for the earth brings not forth fruit without frequent moistnings Yet be wary least you too hastily imbibe the earth but do it leisurely by little and a little and with long contrition after the earth is dryed Wherefore in this the weight is diligently to be observed viz. least too much dryness or superfluous humidity corrupt the work And much coct it by assation as by imbibing the dissolution requires Thus far Avicen Whence also Geber saith Thereâ—ore from the multiplicit reiteration of imbibition and assation the greater part of its aqueousness is taken away and the residue by sublimation is removed Put the aforesaid earth into an high cucurbit having an Alembick and receiver annexed the junctures being very firmly closed so as nothing may respire give to it fire of ashes for the space of three days until the clean and white fume ascend and cleave to the sides of the cucurbit like Talck This is that which Clangor Buccina saith †A Phylosophik book so called therefore as much as you can subtiliate that body and coct it with clean Mercury and when the body shall have drawn and concluded in it self some part of the Mercury subtiliate it with as quick and strong fire as you can until it shall ascend in the likeness of powder most white as snow adhering to the sides of the vessel But the ashes remaining in the bottom is the feces and vituperate Scoria to be cast away having nothing of life in it Of the aforesaid Meteorisate Mercury â„ž â„¥ j. Mix it with â„¥ vij of the rectifyed spirit not animate Digest it for two dayes in Bâ—â—n then distil it by ashes