of nature I will use therefore an example of a natural work which shall expresse in many points this thing though not in all for such can there none be but the thing it self And in as much as this example is not easie to be understood of all men though the most part do now a daies partly know it by experience of finding springs of waters I will first propose an artificiall example to make both the other to be the better perceived An example of Stilling It is daily seen in distilling of Waters that the temperate heat of the fire doth separate the purest part of the juice from the herbs and also from the grosser juice This by naturall lightness is drawn into the head of the Stillatorie where by the coldness of the helmet it is made somewhat grosser and so through naturall heat descendeth and passeth forth by the Pipe of the Stillatorie The Originall And as the Art of man useth to make this water so doth nature use to make the water of springs whereof come all rivers streams and floods except the sea For seeing the earth is not perfectly sound and thick of substance Cause of springs as stones and some woods appeareth to be but it is hollow and full of holes as you see that cork is so that the air which by his subtleness pierceth into never so little a hole entreth and filleth this hollowness nature so leading to it because no place should be emptie In which place by the coldness of the earth the air is turned into water as you may see in walls and pillars or stone namely of marble how the coldness of the stone turneth the air into water and hangeth full of drops which sometimes trickle down apace as if they did swear So when the earth hath turned the air thus into water then doth it drop down and gathereth together and so runneth out as it can finde or prepare way As long therefore as there is hollownes in that place with such sort or coldnesse and none other let the Spring of water shall never cease But if the way by any means be stopped then the water turmoileth and laboureth either to expell that let or to make a new way The causes of diversity in tast of Water Now this water being thus ingendred of the air which hath no taste is also naturally without all taste but the tast that it hath is the taste of the vaines of earth or mettall by which it doth run And that is the cause that some waters are sweet and some soure some fresh and some salt and otherwise diversly tasted some also are hot and some cold and with other like qualities endued according to the ground whereby it passeth But of this I will not now speak because I have appointed for it a peculiar Treatise if God grant me time Only this I say now that a man that is expert can by the colour tast and other qualities of the water which he seeth tell what vains of earth or mettals is in that place whence that water cometh though he see it not And this water is expelled out of his first place as unprofitable there to remain and yet when it is come forth thence it is good for divers and sundry uses The generation of urine Thus may we thinke of the generation and use of urine or mans water Is shall not need that I here reckon exactly the places causes Three Concoctions and the order of the three concoctions which go before the generation of urine but it shall suffice to tell briefly that of the meat and drink together concocted in the stomack is made rude blood if I may so call it which rude blood is wrought again and made more perfecter in the liver and thirdly yet more purified in the hollow vein where the urine is separate from it as whey from milk but yet may not exactly be called urine till it come into the reins or kidnies which draw it out of the hollow vein by a certain naturall power resting in them And then doth the reins or kidnies alter it perfectly into urine as the coldnes of the ground turneth air into water But you must take this comparison or similitude to be spoken of the alteration it self and not of the cause Now when Urine is thus made like to that fashion of water as I said then as the water passeth forth from his first place by issues outward so doth the urine descend from the reins by certain veins as it were called Water pipes and runneth into the bladder from whence at due times it is expelled forth if the way be not let So that you may compare the reins to the head of a conduit the water pipes to the conduit pipes the bladder to the conduit and the shaft to the rock of the conduit And further as the water doth declare by taste and colour the qualities of the earth or veins of mettall whereby it runneth and from whence it commeth so the urine by colour and other wayes declareth of what sort the places that it cometh thorow and humors that it commeth from are affected And yet not only serveth for this but also as the water though it depart from the earth as superfluous in that place yet in other places and to other purposes it is greatly profitable So the urine though it be expelled as a superfluous excrement yet beside the commodity of judgement which it giveth of the parts that it cometh from it doth also serve for divers uses in medicine and other good commodities Of both which I will anon orderly write after I have declared certain things appertaining to the due judgement of it Of the Instrument and parts by which Vrine is engendred and passeth mark this Figure following A. Is the liver B. The hollow vein C. Veins by which the reins do draw the urine and therefore be called sucking veins D. The reins E. The water Pipes F. Is the Bladder G. The spout of the yard All the other parts beside appertain to Generation and seed CHAP. III. What Vrine is and what tokens it giveth in generall YOu have heard now how urine is ingendred from whence it cometh and by what places it passeth which things all to the intent that you may the better keep in minde you shall note this short definition The definition of urine Urine is the superfluity or wheyie substance of the bloud into a hollow vein conveyed by the reins and water pipes into the bladder So that hereby you may plainly perceive that if the bloud be pure and clean and none other grief in the reins Water-pipes Bladder nor Shaft then shall the urine so declare it being also perfect and pure in substance and colour and all other tokens according to the same But if there bee any grief in any of those parts or the blood corrupt by any means then shall the urine declare certain tokens of the same as I
the grief of the stone it declareth that the grief shall be turned into the strangurie Thick and green Thick urine and green namely in Agues is a token of the yellow Jawnders either present or ready to come Thick and ash coloured Thick urine and ash coloured if it appear in Agues and do not settle it is a sign of madnesse But in the burning Ague it betokeneth that the strangurie will come shortly Thick and black But if a black colour appear in thick urine it betokeneth sometime well as in the end of the Fever Quarten and of melancholike madness for it betokeneth that the melancholike matter which caused the diseases doth avoid out But sometimes it is an evill token for it signifieth that either the blood is burned through exceeding heat or else that naturall heat is clean quenched through deadly cold and therefore is commonly called a deadly sign namely in sharp Agues if it have an evill savour And so meaneth Galen when he saith that he marked The thicker that a black water is the worse it is and moreover That he never saw any escape which made such Vrine And thus have you heard of the significations of thin and thick urine with such colours as may be coupled therewith Now will I write a littler of the colours alone and of such tokens as come chiefly of them rather then of the substance or any other part of the urine Colours of urine The colours of urine declare commonly how heat and cold do reign in the body so that the white the urine is the greater is the cold and natural heat lesse and the higher coloured that the urine is the greater is the heat But to speak particularly White that you may perceive it the better If the urine be white it is a sign that concoction faileth quite and the lighter coloured the worse Pale colour in better somewhat Pale though it also declare lack of natural heat and strength And flaxen colour Flaxen though it betokeneth beginning of concoction yet it is not perfect howbeit it may be well taken if all other signs be good Pale light saffron Pale and light saffron as you have heard before are the best colours and most temperate which betoken exact concoction Golden saffron But golden and saffron colour declare excess of heat Claret red Crimson Purple Green oily Claret is next and then red after it crimson and then purple then green and last of them is oily urine which as they goe in order so they declare greater and greater heat with increase not only of the qualitie but also of the matter containing the same Blew ash-colour But now of the other side blew urine and ash colour are tokens of excessive cold sometime with matter and sometime without and so like wise of black urine howbeit it cometh sometime of excess of heat But how you may know the differences both of it and all the other now will I shew in order with the rest of their significations White urine White if it come in great quantity in a whole man it betokeneth much drinking of thin wine But if it be mean in quantity with a due ground it declareth cold distemperance of the liver The urine doth appear white with a dis-form and unconcocted ground in them that have the dropsie But in old men white urine is no great evill sign as you may perceive by that I said before of Ages how they alter urine But in yong men and such as are of freshest age it is a worse sign and specially if it have either no contents or else evill contents And if urine continue long time white without changing it betokeneth painfull beating of the head daselling of the eies and giddiness and also the falling evill lothsomness of good meats and lusting sometime after evill meats greedie hunger pain in limbs and painfull moving of the sinewes and divers griefes of the head and reines and also pain in the fundament and great weakness by sickness for all these doe follow continually lack of concoction either cold or stopping of the urines and conduct or transposing of the humours But the differences of these cannot easily bee known of every man yet such as are learned may gather certain distinctions of them by the accidents which follow diseases Milk white horn white gray Dark white colours as milk white white white like horn and grey If they appear in the beginning of Agues and in the increase of them they doe betoken much pain But in the decrease of Agues they declare especially if it come plentifully Pale flaxen Pale urine and flaxen do not lightly appear in Agues except they be easie Agues and short as those which continue but one day but if that it do follow after burning Agues it declareth that they be fully dissolved Pale saffron As for pale and light saffron they are as I said before the best and most perfect colours namely in young men and fresh youth But in old men women and children whose urine as I have said declineth toward white and pale it doth betoken that their bodie is too hot either by reason of their diet or else of their exercise But in as much as it is but mean excesse it declareth but small grief Golden and saffron coloured urine if it be either somewhat thin Golden saffron colour or very thick either it hath no ground or else very few and dark contents But in this they differ that golden urine declareth excess of heat and matter also by reason of meats sharp medicines chafing of the bloud through anger heat of the bowels or else heat of the time of the yeer But saffron colour appeareth rather with default of matter through some affection of the mind watching heat of the sun labour and such like things which increase thin and yellow choller and diminish naturall heat so that the cause of this colour is choler it self increased either in quantity or else in qualitie But in old men and women and such other there is some greater cause that occasioneth it for it signifieth an Ague cometh of saffronly choler dispersed through the whole body after which there followeth commonly giddiness headach bitterness of the mouth lothsomeness of meat thirstiness Also in yong men such urine is caused through much exercise and use of hot meats Of Claret and red Vrine Claret urine CLaret and red urine is coloured either of the mixture of red choler or else of the corruption of bloud such urine oftentimes great before Agues For when the blood doth so abound that it cannot be duly laboured nor can take no ayre there is engendred a certain corruption which as it is red of colour it self so it causeth the urine to be red in colour if it be much else it maketh only claret colour But if it be exact red lik grain it betokeneth that bloud issueth into it out of some veins
the greater they declare the pain in the head to be If they be white or rather whitish and stand about in the compasse of the garland they betoken little pain or none And if the urine bee thin withall they betoken weakness of naturall heat or else the opilation and stopping of the reins namely if there appear no ground in the urine This doth Hippocrates witness saying 7. Aph. 14. When in the urine there swimmeth bubbles they betoken grief in the reins And also that it shall long continue The reason of the long continuance as Galen and Philotheus doe both declare is because that the grief commeth of cold and tough phlegmatick matter which always is long before it may overcome Pliny also saith Lib. 28. c. 6. that that urine is evil which is ful of bubbles and thick in which if the ground be white it is a token that there shal be grief either about the joynts or else about the bowels Howbeit yet sometimes the bubbles are not an evill token but contrariwise a good token of concoction and declare that nature doth now apply her self wholy unto concoction And this do the Bubbles signifie when they appear in the water in which they were not seen long before And therefore in an Ague we may conjecture the declination of it when we see bubbles to appear after that sort except it be so that they appeared in the urine at the beginning of the sickness and hath so continued still For then they declare grievous pain to be in the head yea and that dangerous if the urine also be thin in substance But if the substance of the urine be thick then the bubbles are not so evill a sign neither declare so greivous danger Sometimes in stead of Bubbles which doe not appear when they should it sufficeth that there appear a gross some as it is sometimes seen to rise upon wine and it doth betoken even the same thing that the Bubbles do Tome especially in the declination of the Ague of which I spake a little before These Bubbles do appear very thick about the garland in the urine of him that hath the issue of seed or wast of nature Sometime also there are seen in the Bubbles certain small scrapps as you would say much like hairs in grossness and so such length sometime that they reach from the one side of the bubble unto the other and sometimes longer and sometimes shorter which things may come either of the wasting of the reins or else of the shedding of nature The cause of the generation of bubbles and also of the dispersing and elevation of the contents is an unnaturall windiness Of which as there are divers kindes much differing asunder partly in multitude partly in substance and partly also in quality so doth the bubbles engendred of them diversly varie according unto those differences whether they be sole and severall or joyntly many knit together But windiness if it be grosse then doth it puffe up such Bubbles and if it be subtile then doth it rather work a dispersion in the contents and is not able nor meet to cause Bubbles And hereby may you know the qualitie of the windiness and likewise also the quantitie For there appeareth lesse quantitie of windinesse to bee where the contents onely are dispersed then where such Bubbles be ingendred Now as touching the other qualities of it as heat and cold which are the chief qualities indeed and molt active you may judge them by the colour of the bubbles For as pale colour and other low colours declare coldnes of that windiness so high colours enclining toward yellow or higher be certain tokens of heat Bubbles that are small and thick knit together in the garland or the urine doth betoken a grosse windiness whose cause cannot easily be vanquished for the grossness and toughnesse that is in them will not suffer them to swell great and that causeth them to be so small And contrariwise the greater that the bubbles be and the more bouled the more they declare that windines that causeth them to be severed from tough matter Moreover the colder that such windiness is the lesser grief is felt of them Bubbles in the urine of old men namely being great and large doe betoken cold windinesse but sometime such bubbles are a sign of rheum distilling from the head into the lights especially if the Patient at the entring of Summer were very hot and so did drink much which matter the head being dryed did draw unto him and did distill again part of it down into the lights whereof commeth a cough and part of it into the womb which thereby is moved to laxe CHAP. X. Of the Garlanded other like things AS I have compendiously and yet not very slightly spoken of those former parts to bee considered in urine so will I briefly speak of a few more which may not well be omitted and so make an end of the Judiciall The Garland First therefore in the over-part of the urine round about the edge of the urine there appeareth a garland circle or ring which doth there appear by reason that the higher part of the urine being thinner than the rest and more subtiller and therefore doth not only more sooner alter but doth more readier declare the alteration Howbeit sometime there doth appear no ring at all and that is when the colour of the urine and of it is all one by reason of the great force of the cause which altereth the urine but yet so that nature doth match that humour and is neither overcome by it neither yet hath overcome it For if nature have plainly either got the victorie or lost it then is there another colour in the garland then is in the rest of the urine Now if the colour of the urine be evill and the colour of the garland better it is a token of health As if the colour of the urine bee yellow red or crimson or any such like and the colour of the garland be white or whitely it is a token full of good hope but when the colour of the whole urine is evill and the colour of the garland worser yet then is it an evill sign As when the colour of the urine is green or purple and the garland worse coloured then is it a plain token that nature is overcome and that the evill humours have gotten the upper-hand Of these more particularly doth Egidius treat but yet not more truly nor more sufficiently his words are these If the circle of the urine be thick and waterie it is a token that the hinder part of the head is oppressed with phlegmatick matter but if it be purple-coloured and thick then is the forepart of the head overcharged with blood A pale and a thin circle declareth the left side of the head to be troubled with melancholy matter but if it be red and thin it betokeneth choler to abound in the right part of the head Leddy or
according to the end which they are to be used for which are either to repell draw mittigate pain strengthen soften discuss dry up digest crudities open purge conglutinate and harden a scar Destillation is made when the actuall or potentiall humour is resolved by heat into vapours and separated from his earthy dregs which presently by the compassing cold growing together drop or distill into a simple water spirits or a spiritous water or oyle 1. Destillation otherwise is made in Ballneo to prevent a collection of corrupt matter in the whole Bulke Empyreurna and Adustion onely upward because the watry vapours especially are lifted up 2. Or without Balnenum which we may call a dry Distillation For by this the Water and Oil descend downward or the vapours are lifted upward which are Watry Spiritous Oylie For whilest in the thing distilled the water and spirit are both together then they both ascend together by reason of their thinnesse and therefore the Distillation is to be reiterated that afterward the spirits by their thinness may go before the watry vapours for the water spirit and oile are all together thus the waterie and spiritous vapours are lifted up together and they by reason of their naturall affinitie carry the oylie with them by reason whereof the oile being separated the distillation is to be reiterated for severing the spirits but if with the earthy matter the oyle only is joyned by a dry distillation it ought to be increased with a greater heat that it may be separated from the earthy matter which it hardly forsakes either by descending or smally ascending to which purpose peculiar Organs or Instruments are required The Spirits by reason of their lightnesse will by no meanes descend In Balneo either not at all or very sparingly they are lifted up because if the fire work not on them which the water of the Balneum hindereth they cannot be separated from the water The Spirits by reason of their thinnesse and potentiall heat that they may the sooner increase and grow together require refrigeratories filled with cold water which are either fastned to the top of the Elembick or a right or winding crooked Pipe is fastned with the beak of it therefore called Serpens because thereby the Spirits staying the longer in the Cockle doe the more put off their collection of corrupt matter passing through the cold water of a large vessell In distillation which is made downward either a Paper is put upon the juycie plants having a linnen cloth spread over the platter or dish with good store of sand to which hot coales are put for assoon as the heat hath drawn forth the vapours when they are restrained from being lifted up being grown together they fall down into the platter set under in drops Or else in rosinie woods being included in a Potters vessell coales being placed about them which draw forth by their powerfull heat that which is fattie from whence the oile floweth by a cover with holes without the earthy matter into a vessell set under set close to the earth for refrigeration sake or amber melteth after this manner in such a vessel but that the thinner part or the earthy matter may not passe through the holes we use dry sand or pouder or flints or tiles or ashes of bones burnt and to wash away the stench and blackness a vessell below is filled up to the half with water into which the falling drops slide or fall into another vessell set under of purpose In distillation which is speedily made upward the Spirits are separated from the water by an Instrument of a large neck which they call Phyola a plain pot with a wide mouth whilest as I said the former are listed up assoon therefore as the waterie vapours succeed the receiving vessell is to be changed the other shut up the watery vapours with a spunge or parchment paper set upon the cucurbite In this kinde of distillation sharp tart vapours have this peculiar that after for example sake the waterie vapours arising out of Vinegar Salt Vitrioll Allum Salt-peter are lifted up they are separated first without Acrimonie therefore wee suffer the said vapors of Vitrioll to exhale before distillation in an open Vessell and that which is left of the waterie humour the stronger heat doth by boyling more exactly mingle with the subtiler earthy parts till at the length it separateth and driveth forth that violently from the thicker matter That is called water of Salt c. unskilfully oyle seeing it hath nothing common with oyle besides the thicker consistence apparent but Spirit though improperly since every Spirit is inflamable and potentially or virtually hot by it selfe it may be called for his potentiall heat but accidentall for this from fire which hath insinuated it lelse and sharpness partly from fire from the said mixture in which it differs from the nature of water and agrees with the Spirits If therefore those Spirits separated againe be poured upon the earthy matter forthwith the vapours goe forth much sharper and hotter and by reason of their aiery and fiery nature suffer themselves to be shut up very heavily by which cause the recipient vessell ought to be very ample and large least it break before the concretion be made of the vapours To Distillation which is made upward a little Wine or Water is sprinckled on the fresh Plants which are not juycie enough that you may draw away the water from the dry If you desire onely water something spirituous they are powred into water wine be water if it be spirituous it selfe And they are left in Balneo for 24. houres that the vertue may be the more communicated and imparted to the humour But if you would adde fresh Floures gathered at divers times the infusion is to be made in the Spirit of wine in a cold place least by placing they may be corrupted For example Cinamon water this being broken small is hanged in a peece in a blinde limbech filled with water so as the water may not touch the bag then let the water boyle till all the parts of the Cinamon be moist and warme fitly then take out the Cinamon and beat it into paste and then again let it be infused and distilled in the former water If thou desirest Spirit and Oyle out of Plants you ought to boyle the matter before alwayes either in his proper humour or moistness So red Roses exquisitely brused and stopt up in a glassie vessell and plac'd in a cellar till the potentiall heat actuates and the moisture boyles up compelled by the Antiperistasmi or repulsion on every part of the cold Cherries with their kernels for the Spirits lye inclosed in them are placed in a warme place the Lees of Wine or Oyle being poured upon them that their heat lying hid may stir up the Spirit till it boyle up Or with water poured on and the said lees as is done before the distillation of the Spirits and the Oyle Juniper
berries Wheat c. are first to be brused that the water may peirce all the parts and the Spirit with the Oyle may unite unto it If you separate the Spirits from the water by distillation sometimes repeated at the length you shall have the most pure Spirits together with the Oyle from all Plants potentially hot None but a foole will call those Infusions or Macerations putrefaction because this is an innated destruction of heat that the actuation thereof and this is a progress not unto perfection as that but a passage to the corruption of the thing If there be a little part of oyle in it the dry matter ought to be infused into the Spirits that they may peirce the more and draw the oyle with it The purging force taste sweet bitter salt and the colour seeing it is placed in the thicker earthy matter they are not communicated to the humour in distilling nor the smell of the purple violet c. by reason of the smalnes of the odoriferous exhalation as it chiefly appeares in the example of sirrup of Roses purging in whose Distillation the water drawes away nothing but the Astringent facultie under which it stayeth the looseness of the belly without Inflammation the purging part being left in the dregs and this very Observation ministred the first occasion to Extraction If water distilled as for example of Roses bee often poured on fresh Roses the distillation being iterated by so much the more his strength is increased but the same doured upon the Lees forthwith to still as the water of Capons were to spend time foolishly seeing that the qualities of flesh are communicated not by distillation but by decoction When the most subtile earthy matter is mixed with oile only as in Waxe Sulphur Rosins Amber then there is required to the distillation some loosing spirituous matter which may carry the oile along with it an humour and earthy matter which may keep back Empyreuma and Adustion and the ascension of the subtle earthy matter Such loosing things which effectuate all these together are common Salt Sal gemmae Salt-peter Salt Ammoniack plume Allum pure sand ashes of bones burnt pouder of flints and Tiles or Bricks these especially hinder the ascent of the earthy matter Distilled vinegar and spirit of wine have truly a loosing power and carry the oyle with them but to the distillation of Amber are impertinent because they ascend before the Amber melteth and so preserve it not from the heat or violence of the fire If the first distillation of Amber be made rightly there doth not need another in Balneo which they call rectification for so much as the water washeth or taketh away of his colour so much it taketh away of his strength Pitch and Colophonie by reason of their great viscositie and grossness before are sod with rich wine to the consumption of the wine that Allum afterward added may so much the easier passe or penetrate this liquid matter and the oyle separated from the earthy matter may ascend more speedily There is another kind of distilling of oile when hot glowing Bricks or Tiles broken in peeces are quenched in the oil from whence it is called oyle of Bricks because it taketh from the fire his grew heat and from the Bricks his Astriction and being after reduced into powder are forced out by a strong fire that by this means they may also receive more heat and astriction and by the same manner oyle of quick lime is prepared And seeing it is the nature of oile and of oylie things that being put to the fire they are presently inflamed these if they be actually drie they swim above the water contrary to all reason 1. Amongst Oyles are reckoned spirit as I said of salt the water being concrete from the vapours of brimstone set on fire under a bell 1. Extract of Cinnamon which setleth at the bottome in water distilled 2. The moistness which is drawn from Wormes being stopt up with paste in a glasse with heat of an Oven 3. Or which from Couslip flowers and by insolation is drawn forth 4. And when in like manner the white of an egge hung in a pot with Camphire floure of Brimstone or Myrrhe or Tartar burnt mixt with a sharp moisture the dryness vanishing or vapouring away which they received or took from the heat they return into their former watery nature Secondly Oile is sought from stones Jewels Mercurie Antimonie mettals and out of all those things which have now before felt the strong resolving force of fire from Crystall Tartar Corall Pearls Vinegar which hath an extream contrary nature Yea though Salt-peter and Manna also are presently inflamed yet the scarcity of Oyle is much overcome by the earthy and cold waterie matter so that rather that which is oylie in it may be consumed by the fire then separated by distillation from the said matter To draw oyle from blood by distillation is to mock God by whose Ordination nature in the third concoction hath wrought out oyle from blood more perfectly that is to say fat tallow butter which if after the common Liquefaction or coction of flesh and bruised bones from water thou requirest more pure the temparament being unhurt thou shalt some daies of Harvest set in the sun that thou mayest separate the purest from the dregs setled downward But behold how in a matter so hard and difficult they trifle here which exhibite a Mutinie of which it appeareth not whether it be the dryed flesh of a man or a beast and whether it came to a true Balsome or whether it dyed not by poison or whether or not they were not the late carcases of many men rather annointed over with Myrrhe Aloes c. then with true Balsom and though true Balsom was used to the bodies of great men whether in so long a time the force and vertue bee not gone forth and expired and by reason of the corruption which was joyned with it whether the Indian or Succedanean Balsum made from Oyle of Cinnamon Cloves and the like things were not much more excellent Now when your Oyles are distilled and your spirits whether those so mixt in Hermes vessel by boyling them longer it behoveth to mingle them more exactly that from thence they may draw an Elixir which these Triflers call Circulati one of the two Homogeneall principles that is to say of the aire One truly increaseth the heat and smell of the other and the same faculty or strength which is in the smell but here observe the madness of Quercetan above or beyond all his other doatings he mingleth pag. 60. Lips edit 59. Medicines which every on 1. Either strengtheneth the principall parts 2. Refresheth the spirits 3. Breaketh the strength of poysons 4. Resisteth putrefaclion 5. Cutteth grosse thick humours And he calleth it a specifique Medicine to cure inveterate diseases giddiness falling-sicknesse palsie madness melancholy but how that may be called a speciall or specisique Medicine which is composed of
time of Maceration or soaking is to be judged from the consideration of the things infused for hard and Rosinous things such as Guiacum are macerated to stirre them till the liquor poured on is mingled sufficiently with the oylie matter or is sufficiently tincted or affected with the colour or savour of the medicine for then either other liquor is poured on the same matter and that so often reiterated till such time as it is no more affected with tincture or savour and then at length all the liquors affected are put together and distilled the Extract being left in the bottome of the Vessel or Bladder After this manner Rubarb Rhapeticum Aloes Gentian Cinnamon Nutmeg Myrrhe or else the said liquor affected is poured on the plant of the same kinde and it is twice or thrice reiterated So is Cinnamon Wormwood lesser Centurie Angelico root Zedoarie Galingal the true Acorns and Elecompane root which neither give tincture not are indued with manifest smell or favour they are macerated or soaked for one day or two and then the liquor pressed forth is poured upon a plant of the same kind and this is done twice or thrice In like manner distillation is made in Mechoashau Bryonie Pyonie Masterwort root c. In the Extraction of fresh Flowers of Peaches Plums Roses Flowers Herbs and Roots of Celandine c. There is no need of effusion or putting on of any other moisture but the reiterated pressing forth or the juyce often ought to go before the distillation and the Infusion into the moisture pressed forth of the fresh Flowers and Herbes But to bruise Celandine and distill it and to put the distilled water upon the dry Lees c. is trifling to no purpose in so great plenty of Celandine experience it self in the strength of either Extraction will be testimony sufficient But seeing the Extract of the Roots of Bryonie Ireos and Cuccopintle may be made after three manners That is to say That either dryed they may be infused in spirit of Wine the juice pressed forth out of the fresh Roots distilled Left in a Cellar for a few dayes and then the white troubled water poured forth the white Lees may be dried in the shadow The Question is which way may best draw forth the strengths or vertues of them for persons troubled with the Mother Hydropicks or those which have an ill habit of bodie Quercetan preferrteh the third way I the first Lee reason and experience conclude the controversies and determine it For first heat is required in all the three Effects or Dispositions which here the Spirits of Wine administer to them Secondly Crude juyce is lesse apt because it is it selfe a phlegmatick matter and cannot choose but be corrupted by the moist aire of the Cellar and hath nothing which may preserve it from corruption Thirdly The faculties of these consist not in the thin matter which goeth forth with the Water distilled but rather in the thick earthy matter as their Pouders shew plainly Quercetan in glutinous and clammie roots addeth a half part of white bread in their Infusion that the nourishment mixt with the Medicine may as well by his clamminess incrcase his glutinous strength as derive or convey the Medicine the sooner to the liver and being all moistned with wine placeth them in Balneo till they become red and moreover digesteth the juyce waxing red that it may become the redder being pressed forth for truly the simple man thinketh the red juyce will be sooner turned into blood and so also the red wine and by the long snout of Meleagers Bear before distillation But I say we may more commodiously draw forth the nature from bread exhibited by it selfe but if there be need of extraction of the glutinous or clammy part from corne and drawing the Medicine through the veines all true Phylosophers not such Sophisters will with me preferre decoction far before it with which the thick glutinous Dansick Beer is made if with the said extract made without bread that may be mingled He also infuseth black Hellebar in vinnegar being most adverse to the spleen to draw forth the faculty for diseases of the spleen and will have the proper salt mixed with the distilled waters as also others with the extracts to what end I pray for seeing every faculty which was in the Medicine before calcination by this is taken away whether that he may corrupt the extract or water by his sharpness or by his dryness keep back putrefaction or that beyond others he may seeme to savour better The same man extolleth without any judgement his oleous extract of Guiachum for seeing in the cure of the French disease and the Catarrhe there is first or chiefly required some astriction by which the members may be strengthned together truly for this intention every man understands decoction to be far more needfull and usefull which hath any judgement although a small dose of the extract be fit for those which shall use it especially for delicate and tender persons And in his Extract of mans Skull he is altogether childish as of the Secondine a Calves liver and lungs Pearls and Corrals For what doth he draw forth of the Spirits from the Skull other then a certaine fat and something from the earthy matter and ashes by decoction in Balneo but will that Extract take away the causes of such a disease as the Falling-sickness he will hardly perswade children to it from the Secondine Liver and Lungs what I pray can be drawn the broth of their decoctions yea even the substance it selfe eaten and the powder of the Secondine will it not offer nature the strength it selfe perfecter to be extracted Pearles and Corrals onely beaten will yeeld all their vertue they have received from Gold without any trouble of dissolving or washing with water of corrosive spirits Whether hitherto have not all kinde of preparation of Medicines been unfolded by us Truly they have been altogether But where are their Medicines so much cryed up their Secrets their Magisteries Mercuries Sulphurs Elixirs Tinctures Quintescence This Talkative Chymick Apollo hath invented and framed words without matter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from that infernall desire of lying and cousening to gain to his Sophisters authoritie an opinion of subtile wisedome But if we shall speake properly a Secret and Magisterie are the same nor are they speciall but most generall Appellations of wittie Inventions And the tincture is the Extraction of the proper colour which seeing it is not a Medicinable qualitie it ought to be most estranged and alienate from true Physick preparations I omit that for the most part it is sophisticated as for example spirit of wine draweth his redness from white bones and ashes and black Treacle and this every liquor potentially hot will perform especially if the earthy matter bee also endued with heat which Turners doe who shave pure white plates from yellow Amber But this is of an Optick contemplation When we Germans would