TYROCINIVM CHYMICVM OR Chymical Essays Acquired from The Fountain of Nature AND Manual Experience By John Beguinus Almoner to the most Christian King of France LONDON â—rinted for Thomas Passenger at the three Bibles upon London bridâ—◠〈…〉 THE Author's Dedication I Dedicate offer up and bequeath This Work such as it is as also my self and all that is called mine To the only Wise GOD Author of all Good To whom be all Praise Virtue and Power ascribed for ever and ever AMEN Paracelsus in his Book of Tincture of Natural things Chapter 1. saith FIrst you must Learn Digestions Distillations Sublimations Reverberations Extractions Solutions Coagulations Fermentations and Fixations and you must also know what Instruments are required for use in this Work as Glasses Cucurbits Circulatory Vessels Vessels of Hermes Earthen Vessels Balneums Wind Fornaces Fornaces of Reverberation and other such like as also a Marble Mortars Coals c. So may you at length proceed in the Work of Alchimy and Medicine But as long as you shall by Phantasie and Opinion adhere to feigned Books you will be apt for and Predestinated to none of these Epigramma Authoris ad Benevolum Lectorem Quisquis es O Lector nostro tu parce Labori Quae sunt dicta modo dicta sucre prius Et quaecunque meo parvo sunt scripta Libello Ut mea non measunt sic tua non tua sunt TO THE READER IT becomes every man about to transcribe or render the Works of another in his own native Tongue neither to add any thing of his own nor to omit of the Author's least in so doing he should maim the same by abstracting or render them monstrous by impertinent additions Wherefore avoiding these extreams I offer this Little work not gorgeously adorned with paintings of Rhetorick but plainly cloathed in an English Habit to the Searchers into the wondrous Mysterys of Nature by them to be viewed and reviewed to be approved or condemned if any thing herein may justly be censured as they shall think fit Yet I would not have any Man to perswade himself that I present This Tyrocinium as a Guide to the most Experienced but rather as a necessary auxiliary to Pupils and such as are desirous to enter upon the Praxis of this Laudable Science but hitherto perhaps for want of Expert knowledge of the Latin Tongue or rather not finding experienced Masters could not understand how or where to begin For such only this Book was written by the Author and to the same end it is now translated Therefore if you find benefit by the perusal hereof extol not the Author nor commend the Translator but praise God who is the Giver of all good Gifts and by whom all Sciences were communicated to the Children of Adam The most Material ERRATA's are thus Corrected PAge 2. line 27. for sow read snow l. 35. for Philosophicks r. Philosophick p. 7. l. 2. for Antimony r. Anatomy l. 16. for to boiled r. to be boiled p. 8. l. 12. for forced r. feared p. 30. l. 20. for Cinnen Cloath r. Linnen Cloath p. 47. l. 18. for enduring r. inducing p. 57. l. 22. for by gradually r. gradually p. 70. l. 23. for Tincture r. the Tincture p. 72. l. 12. for upon Oil r. upon the Oil. p. 75. l. 16. for Oriental Saffron Ê’ ss r. Oriental Saffron Ê’j ss l. 18. for Coltsfoot r. Asarabacca p. 88. l. 5. for Crocus Martis Stellate r. Regulus Martis Stellate p. 95. l. 18. for Sols r. Sol. p. 109. l. 22. for Calcine in a Crucible r. Calcine it in c. p. 129. l. 19. for And much Coct r. And as much Coct TYROCINIVM CHYMICVM In three Books BOOK I. CHAP. I. Touching the definition of Alchymy CHymistry is the Art of dissolving natural mixed bodies What Alchymy is and of coagulating the same when dissolved and of reducing them into salubrious safe and grateful Medicaments Chymia is a Greek word The Etymology of the word Chymiae the Latines render it an Art making Liquor or dissolving things solid into Liquor it is likewise called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because Chymistry teacheth to dissolve that which is most difficult and to coagulate If any one call it Alchimy He in the Arabian manner declares the excellency thereof If the Spagyrick Art he shews its principal Offices viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Conjunction and Separation If the Hermetick Art he demonstrates its Author and Antiquity If the Distillatory Science he shews its Authority and Function But since all Disciplines are either Theorical or Practical Chymistry not acquiescing in the knowledge and contemplation of mixt bodies as a natural Science but having regard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to the work or business viz. to Magisterys Tinctures Quintessences and such like unto it is worthily granted a place among practical Arts and Disciplines although happily some may be found who being contented with the Theory only accidentally either for want of sutable Masters or impeded by other more weighty businesses apply not themselves to the most pleasant labours in the practical part thereof required Object The Objection of this Art is that the body is mixt and concrete but wherein it is moveable is not inspected for this is the part of natural consideration viz. to observe how far a body is dâ—ssolvable and coagulable Bodies are eitheir imperfectly mixt as Dew Hail Sow or perfectly mixt as Plants Fruits Metals Stones Trees and Animals of every kind Whence it is manifest how egregiously they are deceived who hearing the name of an Alchymist presently conclude that Man imploys himself in nothing else than the transmutation or Metamorphosing of Metals and meditates on no other thing than the wonderful Mystery of the Philosophicks Stone Whereas The intention of this Artist is to prepare most sweet most wholsome and most safe Medicaments And herein it is that our Art is distinguished from the vulgar Pharmacopaea which also confects Medicines safe indeed and wholsome but less grateful to the diseased For as to sweetness or pleasure in taking it must needs be granted Chymical Medicines are helpful to the vulgar that the sick will sooner take Conserve of Roses with which 4 grains of Mercury working by seidge only are commixed than many drams of Diacatholicon and will more willingly take one only of the blessed Pills of Quercetanus or two Pills of his Panchymagogon Electuary than 10 or 15 without them of gilded and fetid Pills or four grains of Mineral Bezoar of the most famous Dr. Hartmannus or eight grains of Diaphoretick Antimony of Crollius than any other Sudorifick potion And much rather a little of the Cream or Magistery of Tartar than an agonistick draught of Apozeme or Syrup of any Magistrale laboriously confected according to a description of I know not how many foot long Yet in a sense the Potions and Vessels of vulgar Medicaments do in
the Liquor is hot put in a new-laid-egg which if it shall float above the Liquor is a sign of perfect decoction Then the Liquor removed from the fire must be strained hot through a double Cloath and in a sutable Vessel placed in the Sun two drams of Salt of Tartar or common Salt being added or Ê’j of any acidity put in And so it must boil or ferment for forty days or thereabout untill the Liquor be clear and have an odour like Wine Then must the vessel be closed and the Hydromel reserved in a Cellar for use What are solid and hard as Seeds Wheat Fennel Anise Juniper-berrys Aromaticks c. must be bruised and water be poured on them and their proper Salt or what is to them analogous or some acidity or feces of Beer or Wine so as to a hogs-head of the matter to be fermented a pint of feces be added But what are most hard as Stones must first be calcined and afterward fermented as in the following Treatise touching Corals and Lead shall be spoken Extraction specially so called Extraction specially so called is when from the mixt body the more subtile and more noble parts drawn but by any Menstruum are extracted from the Elementary grosness remaining in the bottom and by distillation or evaporation are coagulated to the consistency of Syrup or Sapa It is thus made When a matter having Tincture is infused in a convenient Menstruum and the vessel close shut placed in digestion Afterward the coloured Menstruum by inclination separated and other fresh Menstruum poured on and the vessel closed again set to digest and the same labour so oft repeated as till the Menstruum be no more tinged Then are all the evacuations filtred circulated and coagulated with the Menstruum to an oleaginous consistency or else sometimes to a dryness according to the nature of the matter or as the intended use shall require CHAP. V. Of Coagulation HEtherto we have spoke of Solution and its Species now follows Coagulation Coagulation Coagulation is another of the principal Operations of the Spagyrick Science wherein soft and Liquid things are forced by privation of humidity from a thin and fluid consistency into a solid This although it almost inseparably adhere to the Species of Solution as Precipitation Amalgamation Sublimation Distillation c. Yet is it peculiarly First by exhalation wherein the humour expires from the coagulable matter Secondly by decoction wherein Liquid things are cocted to a certain solid consistency Thirdly by Congelation as in Cellars when Chrystals by cold are produced Fourthly by Fixation wherein things volatile and flying the fire are taught by use to remain fixed therein which is done either by addition of a fixed Medicine or by mixtures or sublimations Cements and such like according to the nature of the matter CHAP. VI. Of Lutation NOw for order sake it is expedient we should speak of Furnaces Vessels and various Chymical Uutensils as also their divers Regimens of fire But these are rather learned by ocular inspection than by precepts and rules Therefore for brevity sake we shall omit them and only speak a few things touching the Lutaments and Conglutination of Sapient Artificers For building Furnaces Take fat Earth of what colour soever it be and mix and work it together with sand Horse-dung and Salt-water For Coating Retorts Although I am not wont to Coat either Glass or Earthen Retorts whether I distill by sand or by a naked fire or by a close Reverberatory or by fire of suppression Take Potters-clay Horse-dung washt and dry'd flour of Tiles and Scales of Iron mix and work these strongly together with common water Luting of Sapience for closing in the most Subtile Spirits Make Luting of Calx vive and the white of Eggs reduced to water and speedily apply the same because it easily drys For consolidating crackt and broken Glasses Take Bole-armenack Minium Ceruse of each equal parts reduce them to a most subtile powder and temper it with Linseed Oil or liquid Varnish For Luting Glasses together I unto this day have with good success used Hoggs or Ox-bladders for luting an Alembeck with its Cucurbit as well in distillation of waters as of sharp and penetrating Spirits For Luting the nose of the Alembeck with the Recipient Take of Wax â„¥ j. Rosin Colophony of each â„¥ j. melt them together in an earthen pan unto these adde a little Oil Olive stirring them with a stick that the whole may be incorparated then removing the pan from the fire work the whole well together with your hands For Luting Retorts with their Receivers in distillation of sharp Spirits The Luting for coating Retorts work together with Salt water or mix it with Colophony pulverisate and apply it moist The End of the First Book TYROCINIVM CHYMICVM OR CHYMICAL ESSAYS Book the Second THe former Book treats of Solution and Coagulation in general Proemium now in the following Books we intend to treat of the effects of these Operations Although in Specie how the compactness of all mixt bodies are to be opened ought to be declared the same we should have endeavoured to perform had we undertaken to write an entire System and not a Tyrocinium of Chymistry There are effects or as by some they are called Chymical Species of Solution and Coagulation which are either liquid or soft or hard To the liquid may be referr'd the various kinds of Aqua fortis Spirits Vinegar Oils and Liquid Tinctures extracted from Flowers Herbs Roots Rinds Seeds Woods c. To the soft Balsoms various Extracts soft Tinctures To the Hard Salts Flores Magisterys Calxes dry Tinctures of Crocus CHAP. I. Before we come to speak of the forms of Liquors to be prepared which are for the most part made by distillation certain general Rules seem needful to be inserted of which this is The First VEssels in which distillation is made Rules necessary for the Doctrine of distillation must not be of Lead For they infect Liquors with a malignant quality render them vomitive change their native taste and sometimes themselves are corroded by sharp vapours expiring from the matter to be distilled And if Galen and other wise Physicians condemned the waters which flow through Leaden Pipes by reason of the malignity much infesting the internal parts which they thence contract What may be judged of waters distilled in Leaden Vessels Since it is often manifest especially when distilled Liquors of this kind have stood unmoved for certain days that Ceruse of Lead rased off in distillation from the Leaden Alembeck is found in the bottom of the vessel especially if to prove the same you shall pour in a drop or two of Spirit of Vitriol And what is said of Leaden vessels for like reason must be understood of Tin Brass and Iron unless distillation be made in a Brass Vesica where what are distilled soon flow out The Second Glasses by how much the higher they be so much the better
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