make dry the Praecipiolum and that Praecipiolum bring to a Medicinal Powder or you shall bring all Mettals Principally his own Body into his first matter which cannot be done without the Praecipiolum Salt which is hidden in the Water you powred from the Praecipiolum the same Water filter through a gray paper and set the Water to evaporate in a round Glass very softly in Ashes when the Water is evaporated away you shall find at the bottom of the Glass a yellow whitish Salt which is the Salt of the Praecipiolum and the Clavis of the Philosophers wherewith they do unlock the Lock of the Praecipioli and bringeth the same to his first matter If you know not this Salt you know nothing of the true Chymistry This Salt doth decrease in the decrease of the Moon and increaseth at the full-Moon and one Grain will Purge very softly all Podagrous Venemous and Hydropical Humors with two Grains of your Praecipioli prepared How to bring the Praecipiolum into his first or slippery matter Take your Salt and twice as much of your Praecipolum when it is made dry first dissolve your Salt in fair warm Water and power it upon the Praecipiolum and evaporate it away very gently in warm Ashes with a gentle Fire then take your Praecipiolum with its one Salt and put it into a little Retort nip the Neck of the Retort very close or melt it together or Seal it with Hermes Seal then put it into Balneum vaperosum and let it stand six Weeks in digestion or to putrifie and it will turn to a slimy Water then take your Retort and open the Neck then lay your Retort in a Sand Furnace and cover your Retort with an Earthen Pan and lay a Receiver well luted and first give a slow Fire then a stronger and this continue till your Spirits be well resolved into Water first your Spirit will come in form of a white Cloud and at last in the form of red Clouds or red Smoak and give Fire so long till all your Spirits be come over into clear white Water and when you have this sign take your Receiver from the Retort and stop the Receiver very well with Wax that no Spirit may fly away Then let your Fire go out then take the matter which remaineth in the Retort out of the Retort and put the same into a Bolthead and stop it well and set it in a warm place then take your Spirits which are in the Receiver and rectifie them once and keep those Spirits very carefully Observe this you may remember when the Praecipiolon hath lost its Mercury that the same Mercury will be so bright as a Venus Lookinglass take the same bright Mercury and dissolve him in your before-mentioned Spirit as now followeth Take one part of your bright Mercury and put it into a Bolthead and power upon it two parts of your Spirit of Mercury and stop it very close and let it stand in a little warmth and the Mercury will dissolve or melt in your Spirit and then distil it together through a Retort in Sand and again take one part of your bright Mercury and put it into a Bolthead and power upon it two parts of your Spirit and set it in a warm place and the Mercury will melt in the Spirit then distil again through a Retort in Sand and it will come over in the form of Water this continue as long until the half part of your bright Mercury is brought to a clear Water when you have this clear Water keep it very close stopped with Wax and take your Powder which I gave you to keep in a Bolt-head and place it very deep in a Sand Copel and give it a very strong Fire for twenty and four Hours then let the Fire go out of the said Copel and stir the Powder with a Wooden-stick and power upon it the half part of your clean Mercurial Water and stop the Glass or melt the Glass-mouth together then shake it and let it stand in a warm place for three or four days in digestion powr off this into another Glass and powr upon the remainder of the Powder another half of the Water and stop or melt the mouth of the Glass again and let it stand again for three or four days in a warm place in digestion then powr it out to the former Water and stop the Glass or melt the mouth of the Glass very close that no Spirit may fly out or fly away and let it stand in your Balneo Vaporoso eight days and then distil it through a Retort and if any stuff shall remain in the Retort which will be very little powr upon it your Spirit again and distil it over until all is gone over Now is the Salt with his own Spirit mixt together and brought into the first matter keep it very well stopped This is the Water that the Philosophers have given divers yea above a hundred Names unto it as their Horse-dung their Balneum Mariae their Calx Vive and in short this is the Philosophers true Fire without this Fire or Water no man can do any true Work in Chimistry The Philosophers having brought forth this Salamander which Salamander will never waste in the Fire the longer the stronger This Water will increase or multiply per Infinitum that is to say if all the Sea should be Mercury it will turn the same into the first matter First you must wash your Mercury with Salt and Vinegar divers times and at last with Water to wash away the Salt then mix this Mercury with Calx Vive and calcined Tartar and distil it in a Retort in a Sand Furnace and lay to it a Receiver filled almost half full with Water and when your Mercury is dry then squeeze him eight or ten times through Leather and then is your Mercury well purged from his uncleanness This is the Mercury you shall use in multiplying your Spirit or Astrum Mercurii Take of this Mercury purged one part and of your Spirit or Astrum Mercurii two parts put them together mixt into a Bolt-head stop well the Bolt-head and let it stand in a warm place one Night and your Mercury will melt in your Spirit or Astrum Mercurii and turn it into Water and then distil it through a Retort and thus you may do by repeating your Water with fresh Mercury as long as you please This Water will bring or dissolve all Stones and Gold and Silver into their first matter Item it will bring Gold and Silver over with him through a Retort and that Gold and Silver will never be separated one from the other The reason is Gold and Silver and all metals be of the same Nature and have beginning from the same Water there is nothing in the World but hath its beginning from it The Vniversal Medicine Take of fine Gold that is made fine Powder that is to say take the same Gold which did remain when you made your Praecipiolum one part of
PRAECIPIOLVM OR THE Immature-Mineral-Electrum THE FIRST METALL Which is the MINERA OF MERCVRY By Joh. Bapt. Van-Helmont LONDON Printed for William Cooper at the Pelican in Little Britain 1683. Electum Minerale Immaturum id est Metallus primus est Minera Mercurii TAKE of the best Argentum vivum which you shall Distil from its own Minera that is of the best Hungarian Minera which shall hold abundance of Argentum vivum one pound will hold twelve thirteen or fourteen ounces of Quicksilver you shall distill this Minera first pulverized in a Glass Retort with a Receiver then you shall squeeze the Mercury divers times through Leather If you cannot get any Minera Mercurii Hungarici take Spanish Mercury which is the best after the Hungarian squeeze it through Leather divers times If you cannot get this Spanish Mercury take of the best Argentum vivum that is to say if you put a little of it into a Silver Spoon and hold the Spoon over glowing Coals and when the Mercury flyes away it leaves a yellow or white spot in the Spoon this Mercury will serve but if the Mercury leave a black spot it is not good for any Work Take the Mercury which leaves a yellow or white spot in the Spoon wash it ten or twelve times with Salt and Vineger and then squeeze it as many times through Leather that it may be purged from its outward foulness the Hungarian and Spanish Mercury are clean of themselves and need no washing Imprimis yâ—u are to separate the Mercurium coagulatum from the Mercurius Vivus without any corrosiveness and that the Mercurius Vivus shall be alive still and so clear as a Venice Looking-gloss Which Mercury coagulate Paracelsus and Helmont calls Praecipiolum or Mercurius Coagulatus and that it shall be separated dead from its own Minera and that the Mercury Vivus shall be still alive after that the Praecipiolum is separate from it and that the Corpus Mercurii vivi is the Praecipiolum Minera and that the Electrum Minerale immaturum is the Mercurii vivi Minera Item Helmont Paracelsus mentions that when the Argentum Vivum or Mercurius Vivus shall come to his loca destinata that then the Argentum vivum shall leave his Praecipiolum behind him in the form of a coagulated Mercury and the Mercurius Vivus will go away alive and remain a Mercurius Vivus The loca destinata where the Argentum vivum shall leave the Semen Mercurii and the Praecipiolum is Gold and Silver Gold is the best place by reason of the Fixation and Purity and next to Gold is Silver In this Praecipiolum lyeth hidden the whole Art of the true Chymistry If a Chymist know not how to make or separate that Praecipiolum from Mercurius vivus he will fail of the whole Art This Praecipiolum is the matter whereof shall be made the Philosophers Mercury that is when it is reduced to his first matter that is in a clear Water like the Water which runs out of our Eyes now and then and is slippery This Water will eat and drink his own Flesh and Blood and multiply it self with it ad infinitum and this Water will bring all Gold and Silver into their first matter before Praecipiolum is brought into his first matter it is when it is prepared Philosophically without Corrosiveness it will cure triplicem Hydropem podagram morbum venerium and also many more sicknesses The Philosophers call Argentum vivum their Wine and the Praecipiolum they call their Tartar both maketh the Philosophers Spiritum vini Philosophicum which they call now and then Astrum Mercurii Spiritum Mercurii their Fire their Sal Minerale Sal Armoniacum their Horse-dung their Balneum Mariae and an hundred more names to deceive the People Processus compositus Praecipioli Take in the Lords Name of the Mercury which is well purged ten parts of our Gold or of our Silver not common Gold or Silver as the common-people make use of it take ours that is to say Gold which is well refined through Antimony or if you will make it with Silver refine it with Lead and purge those both very well from their Dross and foulness If you have ten parts of our Mercury Take one part of our Gold or Silver made to fine leaves or made into fine Powder with a File and make an Amalgama of them both in a warm Glazen or Marbel Morter and with a Pestel of Glass mix it well and then put this Amalgama into a Retort as I shall give you direction below and put it into an Earthen Copel or Earthen Pan with one part of clear Sand and three times as much sifted Ashes and cover it with another Earthen Pan and put to it a little Receiver without luting and then make Fire in your Furnace and give an indifferent heat and distil the Mercurium from our Gold and Silver with an indifferent heat now and then then take the Pan from it If you see the Mercury is distilled from the Gold or Silver cover it again and let the Fire go out The next morning take your Retort and Receiver from the Furnace or out of the Sand your Mercury will lye some part in the Receiver and some part will hang in the Neck of the Retort which you shall wipe off with a Feather to the other Mercury which is in the Receiver If you will you may now and then hold a glowing Coal under the Neck of the Retort that the Mercury may run into the Receiver When you have separated the Mercurium then scrape the Gold which will lye at the bottom of the Retort with a crooked Iron from the bottom of the Retort and take it out and put it into a Glass Morter and powder it small then mingle or Amalgamate your Mercury with it again by degrees or by little and little and put your Amalgama again into the Retort and if you shall find any Powder that will not go into the Mercury do not cast it away but put it with the Amalgama into the Retort or else you will lose your Praecipiolum and distil it again as it is mentioned Now and then take the Earthen Pan from it to see if the Mercury be almost gone over and if it be almost gone over let the Fire go out and cover with the Earthen Pan again and let it stand until the next morning and then take the Retort and the Recipient again from the Furnace or out of the Sand and wipe your Mercury again with a Feather out of the Neck of the Retort into the other Mercury in the Recipient and scrape again with your crooked Iron your Gold out of the Retort as you did before and put it again into your Glass Morter observe you shall distil so that the Argent vive go from the Gold and that not any Mercury may be found nor be seen by your Gold which remaineth at the bottom of the Retort And then take your Glass Pestel and Powder again your Gold very
your finest Silver made to fine Powder two parts put every metal by it self into a Glass power upon each your Astrum Mercurii that it may go over it one finger breadth and stop each Glass very close and let it stand in a warm place for eight days together and your Gold and Silver will be almost dissolved into Water then powr off the Water every one by it self in a Glass and power more Water to the Gold and Silver which did remain and let it stand eight days in a warm place and then powr your Waters off to your former Waters and all your Gold and Silver will be dissolved into Water and there will remain some faeces then take of both these Waters of each the fourth part and put them together in a Bolt-head that no more of the Bolt-head be empty then three parts and Seal your Bolt-head or melt your Bolt-head mouth very close and put your Bolt-head into an Athanor with your matter into a continual warm heat until it do come to a fixed red Stone or Powder before it do come to a red Powder will appear in your Bolt-head many Colours as black green yellow and red and when it is red and a Powder then take your Bolt-head and bury it in a Sand Copel very deep and give by degrees Fire and at last a very strong Fire and it will melt as Wax and let it stand one whole week or the longer the better then take it out and let it cool and break your Glass and you will find a fixt Stone or Powder as red as Scarlet I did give you Charge that you should keep three parts of your Gold and Silver which was dissolved into Water put both these Waters together in a Retort distil them and both the Gold and Silver will go with the Water over through the Retort with which Water you shall multiply your Medicine Now take one part of your Medicine made into fine Powder and put it into a little Bolt-head and poure upon it twice as much of your Water as of Gold and Silver and Seal it again and set it into your Athanor again until it do come into a red Powder and then put it again into the Sand for to give him the Fixation that he may melt like Wax Upon such a way you may multiply your Medicine ad Infinitum and your Powder will dissolve in any Liquor Now as to make your Astrum Horizontale or your Golden fixt Praecipitate Take the Gold that remaineth over in the working of your Praecipiolum and make it into a Powder dissolve it in your Astrum Mercurii as much as you will distil through the Retort once or twice and your Gold will go over along with your Water and will never be separated one from the other they are both of one Nature Now take your Praecipiolum which is made dry I do not mean your Praecipiolum which is made already dry to a Medicine put it into a little Glass Cucurbit and pour upon it your Golden Astrum Mercurii and distil it from it three or four times very slowly and at last very strong and your Praecipiolum will be red and fixed if you will you may do the same with Mercury purged it will fix the same to a red Powder and you may do this work with Silver and with your Praecipiolum or Argentum vivum purgatum No man can find out all those Secrets which are hidden in this Philosophical Menstruum The Oyl of Gold Take one part of Gold five or six parts of the best Mercury mix them both together and then distil the Mercury from the Gold and then mix the same Mercury again with the Gold and this continue until your Gold will not mix with your Mercury then take the Gold and grind it and put it into a clean Crusible and Calcine it till it be almost red-hot and then extinguish your Gold in the best rectified Spirit of Vineger when it is extinguished pour off your Vineger from the Gold make your Gold dry and then make it hot again then again extinguish it in your former Vineger and this repeat five or six times and then take your Gold and make it dry and Amalgame it again with the aforementioned Mercury and distil it again as at the first and this do so long until the Gold will not mix with your Mercury and then Calcine your Gold again and extinguish it in the former Vineger five or six times if your Vineger decay or waste you may add to it some more fresh Vineger And this you may continue until you think there is no strength left in your Mercury Then you must take fresh Mercury and go to work as before and so continue till you think you have enough from the Gold Then take your Vineger which is impregnated with the whole Essence of Gold Evaporate it or distil it very softly off and it will lye at the bottom like a yellow Salt which you shall dissolve in fair distilled Rain Water filter it and evaporate it again softly and then put it into a little Retort and place it in Sand with an indifferent large Receiver for it and give a Fire by degrees and it will come over in a white Spirit like Smoak and then it will come over red like Saffron and when it is resolved into a red Liquor let the Fire go out and keep it for use the Dose is three or four drops This is saith the Author one of the greatest Medicines under the Sun and you can hardly get a better Three drops are able to extinguish any sickness and in this Oyl of Gold is the greatest Secret of Nature With this Liquor Reymond Lully figureth Mercury in Exenterata Natura These Processes was by a German given to Mr. Richard Pratt who lived some time in Hantshire and cured the German of a Sickness for which Kindness the German gave him these Processes protesting that they were some of Van-Helmonts and Mr. Pratt gave them to Mr. Yalden minister of Compton near Godlyman in Surry who sent them to Dr. Salmon to Print which he neglecting some Years they were sent with Dr. Antonies's Recipe of his Aurum potabile to William Cooper to Print for the benefit of the Publick and since I receiv'd them I find Dr. Salmon hath newly Printed them in his Doron Medicum called Liquor Aureus Lib. 2 d. Book 11. Sect. 2. page 520 to 523. As for the Electrum minerale Immaturum which he calls Idea vide Doron lib. 1. Cap. 27. page 315. to 326. But so very much mangled and altered by putting in feigned Names when indeed he receiv'd all of them in their proper known Names as you have them here Printed one purpose to prevent mens being deceived for Mr. Yalden is a Man of so Christian a Temper that he thirsteth to do all the good he could in this World the Truth hereof his poor Parishioners and Neighbours will sufficiently testifie Therefore to undeceive the World and to save men from false Broyleries and Chargeable Expenses I have here Printed the true Copy as Mr. Yalden sent it to me W. C. B. FINIS