the flowers of Jasmin Honey-suckles or Woodbine Violets Lillies c. retain the smell of their flowers The reason why these flowers in the common way of distillation yeeld a water of no fragrancie at all although they themselves are very odoriforous are either because if a stronger fire be made in the distilling of them the grosser and more earthy spirit cometh out with the finer and troubleth it as it is in case the flowers be crushed or bruised where the odour upâ—â— the same account is lost or because the odoriferous spirit thereof being thin and very subtle riseth with a gentle heat but for lack of body vapours away The aâ—â—therefore that is here required is to prevent the mixtion of the grosser spirit with the finer and to give such a body to the finer that shall not embase it and it is thus Take of either of the aforesaid flowers gathered fresh and at noon in a fair day let them not at all be bruised Infuse a handfull of them in two quarts of White-wine which must be very good or else you labour in vain for the space of half an hour then take them forth and infuse in the same wine the same quantity of fresh flowers this do eight or ten times but still remember that they be not infused above half an hour for according to the rule of infusion a short stay of the body that hath a fine spirit in the liquor receiveth the spirit but a longer stay confoundeth it because it draweth forth the earthy part withall which destroyeth the finer then distill this liquor all the flowers being first taken out in a glass gourd in a very gentle Balneo or over a vapour of hot water the joints of the glass being very well closed and thou shalt have a water of a most fragrant odour By this means the spirit of the wine which serves to body the fine odoriferous spirit of the flowers ariseth as soon as the fine spirit it self without any earthiness mixed with it Note that in defect of Wine Aqua vitae will serve also strong beer but not altogether so well because there is more gross earthiness in it then in wine The water of either of these flowers is a most fragrant perfume and may be used as a very delicate sweet water and is no small secret A Furnace with his vessels to distil liquors with the steam of boyling water A Shews the head of the Alembick B The body thereof placed in a brasse vessel made for that purpose C A brasse vessel perforated in many places to receive the vapor of the water This vessel shal contain the Alembick compassed about with sawdust not only that it may the better and longer retain the heat of the vapour but also lest it should be broken by the hard touch of the brazen vessel D Shews the brasse vessel containing the water as it is placed in the Furnace E The Furnace containing the vessel F A Funnel by which you may now and then pour in water in stead of that which is vanisht and dissipated by the heat of the fire G The Receiver The delineation of a Baln Mâ—r. which may also serve to distill with ashes A Shews the Furnace with the hole to take forth the ashes B Shews another furnace as it were set in the other now it is of brass runs through the midst of the kettle made also of brass that so the contained water or ashes may be the more easily â—eated C The kettle wherein the water ashes or sand are contained D The Alembick set in the water ashes or sand with the mouths of the receivers E The bottome of the second brass Furnace whose top is marked with B which contains the fire A water out of Berries is made thus TAke of what Berries you please being full ripe put them into a gourd glass strewing upon them a good quantity of powdered sugar cover them close let them stand three weeks or a month then distill them in Balneo After this manner Strawberries Raspberries Elderberries and black Cherries may be distilled But note that such as have stones must first be bruised together with their stones A sweating water made of Elderberries TAke of Elder berries as many as you please press out the juice thereof to every gallon thereof put a pint of White-wine vinegar of the lees of Whitewine a pint let them stand in a wooden vessell which thou must then set in some warm place near the fire side for the space of a week then distill them in a hot Still or Alembick The Furnace for a Balneum Mariae with the Alembicks and their reâ—eivers A Shews the brass Kettle full of water B The cover of the Kettle perforated in two places to give passage forth to the Vessels C A Pipe or Chimney added to the Kettle wherein the fire is contained to heat the water D The Alembick consisting of its body and head E the Receiver whereinto the distilled liquor runs The effigies of another Baln Mar. not so easie to be removed as the former A Shews the vessell or Copper that contains the water B The Alembick set in water But lest the bottom of the Alembick being half ful should float up and down in the water and so strike against the sides of the Kettle I have thought good to shew you the way and means to prevent that danger A Shews the vessel or glass Alembick B A plate of lead whereon it stands C Strings that bind the Alembick to the plate D Rings through which thestrings are put to fasten the Alembick In defect of a Furnace for a Balneum you may make use of a pot set upon a trevet after this manner An ounce or two of this water of Elder berries is a very excellent sudorifick and is very good in all diseases that require sweat as also in hydropicall diseases Water out of rotten apples is made thus TAke as many rotten apples as you please bruise them and distill them either in a common cold Still or gourd glasses in Balneo This water is of greater use in feavers and hot distempers then the common distilled waters of any cold vegetables It is very good in any hot distemper of the reines and sharpness of Urine It is very good in the inflammations of the eyes How to make Aqua vitae and spirit of Wine out of Wine TAke of what wine you please put it into a copper Still two parts of three being empty distill it with a worm untill no more spirit come off then this spirit will serve for the making of any spirits out of vegetables but if thou wouldst have it stronger distill it again and half will remain behind as an insipid flegm and if thou wouldst have it yet stronger distill it again for every distillation wil leave behind one moity of flegm or thereabouts So shalt thou have a most pure and strong spirit of wine A hot Still A Sheweth the bottome which ought to be of
some I am of the same mind with Sandivogius that that fourth Monarchy which is Northerne is dâ—â—â—ning in which as the ancient Philosophers did divine all Arts and Sciences shall flourish and greater and more things shall be discovered then in the three former These Monarchies the Philosophers reckon not according to the more potent but according to the corners of the world whereof the Northerne is the last and indeed is no other then the golden age in which all tyranny oppression envie and covetousnesse shall cease when there shall be one prince and one people abounding with love and mercy and flourishing in peace which day I earnestly expect In the mean time if what I know may adde to thy experience thou hast it freely And if I shall see that this Treatise of Distillation passe with acceptance umongst the Artists of this Nation I shall hereafter gratifie them for their good will with two other parts of Chymistrie viz. Sublimaton and Calcination and I hope this will be an occasion to set the more expert Artists on work for the communicating their experiences to the world One thing courteous Reader let me desire thee to take notice of viz. whereas every processe is set down plain yet all of them must be proceeded in secundum Artem Alchymistae which Art indeed is obtained by experience and therefore many that work according to the bare processe effect not what they intend and the reason is because there was some art of the Alchymist wanting To conclude if thou knowest more or better things then these be candid and impart them considering that I wrote these for them that know them not if not accept of the endeavours of thy Friend JOHN FRENCH What distillation is and the kinds thereof I Shall not stand here to shew whence the Art of Distillation had its originall as being a thing not easily to be proved and if known yet little conducing to our ensuing discourse But let us understand what Distillation is of which there are three principall and chief definitions or descriptions 1 Distillation is a certain Art of extracting the Liquor or the humid part of things by vertue of heat as the matter shall require being first resolved into a vapour and then condensed again by cold 2. Distillation is the art of extracting the spirituall and essential humidity from the flegmatick or of the flegmatick from the spirituall 3 Distillation is the changing of grosse thick bodies into a thinner and liquid substance or separation of the pure liquor from the impure feces I shall treat of Distillation according to all these three acceptions and no otherwise hence I shall exclude Sublimation and Calcination which are of dry substances unlesse I shall by the way make use of either in relation to the perfecting of any kind of Distillation Now because all or most of these distillations are to be performed by heat it will be necessary to understand how many degrees of heat there are and which are convenient for every operation and they are principally four The first is only a warmth as is that of horse dung of the Sun of warm water and the vapour thereof which kind of heat serves for putrefaction and digestion 2 The second is of sâ—ething water and the vapour thereof as also of ashes and serves to distill those things which are subtile and moist as also for the rectifying of any spirit or oil 3 The third is of sand and filings of iron which serves to distill things subtle and dry or grosse and moist 4 The fourth is of a naked fire close open or with a blast which serves to distill Metalls and Minerals and hard gummie things as Amber c. I do not say serves only to distill these for many of the former distillations are performed by this heat as the distilling of Spirits and Oils c. in a copper still over a naked fire but these may be distilled by the two former degrees of heat but Mineralls and such like cannot but by this fourth degree alone Of the matter and form of Furnaces THe matter of Furnaces is various for they may be made either of brick and clay or clay alone with whites of Egges hair and filings of Iron and of these if the clay be fat are made the best and most durable Furnaces or of Iron or Copper cast or forged The forms also of Furnaces are various The fittest form for Distillation is round for so the heat of the fire being carryed up equally diffuseth it self every way which happens not in a Furnace of another figure as four square or triangular for the corners disperse and separate the force of the fire Their magnitude must be such as shal be fit for the receiving of the vessel their thicknesse so great as necessity shall seem to require only thus much observe that if they be made of forged iron or copper they must be coated within side especially if you intend to use them for a strong fire They must be madewith two bottomes distinguisht as it were into two forges the one below which may receive the ashes the other above to contain the fire The bottom of this upper must either be an iron grate or else an Iron plate perforated with many holes that so the ashes may the more easily fall down into the bottome which otherwise would putâ—out the fire Yet some Furnaces have three partitions as the Furnace for Reverberation and the Register Furnace In the first and lowest the ashes are received in the second the fire is put and in the third of the Furnace for Reverberation the matter which is to be reverberated This third ought to have a semi-circular cover that so the heat may be reflected upon the contained matter The bottome of the third and uppermost partition of the Register Furnace must be either a plate of iron or a smooth stone perforated with holes having stopples of stone fitted thereunto which you may take out or put in as you would have the heat increased or decreased In the top or upper part of all these Furnaces where it shal seem most fit there must be two or three holes made that by them the smoak may more freely pass out and the air let in to make the fire burn the stronger if need require or else which are to be shut with stopples made fit to them The mouths of the fore-mentioned partitions must have shutters just like an Ovens mouth with which you may shut them close or leave them open if you would have the fire burn stronger But in defect of a Furnace or fit matter to make one we may use a Kettle or a Pot set upon a Trevet as we shall shew when we come to give you a description of the Furnace and Vessels The truth is a good Artist will make any shift yea and in half a dayes time make a Furnace or something equivalent to it for any operations Of Vessels fit for distillation VEssels for Distillation
is the extracting of the humid part of things by vertue of heat being first resolved into a vapour and then condensed again by cold Thus it is generally taken but how more particularly I shall afterward shew Digestion is a concocting or maturation of crude things by an easie and gentle heat Dissolution is the turning of bodies into a liquor by the addition of some humidity Dulcoration or Dulcification is either the washing off the salt from any matter that was calcined therewith with warm water in which the salt is dissolved and the matter dulcified or it is sweetning of things with sugar or honey or syrup E. Elevation is the rising of any matter in manner of fume or vapour by virtue of heat Evaporation or Exhalation is the vapouring away of any moisture Exaltation is when any matter doth by digestion attain to a greater purity Expression is the extracting of any liquor by the hand or by a Presse Extraction is the drawing forth of an essence from a corporeall matter by some fit liquor as spirit of wine the feces remaining in the bottome F. Fermentation is when any thing is resolved into it self and is rarified and ripened whether it be done by any ferment added to it or by digestion only Filtration is the separation of any liquid matter from its feces by making it run through a brown paper made like a tunnell or a little bag of woollen cloth or through shreds Fixation is the making of any volatile spiritual body endure the fire and not flye away whether it be done by often reiterated distillations or sublimations or by the adding of some fixing thing to it Fumigation is the calcining of bodies by the fume of sharp spirits whether vegetable or minerall the bodies being laid over the mouth of the vessell wherein the sharp spirits are H. Hamectation or Irrigation is a sprinkling of moisture upon any thing I. Imbibition is when any dry body drinks in any moisture that is put upon it Impregnation is when any dry body hath drank in so much moisture that it will admit of no more Incorporation is a mixtion of a dry and moist body together so as to make an uniform masse of them Infusion is the putting of any hard matter into liquor for the virtue thereof to be extracted Insolation is the digesting of things in the Sun L. Levigation is the reducing of any hard matter into a most fine powder Liquation is a melting or making any thing fluid Lutation is either the stopping of the orifices of vessels that no vapour passe out or the coating of any vessell to preserve it â—rom breaking in the fire M. Maceration is the same as Digestion Maturation is the exalting of a substance that is immature and crude to be ripened and concocted Menstruum is any Liquor that serves for the extracting the essence of any thing P. Precipitation is when bodies corroded by corrosive spirits either by the evaporating of the spirits remain in the bottome or by pouring something upon the spirit as oil of Tartar or a good quantity of water do fall to the bottom Purification is a separation of any Liquor from its â—eces whether it be done by clarification filtration or digestion Putrefaction is the resolution of a mixt body into it self by a naturall gentle heat Q. Quintessence is an absolute pure and well digested medicine drawn from any substance either animall vegetable or minerall R. Rectification is either the drawing of the flegm from the spirit or of the spirit from the flegm or the exaltation of any Liquor by a reiterated distillation Reverberation is the reducing of bodies into a Calx by a reflecting flame S. Solution is a dissolving or attenuating of bodies Stratification is a strewing of corroding powder on plates of metall by course Sublimation is an elevating or raising of the matter to the upper part of the vessell by way of a subtle powder Subtiliation is the turning of a body into a Liquor or into a fine powder T. Transmutation is the changing of a thing in substance colour and quality V. Volatile is that which flyeth the fire Rules to be considered in Distillation 1. Make choice of a fit place in your house for the furnace so that it may neither hinder any thing nor be in danger of the falling of any thing into it that shall lye over it for a forcing Furnace it will be best to set it in a chimney because a strong heat is used to it and many times there are used brands which will smoak and the fire being great the danger thereof may be prevented and of things of a maligne and venenate qualitie being distilled in such a Furnace the fume or vapour if the glass should break may be carryed up into the chimney which otherwise will flye about the room to thy prejudice 2. In all kinds of Distillation the vessels are not to be filled too full for if you distill Liquors they will run over if other solider things the one part will be burnt before the other part be at all worked upon but fill the fourth part of Gourds the half of Retorts the third part of copper vessels and in rectifying of spirits fill the vessell half full 3. Let those things which are flatulent as wax rosin and such like as also those things which do easily boil up as honey be put in a lesser quantity and be distilled in greater vessels with the addition of salt sand or such like 4. There be some things which require a strong fire yet you must have a care that the fire be not too vehement for fear their nature should be destroyed 5. You must have a care that the lute with which vessels are closed do not give vent and alter the nature of the Liquor especially when a strong fire is to be used 6. Acid Liquors have this peculiar property that the weaker part goes forth first and the stronger last but in fermented and Liquors the spirit goeth first then the flegme 7. If the Liquor retain a certain Empyreuma or smatch of the fire thou shalt help it by putting it into a glass close stopt and so exposing it to the heat of the Sun and now and then opening the glass that the fiery impression may exhale or else let the glass stand in a cold moist place 8. When you put water into a seething-Balneum wherein there are glasses let it be hot or else thou wilt endanger the breaking of the glasses 9. When thou takest an earthen or glass vessel from the fire expose it not to the cold air too suddenly for fear it should break 10. If thou wouldst have a Balneum as hot as ashes put sand or sawdust into it that the heat of the water may be therewith kept in and made more intense 11. If you would make a heat with horse-dung the manner is this viz. make a hole in the ground then lay one course of horse dung a foot thick then a course of
After this manner may be made the spirit of Herbs Flowers the Roots of Vegetables the Seeds of Vegetables Berries Barks Rinds and Spices Note that the Hearbs and Flowers must be cut small the rest bruised If you would make it stronger then take all the foresaid spirit and as much more Sack or low Wines and put them upon the same quantity of fresh vegetables and distil them repeat this three or four times if thou pleasest Note also that the Vegetable must be dryed because else the spirit will not be so good as if otherwise The form of an Alembick A Signifies the vessel which must be of Copper in which the mâ—â—â— is contained and which o◠〈◊〉 be set over a naked fire B Signifies the belly that is fastned to the Neck that the Neck may the more commodiously be applyed to the large mouth of the vessel But it may be so ordered that the mouth of the upper vessell and lower vessel may be so fitted that they shall not need this Belly C The long Neck of the upper vessel whereby the spirit or water passing is somewhat cooled D The head E The vessel that compasseth the head into which cold water is centinually poured after the heating F The long receiver G The top or Cock letting out the water when it is hot The Spirit of any vegetable may suddenly at any time of the year be made thus Take of what Hearb Flower Seeds or Roots you please Fil the head of the Stil therewith then cover the mouth thereof with a course Canvas and set it on the Stil having first put into it sack or low Wines Then give it fire If at any time thou wouldst have the spirt be of the colour of its vegetable then put of the flowers thereof dryed a good quantity in the nose of the Still To make any vegetable yeeld its spirit quickly Take of what vegetables you please whether it be the seed flower root fruit or leaves thereof cut or bruise them small then put them into warm water put yest or balm to them and cover them warm and let them work three days as doth Beer then distill them and they will yeeld their spirit easily To reduce the whole 〈◊〉 into a liquor which may wel be called the Essence thereof Take the whole Hearb with flowers and roots make it very clean then bruise it in a stone Morter put it into a large glass vessel so that two parts of three may be empty then cover it exceeding close and let it stand in putrefaction in a moderate heat the space of half a year and it will be all turned into a water To make an Essence of any Hearb which being put into a glass and held over a gentle fire the lively form and Idea of the Hearb wil appear in the Glass Take the foregoing water and distill it in a gourd glass the joints being well closed in ashes and there will come forth a Water and an Oil and in the upper part of the vessel wil hang a volatile salt The oil separate from the water and keep by it self with the water purifie the volatile salt by dissolving filtring and coagulating The salt being thus purified imbibe with the said oil untill it will imbibe no more digest them wel together for a month in a vessell hermetically sealed And by this means you shall have a most subtill essence which being held over a gentle heat will fly up into the glass and represent the perfect Idea of that vegetable whereof it is the essence The true Essence or rather Quintessence of any Hearb is made thus When thou hast made the water and oil of any vegetable first calcine i. e. burn to ashes the remainder of the Hearb with the ashes make a Lye by pouring its own water thereon when thou hast drawn out all the strength of the ashes then take 〈◊〉 the Lye being first filtred and vapour it away and at the bottome thou shalt find a black salt which thou must take and put into a Crucible and melt it in a strong fire covering the Crucible all the time it is melting after it is melted let it boil half an hour or more then take it out and beat it small and set it in a cellar on a Marble stone or in a broad glass and it wil all be resolved into a Liquor this Liquor filter and vapour away the humidity till it be very dry and as white as snow Then let this salt imbibe as much of the oil of the same vegetable as it can but no more lest thou labour in vain Then digest them together till the oil will not rise from the Salt but both become a fixed powder melting with an easie heat To extract the Quintessence of all Vegetables Take of what spices flowers seeds hearbs woods you please put them into rectified spirit of Wine let the spirit extract in digestion till no more feces fal to the bottome but all their essence is gone into the spirit of Wine upon which being thus impregnated pour a strong spirit of salt and digest it in Balneo till an oil swim above which separate with a Tunnell or draw off the spirit of Wine in Balneo and the oil will remain clear at the bottom but before the spirit of Wine is abstracted the oil is bloud red and a true Quintessence An excellent Essence of any Vegetable may be made thus Take of the distilled oil of any vegetable with it imbibe the best Manna being very well depurated untill it will imbibe no more then digest them a month and thou shalt have the true balsome and excellent Essence of any vegetable This hath the vertues of the vegetable whereof it was made but in a more eminent manner The depuration of Manna for this use is a great secret Water or Spirit of Manna is made thus Take of the best Manna one part of Nitre two parts put them into an Ox bladder and tying it close put it into warm water to be dissolved Distill this water in an Alembick and there will come forth an insipid water sudorificall and laxative The Chimicall Oil of the Hearb or Flower of any Vegetable is made thus Take of the Hearb or Flower dryed one pound of Spring water twenty four pints distill them in a great Alembick with its cooler or Gopper Stil with a worm passing through a vessel of cold water Let the oil that is drawn with the water be separated with a Tunnell or separating glass and let the water that is separated be kept for a new Distillation Note that if this water be used two or three times in the drawing of the oil it will be an excellent water of that vegetable from which it is distilled and as good as most that shal be drawn any other way After the same manner are made oil of the dry rinds of Orenges Citrons Lemons But note that these Rinds must be fresh and the inward whiteness being separated be bruised The Oil
commonly called the spirit of Roses Take of Damask or Red Roses being fresh as many as you please infuse them in as much warm water as is sufficient for the space of twenty four hours Then strain and press them and repeat the infusion severall times with pressing untill the liquor become fully impregnated which then must be distilled in an Alembick with a refrigeratory or Copper Still with a worm let the spirit which swims on the water be separated and the water kept for a new infâ—sion This kind of spirit may be made by bruising the Roses with Salt or laying a lane of Roses and another of Salt and so keeping them half a year or more which then must be distilled in as much common water or Rose water as is sufficient Oils are made out of seeds thus Take of what seeds you please bruised two pound of spring water twenty pints let them be macerated for the space of 24. hours and then be distilled in a copper Still with a worm or Alembick with its refrigerating The oil extracted with the water being separated with a tunnell keep the water for a new Distillation This Water after three or four distillations is a very excellent water and better then is drawn any way out of that vegetable whereof these are seeds I mean for vertue though not always for smell After the same manner are made oils out of spices and aromaticall woods Oils are made out of Berries thus Take of what Berries you please being fresh 25. pound bruise them and put them into a wooden vessell with 12 pints of spring water and a pound of the strongest leaven let them be put in a cellar the vessel being close stopped for the space of three months then let them be distilled in an Alembick or copper Still with their refrigeratory with as much spring water as is sufficient After the separation of the oil let the water be kept for a new distillation Note that the water being used in two or three Distillations is a very excellent water and full of the vertue of the Berries Oil is made out of any solid Wood thus Take of what Wood you please made into gross powder as much as you will let it be put into a Retort and distilled in sand The oil which first distils as being the thinner and sweeter must be kept apart which with rectifying with much water may yet be made more pleasant the acid water or spirit which in distilling comes first forth being separated which also being rectified from the flegm with the heat of a Balneum may be kept for use being full of the vertue of the wood After the same manner are made the oil and spirit of Tartar but thus much note that both are more pure and pleasant being made out of the Crystals then out of the crude Tartar To make a most excellent oil out of any Wood or Gummes in a short time without much cost Take of what Wood you please or Gumme bruised small put it into a vessel fit for it then pour on so much of spirit of salt as will cover your matter then set it in sand with an Alembick make the spirit boil so all the oil flyeth over with a little flegm for the spirit of salt by its sharpnesse freeth the oil so that it flyeth over very easily The spirit of salt being rectified may serve again To make vegetables yeeld their oil easily Distill them being first bruised in salt water for salt freeth the oil from its body Let them first be macerated three or four days in the said water Oil or Spirit of Turpentine is made thus Take of Venice Turpentine as much as you please of spring water four times as much let them be put into an Alembick or copper Still with its refrigeratory then put fire under it so there will distil a thin white oil like water and in the bottom of the vessel wil remain a hard gum called Colophonia which is called boiled Turpentine That white oil may be better and freer from the smell of the fire if it be drawn in Balneo with a gourd and glass head Common oil Olive may be distilled after this manner and be made very pleasant and sweet also most unctious things as Sperma ceti Oil of Gums Refines fat and oily things may be drawn thus Take of either of these which you please being melted a pound mix it with three pound of the powder of tiles or unslaked lime put them into a Retort and extract an oil which with plenty of water may be rectified Note that the water from whence the oil is separated is of excellent vertue according to the nature of the matter from whence it is drawn Oil of Camphire is made thus Take of Camphire sliced thin as much as you please put it into a double quantity of Aqua fortis or spirit of Wine let the glasse having a narrow neck be set by the fire or on sand or ashes the space of five or six hours shaking the glasse every half hour and the Camphire will all be dissolved and swim on the Aqua fortis or spirit of Wine like an oil Note that if you separate it it will all be hard agâ—in presently but not otherwise Another way to make Oile of Camphire that it shall not be reduced again Take of Camphire powdered as much as you please put it into a glass like a Urinal put upon it another Urinal-glass inverted the joints being close shut sublime it in ashes inverting those Urinals so often till the Camphire be turned into an oil then circulate it for the space of a month and it wil be so subtle that it will all presently vapour away in the air if the glass be open Another way to make oil of Camphire Take two ounces of Camphire dissolve it in four ounces or pure oil olive then put them into four pints of fair water distiâ— them all together in a glass gourd either in ashes or Balneo and there will distil both water and oil which separate and keep by it self All these kinds of oil of Camphire are very good against putrefaction fits of the Mother passions of the heart c. A few drops thereof may be taken in any liquor or the brest be anointed therewith Also the fume thereof may be taken in at the mouth A true Oil of Sugar Take of the best white Sugar-candie imbibe it with the best spirit of Wine ten times after every time drying it again then hang it in a white silken bag in a moist cellar over a glass vessell that it may dissolve and drop into it Evaporate the water in Balneo and in the bottome will the oil remain This is very excellent in all distempers of the Lungs Oil of Amber is made thus Take of yellow Amber one part of the powder of flints calcined or the powder of tiles two parts mingle them and put them into a Retort and distill them in sand The oil which is
rectified Spirit of Wine three pints Let them be digested in a Glass two parts of three being empty stopt close with a bladder and Cork two dayes in warm ashes then distill the spirit in Balneo and keep it in a glass close stopt If you would make it stronger take a pint of this spirit and an ounce of the powder of Castoreum put them into a glasse and digest them into a cold place for the space of ten dayes and then strain out the Spirit This spirit is very good against fits of the Mother passions of the heart which arise from vapours c. Bezoard water is made thus Take of the leaves of the greater Sallandine together with the roots thereof three handfuls and a half Rue two handfuls Scordium four handfull Dittany of Crete Carduus of each a handfull and half Root of Zedoary Angelica of each three drams The outward rind of Citrons Lemmons of each six drams The flower of Wall-gilly-flower an ounce and half Red Roses the lesser Centory of each two drams Cinnamon Cloves of each three drams Andromachus his Treacle three ounces Mithridate an ounce and half Camphire two scruples Trochisces of Vipers two ounces Mace two drams Lignum aloes half an ounce Yellow Sanders a dram and half The seeds of Carduus an ounce Citron six drams Cut those things that are to be cut and let them be macerated three days in the best Spirit of Wine and Muscadine of each three pints and half vinegar of Wall gilly-flowers and the juice of Lemmons of each a pint let them be distilled in a glazed vessell in Balneo After half the Liquor is distilled off let that which remains in the vessell be strained through a linnen cloth and vapoured away to the thickness of honey which may be called A Bezoard Extract This water is a great Cordial and good against any infection To make a specificall Sudorifick Take of Ginger a pound long Pepper and black Pepper of each half an ounce of Cardamums three drams of Grains an ounce powder them and put them into a glass with half an ounce of the best Camphire distilled vinegar two pound digest them a month then separate the vinegar by expression which must putrefie a month and then be circulated for the space of a week then filter it and thou hast as powerfull a Sudorifick as ever was or can be made The dose is from a dram to half an ounce and to be drank in a draught of posset-drink Treacle-water is made thus Take of the juice of the green shales of Walnuts four pound the juice of Rue three pints Carduus Marygold Balm of each two pints the root of Butter-burre fresh a pound and half Burre Angelica Master-wort fresh of each half a pound the leaves of Scordium four handfull old Andromachus treacle Mithridate of each eight ounces the best Canary twelve pints the sharpest Vinegar six pints the juice of Lemmons two pints Digest them two days in horse dung the vessell being close stopped then distill them in sand Aqua Mariae is made thus Take of Sugar candid one pound Canarie Wine six ounces Rose water four ounces Make of these a Syrup and boil it well to which adde of Aqua Imperialis two pints Amber gryse Musk of each eighteen grains Saffron fifteen grains yellow Sanders infused in Aqua Imperialis two drams The Mother water commonly called Hystericall water is made thus Take of the juice of the root of Briony four pound the leaves of Rue Mugwort of each two pound Savin dryed three handfull Mother-wort Nippe Penny-royall of each two handfull Garden basill Cretensian Dittany of each a handfull and half the rind of yellow Oranges fresh four ounces Myrrhe two ounces Castoreum an ounce the best Canary wine twelve pints Let them be digested four dayes in a fit vessell then distill them in Balneo A vomiting water is made thus Take of the best Tobacco in leaves cut small four ounces Squils two ounces Nutmegs sliced half an ounce put these into three pints of spring water a pint of White wine vinegar distill them in a hot Still or Alembick If thou wouldst have it stronger thou mayest put this water on fresh ingredients and distill it again A little quantity of this water is a most safe and effectuall vomit and may be taken from the eldest to the youngest if so be you proportion the quantity to the strength of the Patient You may dulcifie it with sugar or syrup if you please A vomiting Water made by Platerus Take green Walnuts gathered about Midsummer Radish roots of each bruised two parts of distilled Wine vinegar four parts digest them five dayes then distill them in Balneo This being taken to the quantity of two spoonfull or three causeth easie Vomiting A distilled water that purgeth without any pain or griping Take of Scammony an ounce Hermodactyls two ounces the seeds of Broom of the lesser Spurge of Dwarf Elder of each half an ounce the juice of Dwarf Elder of wild Asses cucumber of black Hellebore the fresh flower of Elder of each an ounce and half Polypodium 6 ounces of Sene 3 ounces Red sugar 8 ounces common distilled Water 6 pints Let all these be bruised and infused in the water 24 hours then be distilled in Balneo This water may be given from 2 drams to 3 ounces and it purgeth all manner of humours opens all obstructions and is pleasant to be taken and they whose stomachs loath all other physick may take this without any offence After it is distilled there may be hanged a little bag of Spices in it as also it may be sweetned with sugar or any opening syrup A specificall Liquor against the tooth-ach Take of oil of Cloves well rectified half an ounce in it dissolve half a dram of Camphire adde to them of the Spirit of Turpentine four times rectified in which half a dram of Opium hath been infused half an ounce A drop or two of this Liquor put into a hollow tooth with some lint easeth the tooth-ach presently Of MINERALS BOOK III. Spirit of Salt is made thus TAke of the best Bay-salt as much as you please let it be dissolved in spring water and filtred mix with this brine in a Copper vessell of the powder of Bricks or Tiles twice or thrice as much as the Salt before its dissolution was in weight let the water vapour away over the fire continually stirring of it untill it be dry Then put this powder into a glass Retort well luted or an earthen Retort and put it into a Furnace a large Receiver joined to it according to art then give fire to it by degrees untill it will bear an open fire for the space of 12 hours Thou shalt have a very acid oil or spirit in the Receiver That Liquor being put into a little Retort in sand may be rectified by the vapouring away of the flegm then keep it for use in a glass very well stopt that no air goe in Spirit of Salt
is very good in Feavers putrid also in Hydropicall A Retort and its Receiver before they be set on work A Retort with its Receiver set on work Oil or Spirit of Salt may also be made after this manner Take one part of Salt and three parts of powder of Bricks or Tiles and mix them together and put them into a Retort either of glass or earth to which put fire as before After this manner you may make oil or spirit of Nitre Salt Gem Alum Note that these Salts must first be calcined which is done by exhaling their flegm To turn Salt-peter into a water by a meer digestion Take of Salt-peter powdered very small with it fill the fourth part of a Bolt-head close it well and let it stand in the heat of ashes or sand the space of six weeks and you shall see good part of it turned into water continue it in the said heat til it be all dissolved This is of incomparable use in Feavers and against Worms or any putrefaction in the body and indeed a most rare secret Spirit of Salt-Armoniack Dissolve Salt-Armoniack in distilled spirit of Urine over a moderate heat in this spirit let Bricks beaten into small pieces and made red hot be quenched till they have imbibed all the water then make Distillation in a Retort in sand or in a naked fire This spirit is of greater strength then that is of other Salts Oil or Spirit of Vitriall is made thus Take of Hungarian or the best English Vitrial as much as you please let it be melted in an earthen vessell glazed with a soft fire that all the moisture may exhale continually stirring of it untill it be brought into a yellow powder which must be put into a glasse Retort well luted or an earthen Retort that will endure the fire Fit a large Receiver to the Retort and close the joints wel together then give it fire by degrees till the second day then make the strongest heat you can til the Receiver which before was dark with fumes be clear again let the Liquor that is distilled off be put into a little Retort and the flegm be drawn off in sand so will the oil be rectified which is most strong and ponderous and must be kept by it self Many call that flegm which is drawn off in rectifying the spirit of Vitriall This oil or spirit is very excellent in putrid Feavers resisting putrefaction also it opens all obstructions and is very diureticall A red and heavie oil of Vitrial Take of calcined Vitriall one part flints grossely powdered two parts of these with spirit of wine make a Paste distill it in a Retort and there will come forth a red heavy oil This is to be used rather about metals then in the body only if the scurfe on the head be annointed therewith two or three times in a week it will fall off and the head be cured To dulcifie the Spirit of Vitriall and of Salt Take the spirit of Vitriall or of Salt the best spirit of wine of each half a pound distill them in a Retort together three or four times and they will be united inseparably and become sweet Some put 8 ounces of the best Sugar-candie to these Spirits before they be thus distilled Ten or twenty drops of this compound spirit being taken in any appropriated Liquor is very good in any putrid or Epidemicall disease Gilla Theophrasti or a most-delicate vomiting Liquor made of Vitriall Take of Crystals made out of Copper or Iron dissolve them in the acid flegm that first comes forth in the distilling of common Vitriall circulate them eight days This Liquor must be taken in wine and it causes vomiting instantly and is most excellent to cleanse and strengthen the stomach and to cure all such distempers that arise from thence as salt defluxions Feavers Worms Head-ach and Vertigoes the Hystericall passion and such like The Dose is from a scruple to two scruples Oil of Sulphur per Campanam Take a large iron vessel like a platter over it hang a glass bell that hath a nose like the head of a cold stil fil the lower vessel being narrower then the compass of the bell or head with brim-stone or sulphur inflame it so will the fume which ariseth from thence be condensed in the bell into a Liquor which will drop down through the nose into the Receiver If in stead of this broad vessell you take a large crucible and mâ—â—t in it Salt-peter and cast Sulphur upon it thus meked you shall make a great deal quicker dispatch This spirit is of the same nature and hath the same operations as oil of Vitriall The Oil of Sulphur is made after a more Philosophicall manner thus Take of crude Sulphur as much as you please put it into a melting vessell to be dissolved over the fire being dissolved pour it forth into seething hot water this done ten or more times remembring that the water must be always seething hot and thou shalt see that the Sulphur will be like butter then put it into a Retort pouring on it the best spirit of Wine then distilling it with a soft fire and there will come forth an oil of a golden colour of a good taste and smell which is the true Balsome of Sulphur The oil that swims on the spirit must be separated This oil for the cure of all distempers of the Lungs for all Feavers whether putrid or pestilentiall and the cure of wounds and Ulcers is scarce to be equalled The Essence of Sulphur Take of Sulphur vivum as much as you please dissolve it as well as you can in Aqua fortis made of Vitriall and Salt-peter then evaporate the Aqua fortis and then reverberate the matter till it become very red Extract the tincture with spirit of Wine then digest them till the essence be separated from the spirit like an oil and sink to the bottome This Essence also is of wonderfull vertue against all putrefaction both inward and outward a great preservative against the plague and is wonderfull balsamicall and cureth all sores both old and new even to admiration The oil of Arsenick is made thus Take of Crystalline Arsenick being first sublimed with Colcothar alone as much as you please mix it with an equal weight of the salt of Tartar and Salt-peter and let them be betwixt two little pots or crucibles whereof the upper hath a hole calcined untill no fume ascend The matter being thus calcined dissolve in warm water that you may draw a salt from thence the powder which fals to the bottome imbibe with the liquor of Tartar and dry it by the fire and this thou must doe three times then dissolve the matter in warm water that thou mayest draw out the Salt thereof and there will remain a most white powder and fixed which in a moist place will be dissolved into a liquid matter like oil or butter Aqua fortis or a strong Spirit that will dissolve silver and baser metals
is made thus Take of Vitriall calcined two parts of Nitre one part grind and mix them well together and put them into a glasse Retort coated or earthen Retort that will endure the fire and set them into the Furnace in an open fire and then having fitted a large Receiver distill it by degrees the space of 24 hours then rectifie the water or spirit in sand Aqua Regia or Stygia or a strong Spirit that will dissolve Gold is made thus Take of Nitre two parts Salt Armoniack one part the powder of flints three parts put them into a glass Retort coated or earthen Retort that will endure the fire distill them by degrees over a naked fire for the space of 12 hours take it out and rectifie it This water will dissolve gold Another Aqua regia is made thus Take of spirit of Nitre as much as you please put a dram of crude Nitre to every ounce of it and it will be as strong as any Aqua regia This water will dissolve gold To make a most strong and vehement Aqua fortis Take of the strongest Aqua fortis that you can get and well rectified a pound of Mercury sublimed four ounces salt Armoniack twenty ounces mix all these together Oil or Butter of Antimony is made thus Take of crude Antimony as much as you please of sublimed Mercury a like quality make them both into a very fine powder and mix them and put them into a glass Retort the neck whereof must be large Give fire by degrees in a close reverberatory or let the Distillation be made in sand There will distill into the Receiver a fatnesse part whereof sticking to the neck of the Retort will melt by a light fire being put to it That fatness may be rectified in a Retort and either be kept by it self as it is or set in a cellar or moist place and be resolved into a Liquor This oil might be washed in good store of water and then there will settle to the bottome a white powder which being oft washed in fair water till all the sharpness is gone is then called Mercurius vitae six or seven grains whereof is an excellent vomiting medicine A Furnace for a close Reverberation furnished with its Retort and Receiver A Shews the Furnace B The Retort C The Receiver D The Vessell filled with cold water How to make a water out of Antimony whereof a few drops shall purge or sweat and which hath neither smell or scarce any taste Take flowers of Antimony sublime them with salt Armoniack six or seven times then wash away the Salt with warm water and dry the powder which then lay thin on a Marble in a cellar till it be dissolved which will be in six weeks time This water if it be taken to the quantity of twenty drops will purge if in a lesser quantity it will sweat To make an oil or quintessence of Metals Dissolve what Metall or Minerall you please in a strong spirit of Salt except silver which must be dissolved in Aqua fortis draw off the flegm in Balneo pour on rectified spirit of Wine digest them so long till a red oil swim above which is the quintessence of metals and minerals and is a very great secret The true Spirit of Antimony is made thus Take of the subtile powder of the Regulus of Antimony as much as you please sublime it of it self til it wil sublime no more stil putting what is sublimed to that which remains at the bottom or with salt Armoniack six or seven times remembring that then you must dulcifie it with warm water by dissolving therewith the salt and dry the Precipitate afterwards Set this fixed powder in a cellar laying it very thin upon a marble stone and in about six weeks or two months it will all be dissolved into water which must be filtred Then evaporate part of this water and let it stand two or three dayes in the cellar to crystallize These Crystals purifie and dry Mix them with three times the quantity of the gross powder of Tiles and distill them in a Retort and there will come forth first a white spirit and then a red which you may rectifie in Balneo The true Oil or Essence of Antimony is made thus Take of the foresaid Crystals dissolve them in good rectified spirit of wine digest them two months in Balneo or horse dung then evaporate the spirit of wine and there will remain in the bottom the true oil or essence of Antimony Then take new Crystals of Antimony and let them imbibe either this oil or the foresaid spirit till they will imbibe no more then digest them two months in sand and they will become a flowing fixt salt and of excellent vertue The aforesaid spirit this oil and essence of Antimony may be equalized to Aurum potabile to all intents and purposes according to a Medicinall use especially the sixt Essence The dose is five or six grains A burning Spirit made out of Lead most fragrant and Balsamicall Take the Calx of Saturn or else Minium pour upon it so much spirit of Vinegar that may cover it four fingers breadth digest them in a warm place the space of twenty four hours often stirring them that the matter settle not too thick in the bottome then decant the Menstruum and pour on more digest it as before and this do so often untill all the saltness be extracted Filter and clarifie all the Menstruum being put together then evaporate it half away and set the other part in a cold place till it crystallize These Crystals dissolve again in fresh spirit of Vinegar filter and coagulate the Liquor again into Crystals and this doe so often untill they be sufficiently impregnated with the salt Armoniack of the Vinegar as with their proper ferment Digest them in a temperate Balneo that they may be resolved into a Liquor like oil Then distil this Liquor in sand in a Retort with a large Receiver annexed to it and well closed that no spirits evaporate together with the observation of the degrees of the fire then there wil distil forth a spirit of such a fragrant smel that the fragrancie of all flowers and compounded perfumes are not to be compared to it After Distillation when all things are cold take out and cast away the black feces which is of no use Then separate the yellow oil which swims on the top of the spirit and the bloud red oil which sinks to the bottome of it Separate the flegm from the spirit in Balneo Thou shalt by this means have a most fragrant spirit that even ravisheth the senses and so balsamical that it cures all old and new sores inward and outward and so cordiall that the dying are with admiration revived with it They that have this medicine need scarce use any other either for inward or outward griefs How to turn Quick-silver into a water without mixing any thing with it and to make thereof
even as Olive olive and not very corosive keep it from the air or else it turneth into water It is of wonderfull vertue for inward and outward griefs for it hath in it a pure golden Sulphur Common Sulphur mixed with this oil and melted in a strong fire swimmeth like water above and is transparent This oil distilled in a Retort with pure sand in a strong fire yeeldeth a spirit like fire scarce to be contained in any vessel and dissolveth all metals except silver and reduceth pure spirit of Wine into an oyl within a few days To make oyl of Talk Take of the best Talk reduced into very thin flakes make them red hot and then quench them in the strongest Lixivium that Sope-boylers use doe this fifteen times and it will become as white as snow then powder it very small and calcine it by fumigation i. e. by the fume of some very sharp spirit as of Aqua fortis or the like when it hath been thus calcined for the space of a fortnight it wil become somewhat mucilaginous then set it in any heat of putrefaction as it is for it hath imbibed enough of the sharp spirit to moisten and ferment it for the space of two months in a bolt head nipt up then evaporate the acid spirit and dulcifie it with distilled rain water After this extract what thou canst out of it with the best rectified spirit of Wine pour off the solution and evaporate the spirit of Wine and at the bottome will be a most beautiful oyl The oyl is the most glorious fucus or paint in the World To make oyl of Talk another way Take of the foresaid powder of Talk after it hath been putrefied and again dulcified as much as you please put four times as much of the best circulated oyl of Camphire to it digest them in Horse dung till all the powder be dissolved and the oyl become mucilaginous which will be within two months This is for the same use as the former There is required a great deal of pains and care and no small cost in the preparation of these oyls Oyl is made of Bole Armoniack terra sigillata and such kind of clay earths thus Take of either of those earths as much as you please break it into small pieces and put it into a Retort over a naked fire for the space of 12 hours and there will distill into the Receiver which must be large the flegm then white Spirits in a little quantity yet of a grateful taste and smel Oyl out of these kinds of earth is made better thus Take of either of these earths which you please as much as you will pour upon it distilled rain water set it in some warm place for a month or more and the oyliness will separate from its body of its own accord and swim upon the water Separate the water by a tunnel and distil the oyl with five parts of the spirit of Wine well rectified and there will come forth an oyl oyl of a golden colour swimming on the spirit which is a most excellent Balsame Spirit of unslaked Lime is made thus Take of unslaked Lime as much as thou pleasest reduce it into a subtle powder imbibe it with Spirit of Wine most highly rectified which must be pure from all its flegm or else you labour in vain as much as it can imbibe draw off the spirit of Wine with a gentle heat cohobate it 8 or 10 times so will the fiery vertue of the Lime be fortified Take of this levigated Lime 10 ounces pure salt of Tartar one ounce the feces of Tartar after the salt is extracted 11 ounces mix these well together put them into a glass Retort coated see that 2 parts of 3 be empty distill them into two Receivers the flegm into one the spirit into the other which must have a little of rectified spirit of Wine in it to receive the spirit If thou wilt separate the spirit of Wine then put fire to it and the spirit of Wine will burn away and the spirit of the Lime stay behinde which is a kind of a fixed spirit This is a very secret for the consuming the Stone in the bladder and the curing of the Gout Oyl made out of Tile-stones called the Oyl of Philosophers Take of Bricks or Tiles as many as you please break them into small pieces make them red fire hot then quench them in pure old Oyl Olive in which let them lye till they be cold then take them out and grind them very small let the powder be put in a glass Retort coated a fit Receiver being put thereto and distil off the oyl in a naked fire by degrees which being distilled off keep in a viall close stopt This oyl is wonderfull penetrating and is good against all cold distempers whatsoever The Liquor or Water of Corall is made thus Take Salt-Armoniack well purified by sublimation of red Coral finely powdered of each a like quantity sublime them so often till the Corall will no more rise up then take the Calx of Corall that remains in the bottome of the sublimatory and put it on a marble or glass in the cellar to be dissolved that which will not be dissolved sublime again and do as before till all be dissolved and so thou hast the Liquor of Corall Note that if thou wilt have the true tincture of Coral evaporate the humidity of the foresaid Liquor then extract the tincture out of the powder with spirit of Wine which spirit evaporate to the consistency of honey and thou hast a most rare medicine This medicine strengtheneth all the parts in the body and cures all distempers that arise from the weakness thereof To make a Water out of Lapis Armenus that shall have neither taste nor smell a few drops whereof shal purge Take of Lapis Armenus powdered small and calcined as much as you please sublime it with salt Armoniack until it will sublime no more but remain in the bottome of the sublimatory then take it out and lay it very thin upon a marble in a cellar and there let it lye two months and it will be almost all dissolved into a Liquor Or thus Take of Lapis Armenus powdered small and calcined as much as you please pour upon it of distilled Vinegar as much as wil cover it four fingers breadth then set it over a gentle heat stirring of it two or three times in an hour for the space of six hours or thereabouts then the spirit being tinged very blew with the powder filtre off from the feces then pour more spirit of vinegar on the feces and doe as before till the spirit be tinged no more then take all the blew spirit and vapour it away and at the bottome you shall have a salt which you must put into a calcining pot and calcine so long in the fire till no more vapour will arise and it become a dark red powder then put it upon a marble in the cellar for
together in Balneo the space of three days then put them into a Retort and distil them in sand and there will come over a water tasting of the fire let this water be distilled in Balneo and what distils off keep by it self as also what remains in the bottome which is the fire keep by it self This last distilled water pour again upon its earth and let them be macerated together in Balneo for the space of three dayes and then let all the water be distilled in sand and let what will arise be separated in Balneo and the residence remaining in the bottome be reserved with the former residence Let the water be again poured upon the earth be abstracted and separated as before untill nothing remain in the bottom which is not separated in Balneo This being done let the water which was last separated be mixed with the residue of its fire and be macerated in Balneo three or four dayes and all be distilled in Balneo that can ascend with that heat and let what remains be distilled in ashes from the fire and what shall be elevated is aeriall and what remains in the bottome is fiery These two last Liquors are ascribed to the two first principles the former to Mercury and the latter to Sulphur and are accounted by Paracelsus not as Elements but their vitall parts being as it were the natural spirits and soul which are in them by nature Now both are to be rectified and reflected into their center with a circular motion that this Mercury may be prepared with its water being kept clear and odoriferous in the upper place but the Sulphur by it self Now it remains that we look into the third principle let the reverberated earth being ground upon a marble imbibe it s owne water which did above remain after the last separation of the Liquors made in Balneo so that this be the fourth part of the weight of its earth and be congealed by the heat of ashes into its earth and let this be done so oft the proportion being observed untill the earth hath drunk up all its water And lastly let this earth be sublimed into a white powder as white as snow the feces being cast away This earth being sublimed and freed from its obscurity is the true Chaos of the Elements for it contains those things occult seeing it is the salt of nature in which they lye hid being as it were reflected in their center This is the third principle of Paracelsus and the salt which is the matrix in which the two former sperms viz. of the man and woman the parents of the Homunculus viz. of Mercury and Sulphur are to be put and to be closed up together in a glazen womb sealed with Hermes seals for the true generation of the Homunculus produced from the spagyricall Embryo and this is the Homunculus or great Arcanum otherwise called the nutritive Medicament of Paracelsus This Homunculus or nutritive Medicament is of such vertue that presently after it is taken into the body it is turned into bloud and spirits If then diseases prove mortall because they destroy the spirits what mortal disease can withstand such a medicine that doth so soon repair and so strongly fortifie the spirits as this Homunculus being as the oyl to the flame into which it is immediately turned thereby renewing the same By this Medicament therefore as diseases are overcome and expelled so also youth is renewed and gray hairs prevented An Artificiall way to make Flesh TAke of the crums of the best wheaten bread assoon as it comes forth out of the Oven being very hot as much as you please put it into a glasse vessell which you must presently hermetically close Then set it in digestion in a temperate Balneo the space of two months and it will be turned into a fibrous flesh If any Artist please to exalt it to a higher perfection according to the Rules of Art he may find out how great a nourisher and restorative Wheat is and what an excellent medicine it may make Note that there must be no other moisture put into the glass besides what is in the bread it self Paracelsus his way for the raising of a dead bird to life and for the generating many Serpents of one both which are performed by putrefaction A Bird is restored to life thus viz. Take a Bird put it alive into a gourd glasse and seal it up hermetically burn it to ashes in the third degree of fire then putrefie it in horse dung into a mucilaginous flegm and so by a continued digestion that flegm must be brought to a further maturity being taken out and put into an ovall vessell of a just bignesse to hold it by an exact digestion and will so become a renewed bird which saith Paâ—acelsus is one of the greatest wonders in Nature and shews the great vertue of putrefaction 2 Cut a Serpent into small pieces which put into a gourd glasse which you must Hermetically seal up then putrefie them in horse dung and the whole Serpent will become living again in the glasse in the form either of worms or spawne of fishes Now if these worms be in a fitting manner brought out of putrefaction and nourished many hundred Serpents will be bred out of one Serpent whereof every one will be as big as the first And as it is said of the Serpent so also many other living creatures may be raised and restored again To make an artificiall Mallago Wine First take a wine barrell well hooped and dressed with one end being open to which a close cover must be well fitted which must be to take off and put on at pleasure Set it in a warm place Winter or Summer and fill it full with clear and pure water to each three gallons put six pound of the best Mallago Raisins which you must bruise in a stone Mortar and then strow upon the water upon each twenty gallons of which you must cast a handfull of Calxvive then cover the vessell close with the cover and cast clothes upon it to keep it warm and let it stand four or five dayes to work as Wine or Beer doe when they be new then see if the Raisins be risen up to the top of the Water if so then put them down again and cover it again as before let them thus stand three weeks or a month together the Raisins being every fourth or fifth day put down in case they rise up Then put a tap into the vessell three or four fingers above the bottome and try if it be good and taste like Wine if not let it stand a while longer but if so draw it off into another wine vessell and to every twenty gallons that you have drawn off put a pint of the best Aqua vitae two new laid Hen-egs and a quart of Alligant beaten well together and let it stand in a cellar as other wine doth till it be clear and fit to be drunk To
make an artificiall Claret wine Take six gallons of water two gallons of the best Cidar put thereunto eight pound of the best Mallago Raisins bruised in a Mortar let them stand close covered in a warm place the space of a fortnight every two days stirring them well together then presse out the Raisins and put the Liquor into the said vessell again to which adde a quart of the juice of Rasp-berries and a pint of the juice of Black cherries cover this Liquor with Bread spread thick with strong Mustard the Mustard side being downward and so let it work by the fire side three or four days then tun it up and let it stand a week then bottle it up And it will taste as quick as bottle-beer and indeed become a very pleasant drink and indeed farre better and wholsomer then our common Claret An artificiall Malmsey Take two gallons of English honey put it into eight gallons of the best Spring water set these in a vessell over a gentle fire when they have boyled gently an hour take them off and when they be cold put them into a smal barrell or run let hanging in the vessell a bag of spices and set it in the cellar and in half a year you may drink thereof To make an excellent aromaticall Hyppocras Take of Cinnamon two ounces Ginger an ounce Cloves and Nutmegs of each two drams of white Pepper half a dram of Cardamums two drams of Musk Mallow seed three ounces Let all these be bruised and put into a bag and hanged in six gallons of Wine Note that you must put a weight in the bag to make it fink Some boyl these spices in Wine which they then sweeten with sugar and then let run through a Hyppocras bag and afterwards bottle it up and use when they please A single Hypocras bag or Manica Hippocratis When you would have this or any other Liquor to be very clear you may use the triple Hypocras bag for what feces passeth the first will stay in the second and what in the second will stay in the last Note that these bags must be made of white Cotton A triple Hypocras bag is only one hanging above another after this manner To make an excellent Hypocras Wine in an instant Take of Cinnamon two ounces Nurmegs Ginger of each half an ounce Cloves two drams bruise these small then mix them with as as much Spirit of Wine as will make them into a paste let them stand close covered in a glass the space of six days in a cold place then presse ouâ— the Liquor and keep it in a glass A few drops of this Liquor put into any Wine giveth it a gallant relish and odour and maketh it as good as any Hypocras whatsoever and that in an instant Note that if the Wine be of it selfe harsh it will not be amisse to sweeten it with Sugar for thereby it is made far more gratefull This also being put into Beer will make it very pleasant and aromaticall Another way to make Hypocras or to make any Wine to tast of any vegetable in an instant Take what Wine you please and according as you would have it tast of this or that spice or any other vegetable of one or more together you may drop a few drops of the distilled oil of the said spices or vegetables into the Wine and brew them well together and you may make in an instant all sorts of Hypocras or other Wines as for example if you would have Wormwood Wine two or three drops of oil of Wormwood put into good Rhenish-wine being well brewed together will make a Wormword Wine exceeding any that you shall meet withall in the Rhenish-wine houses To make a good Rasberry-wine Take a gallon of Sack in which let two gallons of Raspberries stand steeping the space of twenty four houres then strain them and put to the Liquor three pound of Raisins of the sun stoned let them stand together foure or five days bring sometimes stirred together Then pour off the clearest and put it up in bottles and set it in a cold place If it be not sweet enough you may adde some Sugar to it Two other wayes to make it all the year at an instant Take of the juice of Raspberries put it into a bottle which you must stop close and set in a cellar and it will become clear and keep all the year and become very fragrant A few sponfulls of this put into a pint of Wine sweetned well with Sugar gives it an excellent and full tast of the Raspes If you put two or three ounces of the Syrup of Raspes to a pint of Wine it will doe as well but then you need use no other Sugar for that will sweeteen it sufficiently To make Mead or Metheglin that it shall tast stale and quick within a fortnight and be fit to drink To every three gallons of water put one gallon of the purest Honey put what hearbs and spices you please boyl it and skim it well now and then putting in some water When it is sufficiently boyled take it off and when it is almost cold put it into a wooden vessell and set it by the sire side cover it over with Bread spread thick with the strongest Mustard the Mustard side being downwards and so let it stand three dayes and it will worke only put a cloth over it Then tunne it up and after a week draw it forth into bottles and set it into a cellar and after a week more you may drink of it for it will taste as quick as bottle beer that is a fortnight old and indeed as stale as other Mead will in half a year To make a Spirit of Amber-gryse that a few drops thereof shall perfume a pint of Wine most richly Take of Amber-gryse 2. drams of Musk a dram cut them small and put them into a pint of the bâ—st rectified Spirit of Wine close up the glasse Hermetically and digest them in a very gentle heat till you perceive they are dissolved Then you may make use of it Two or three drops or more if you please of this Spirit put into a pint of Wine gives it a rich odour Or if you put 2. or 3. drops round the brimmes of the glasse it will do as well Half a spoonfull of it taken either of it self or mixed with some speciall Liquor is a most rich Cordiall An excellent sweet Water Take a quart of Orenge-flower water as much Rose-water adde thereto of Musk-mallow seeds grossely bruised four ounces of Bâ—njamin two ounces of Storax an ounce of Labdanum six drams of Lavender flowers two pugills of sweet Marjoram as much of Calamus Aromaticus a dram distill all these in a Glasse Still in Balneo the vessels being very well closed that no vapour breath forth Note that you may make a sweet water in an instant by putting a few drops of some distilled oils together into some Rose-water and brewing them well together To
and naturall wise in apparent shew that any one would believe verily the same to be naturally corporall when as in truth it is the spirituall Idea endued with a spirituall essence which serveth for no other purpose but to be matched with its fitting earth that so it may take unto it self a more solid body This shadowed figure assoon as the vessâ—ll is taken from the fire returnes to its ashes again and vanisheth away becoming a Chaos and confused matter To make Firre-trees appear in Turpentine Take as much Turpentine as you please put it into a Retort distill it by degrees when all is distilled off keep the Retort still in a reasonable heat that what humidity is still remaining may be evaporated and it become dry Then take this off from the fire and hold your hand to the bottome of the Retort and the Turpentine that is dried which is called Colophonia will crack asunder in severall places and in those crackes or chaps you shall see the perfect effigies or Firre-trees which will there continue many moneths To make Harts-horn seemingly to grow in a glasse Take Harts-horn broken into small pieces and put them into a glasse Retort to be distilled and you shall see the glasse to be seemingly full of horns which will continue there so long till the volatile salt come over To make golden mountains as it were appeare in a glasse Take of Adders egges half a pound put them into a glasse Retort distill them by degrees when all is dry you shall see the feces at the bottome turgid and puffed up and seem to be as it were golden mountains being very glorious to behold To make the representation of the whole World in a Classe Take of the purest salt Nitre as much as you please of Tin half so much mix them together and calcine them Hermetically then put them into a Retort to which annâ—x a glasse receiver and lâ—â—e them well together let there be leaves of gold put into the bottome thereof then put fire to the Râ—tort untill vapours arise that will cleave to the gold aâ—gment the fire till no more fumes ascend then take away the Receiver and close it Hermetically and make a lamp fire under it and you will see presented in it the Sun Moone Stars Fountains Flowers Trees fruits and indeed even all things which is a glorious sight to behold To make four Elements appear in a glasse Take of the subtle powder of Jet an ounce and half of the oil of Tartar made per Deliquium in which there is not one drop of water besides what the Tartar it self contracted two ounces which you must colour with a light green with Vardegrease of the purest Spirit of Wine ringed with a light blew with Indico 2. ounces of the best rectified Spirit of Turpentine coloured with a light red with Madder 2. ounces Put all these into a glasse and shake them together and you shall see the Jet which is heavy and black fall to the bottome and represent the earth next the oil of Tartar made green representing the element of water falls upon that swims the blew spirit of Wine which will not mix with the oil of Tartar and represents the element of air uppermost will swim the subtle red oil of Turpentine which represents the element of fire It is strange to see how after shaking all these together they will be distinctly separated the one from the other If it be well done as it is easie enough to do it is a most glorious â—ight To make a perpetuall motion in a glasse Take seven ounces of Quicksilver as much Tin grinde them well together with fourteen ounces of Sublimate dissolved in a cellar upon a Marble the space of foure dayes and it will become like oil Olive which distill in sand and there will sublime a dry substance then put the water which distills off back upon the earth in the bottome of the Still and dissolve what you can filter it and distill it again and thiâ— do foure or five times and then that earth will be so subtle that being put into a viall the subtle atomes â—hereof will move up and down for ever Note that the viall or glasse must be close stopt and kept in a dry place To make a Luminous Water that shall give light by night Take the tailes of Glo-wormes put them into a glasse Still and distill them in Balneo pour the said water upon more fresh tailes of Glo-wormes do this four or five times and thou shalt have a most Luminous Water by which thou maist see to read in the dark night Some say this Water may be made of the Skins of Herring and for ought I know it may be probable enough for I have heard that a shole of Herrings coming by a ship in the night have given a great light to all the ship It were worth the while to know the true reason why Glowormes and Herring and some other such like things should be luminous in the night To make a vapour in a chamber that he that enters into it with a candle shall thinke the room to be on fire Dissolve Camphire in rectified Aqua vitae and evaporate them in a very close chamber where no air can get in and he that first enters the chamber with a lighted candle will be much astonished for the chamber will seem to be full of fire very subtle but it will be of little continuance You must note that it is the combustible vapour with which the chamber is filled that takes flame from the candle Divers such like experiments as this may be done by putting such a combustible vapour into a box or cubboard or such like which will assoon as any one shall open them having a candle in his hand take fire and burne To make a powder that by spitting upon shall be inflamed Take a Load-stone powder it and put it into a strong calcining pot cover it all over with a powder made of Calx vive and Colophonia of each a like quantity put also some of this powder under it when the pot is full cover it and lute the closures with potters earth put them into a furnace and there let them boyl then take them out and put them into another pot and set them in the furnace again and this doe till they become a very white and dry Calx Take of this Calx one part of salt Nitre being very well purified foure parts and as much Camphire Sulphur vivum the oil of Turpentine and Tartar grind all these to a subtle powder and searse them and put them into a glasse vessell then put as much Spirit of wine well rectified as will cover them two fingers breadth then close them up and set the vessell in horsedung three moneths and in that time they will all become an uniforme paste evaporate all the humidity untill the whole masse become a very dry stone then take it out and powder it and keep it very
of its humidity it is called Mercury and in respect of its terrestriall siccity it is called salt all which are in gold perfectly united depurated and fixed Gold therefore is most noble and solid of all metalls of a yellow colour compacted of principles digested to the utmost hight and therefore fixed Silver is in the next place of dignity to Gold and differs from it in digestion chiefly I said chiefly because there is some small impurity besides adhering to silver Now having given some small account of the originall matter first and second and manner of the growth of gold I shall in the next place set downe some curiosities therein and preparation thereof The preparations are chiefly three viz. Aurum potabile which is the mixtion thereof with other Liquors Oil of gold which is gold liquid by it selfe without the mixture of any other Liquor and the tincture which is the extraction of the colour thereof Dr. Anthony's famous Aurum potabile and Oil of gold Dissolve pure fine gold in Aqua regis according to art the Aqua regis being made of a pound of Aqua fortis and foure ounces of salt Armo niack distilled together by Retort in sand which clear folution put into a large glasse of a wide neck and upon it pour drop by drop Oil of Tartar made per deliquium untill the Aqua regis which before was yellow become clear and white for that is a signe that all calx of gold is setled to the bottome then let it stand all night and in the morning pour off the clear Liquor and wash the calx four or five times with common spring water being warmed and dry it with a most gentle heat Note and that wel that if the heat be too great the calx takes fire presently like Gun-powder and flies away to thy danger and losse therefore it is best to dry it in the sun or on a stone stirring it diligently with a wooden spatle To this calx adde halfe a part of the powder of sulphur mix them together and in an open crucible let the sulphur burne away in the fire putting a gentle fire to it at the first and in the end a most strong fire for the space of an houre that the calx may in some manner be reverberated and become most subtle which keep in a viall close stopt for your use Then make a Spirit of urine after this manner viz. Take the urine of a healthy man drinking Wine moderately put it into a gourd which you must stop close and set in horse-dung for the space of forty dayes then distill it by Alembick in sand into a large receiver untill all the humidity be distilled off Rectifie this Spirit by cohobation three times that the Spirit only may rise Then distill it in sand by a glasse with a long neck having a large receiver annexed and closed very well to it and the Spirit will be elevated into the top of the vessell like crystall without any aqueous humidity accompanying of it Let this distillation be continued untill all the Spirits be risen These crystalls must be dissolved in distilled rain-water and be distilled as before this must be done six times and every time you must take fresh rain-water distilled Then put these crystalls into a glasse bolthead which close Hermetically and set in the moderate heat of a Balneum for the space of fifteen dayes that they may be reduced into a most clear Liquor To this Liquor adde an equall weight of Spirit of Wine very well rectified and let them be digested in Balneo the space of twelve dayes in which time they will be united Then take the calx of gold abovesaid and poure upon it of these united Spirits as much as will cover them three fingers breadth and digest them in a gentle heat untill the Liquor be tinged as red as bloud decant off the tincture and put on more of the aforesaid Spirits and do as before till all the tincture be extracted then put all the tincted Spirits together and digest them ten or twelve dayes after which time abstract the Spirit with a gentle heat and cohobate it once and then the calx will remain in the bottome like an Oil as red as bloud and of a pleasant odour and which will be dissolved in any Liquor Whereof this Oil may be the Succedaneum of true gold If you distill the same solution by Retort in sand there will come over after the first part of the menstruum the tincture with the other part thereof as red as bloud the earth which is left in the bottome of the vessell being black dry spongious and light The menstruum must be vapoured away and the Oil of gold will remain by it self which must be kept as a great treasure and this is Dr. Anthony's Aurum potabile Foure or eight graines of this Oil taken in what manner soever wonderfully refresheth the Spirits and workes severall wayes especially by sweat The true Oil of Gold Take an ounce of leafe-gold dissolve it in foure ounces of the rectified water of Mercury expressed page 75. digest them in horse-dung the space of two moneths then evaporate the Mercuriall water and at the bottome you shall have the true Oil of gold which is radically dissolved Another processe hereof you may see page 71. A Tincture of Gold Dissolve pure gold in Aqua regis precipitate it with the Oil of sand into a yellow powder which you must dulcifie with warme water and then dry it this will not be fired as Aurum fulminans This powder is twice as heavie as the gold that was put in the cause of which is the salt of the flints precipitating it selfe with the gold Put this yellow powder into a crucible and make it glow a little and it will be turned into the highest and fairest purple that ever you saw but if it stand longer it will be browne Then poure upon it the strongest Spirit of salt for it will dissolve it better then any Aqua regis on which dissolution poure on the best rectified Spirit of Wine and digest them together and by a long digestion some part of the gold will fall to the bottome like a white snow and may with Borax Tartar and salt Nitre be melted into a white metall as heavy as gold and afterwards with Antimony may recover its yellow colour againe then evaporate the Spirit of salt and of Wine and the gold Tincture remaineth at the bottome and is of great vertue Another Tincture of Gold Take of the aforesaid yellow Calx of gold precipitated with Oil of sand one part and three or foure parts of the Liquor of sand or of crystalls mix them well together and put them into a crucible in a gentle heat at first that the moisture of the Oil may vapour away which it will not do easily because the drynesse of the sand retaines the moisture thereof so that it flyeth away like molten allum or borax when no more will
white and clear which first distilled off keep by it self continuing the Distillation as long as any oyl distils off then let both oyls be rectified apart in a good quantity of water The salt of Amber which adheres to the neck of the Retort within side being gathered let be purified by solution filtration and coagulation according to art and be kept for use After this manner may be made Oyls out of any gums which may be powdered Oyl of Myrrhe is made thus Take of Myrrhe bruised of Bay-salt of each six pound let them be dissolved in sixty pints of spring water and be distilled in an Alembick or Copper Still according to Art Oyl of Myrrhe per deliquium or by dissolution is made thus Take Hen-egs boiled hard and cut in the middle length-ways take out the yelks then fill up the hollow half way with powder of Myrrhe and join the parts together again binding them with a thread and so set them upon a grate betwixt two platters in a cold moist place so the liquor of the Myrrhe dissolved will distill into the lower platter Oil of Tartar per deliquium i. e. by dissolution Take of the best Tartar calcined white according to Art put it into a cotten bag hang it in the cellar or some moist place putting under a Receiver Oyls by Expression are made thus Take of what things you please such as will afford an oyl by expression bruise them then put them into a bag and press them strongly putting a vessel under to receive the oyl Note that they must stand in the Press some hours because the oyl drops by little and little Note also that if you warm them before you put them into the Press they will yeeld more oyl but then it will not keep good so long as otherwise After this manner are made oyls of Nutmegs Mace Almonds Linseed and such like A vomiting and purging Oil made by expression Take of the Berries of Ebulus or Dwarfe Elder as many as you please let them be dryed but not over-much then bruise them and in bruising them moisten them with the best spirit of Wine untill they begin to be oily then warm them by the fire and press forth the oil and set it in the sun to be purified Ten drops of this oil taken inwardly worketh upward and downward and is very good against the dropsie and all waterish diseases The belly being therewith anointed is made thereby soluble Any part that is much pained with the gout or any such grief is presently eased by being anointed with this oil Oil of Jasmine is made thus Take of flowers of Jasmine as many as you please put them into as much sweet mature oil as you please put them into a glass close stopt and set them into the Sun to be infused for the space of twenty dayes then take them out and strain the oil from the flowers and if thou wouldst have the oil yet stronger put in new flowers and do as before This is a pleasant perfume and being mixt with oils and ointments gives them a gratefull smell It is also used in the perfuming of Leather After this manner may be made oil of any flowers but because I shall keep my self to the Art of Distillation only I shal not so far digress as to speak of these kinds of oils only I thought good to set down the oil of Jasmine because by reason of its fragrancy it hath some analogie with Chymicall oils that are made by Distillation To make any Oil or Water per descensum Take an earthen gourd fill it full with wood or hearbs or what you please being cut small then invert it i e. turn it upside down and set it in the furnace lute it well thereunto then set another gourd of earth under it with a wider mouth that the uppermost may goe into it before you put the one into the other you must have a little vessell or instrument of Tin with brims round about on the top by which it must hang into the lower gourd the body thereof being 2 or 3 inches deep and full of holes that the oyl or water may drop through and not the vegetable it self Into this Instrument being first set into the lower gourd put the mouth of the upper gourd then make thy fire on the top and keep it burning as long as any liquor will drop Ths Figure of this furnace is thus A Signifies the gourd containing the matter to be distilled B The Furnace containing the Coals so that they surround the upper gourd C The lower gourd or recipient set upon straw-rings D The vessell of Tin with holes and brims which must be set in the Recipient How to make an Oyl and Water out of Soot This may be distilled per descensum or by retort as thus viz. Take of the best Soot which shines like Jet fill with it a glass Retort coated or earthen Retort to the neck distil it with a strong fire by degrees into a large Receiver and there will come forth a yellowish spirit with a black oyl which thou mayest separate and digest How to rectifie Spirits You must set them in the Sun in glasses well stopped and half filled being set in sand to the third part of their eight that the water waxing hot by the heat of the Sun may separate it self from the flegm mixed therewith which will be performed in in twelve or fifteen days There is another better way to doe this which is to distill them again in Balneo with a gentle fire or if you wil put them into a retort furnished with its receiver and set them upon crystal or iron bowls or in an iron mortar directly opposite to the beams of the Sun as you may learn by these ensuing signs Retort with its Receiver standing upon Crystal bowls just opposite to the Sun beams Another Retort with its Receiver standing in a Marble or Iron mortar directly opposite to the Sun A Shews the Retort B The Receiver C The Crystal-Bowls A Shews the Retort B The Marble or Iron Mortar C The Receiver How to rectifie all stinking thick black Oils that are made by a Retort and to take away their stink Take oyl of Amber or any such stinking oil put it into a glass Retort the fourth part only being full pour on it drop by drop the spirit of Salt or any other acid spirit and they will boil together and when so much of the spirit is poured on that it boileth no more then cease and distill it First cometh over a stinking water then a clear white well smelling oyl and after that a yellow oyl which is indifferent good but the spirit of Salt hath lost its sharpness the volatile salt of the oyl remaineth coagulated with the spirit of Salt and is black and tasteth like salt Armoniack and hath no smell being sublimed from it Now the reason of all this is because the volatile salt of the oyl which is the caâ—se of the
a bag which may be hanged in the Water the vessell being close stopt the space of a month and then be taken out and cast away the Liquor thereof being first pressed out into the foresaid Water This Water is of wonderfull vertue in Surfets and Pleurisies composeth the Spirits causeth rest helpeth digestion if two or three or four ounces thereof be drunk and the patient compose himself to rest A Pectorall Water Distill green hysop in a cold Still till you have a gallon and half of the Water to this put four handfull of dryed Hysop a handfull of Rue as much of Rosemary and Hore-hound Elecampanie-root bruised and of Horse-radish root bruised of each four ounces of Tobacco in the leaf three ounces Anniseed bruised two ounces twoâ—quarts of Canary wine let them all stand in digestion two days then distill them and in the water that is distilled put half a pound of Raisins of the Sun stoned of Licorish two ounces sweet Fennel seeds bruised two ounces and a half Ginger sliced an ounce and a half and let them be infused in Frigido the space of ten days then take them out This water sweetned with Sugar-candie and drunk to the quantity of three or four ounces twice in a day is very good for those that are ptificall it strengtheneth the Lungs attenuates thick flegm opens obstructions and is very good to comfort the stomach A very excellent water against the worms Take of Wormseed bruised eight ounces the shavings of Harts horne two ounces of Peach flowers dryed an ounce of Aloes bruised half an ounce pour on these the water of Tansie Rue Peach flowers and of Wormwood of each a pint and half let them being put into a glass vessell be digested the space of three dayes then distill them cohobate this water three times This water is very excellent against the worms it may be given from half an ounce to three ounces according to the age of the patient A Water against the Convulsions Take of Ros vitrioli which is that water that is distilled from Vitriall in the calcining thereof two quarts in this put of Rue a handfull of Juniper berries bruised an ounce of Bay berries bruised half an ounce Piony berries bruised six drams Camphire two drams Rhubarb sliced an ounce digest these four days in a temperate Balneo then distill them in a glass vessel in ashes and there will come over a water of no small vertue It cures convulsions in children especially it helps also the Vertigo the Hystericall passion and Epilepsie it is very excellent against all offensive vapours and wind that annoys the head and stomach It may be taken from two drams to two ounces An Hydropicall water Take of Wormwood Broom blossomes of each a like quantity bruise them and mix with them some leaven and let them stand in fermentation in a cold place the space of a week then distill them in a cold Still till they be very dry Take a gallon of this water and half a gallon of the Spirit of Urine pour them upon two pound of dryed Broom blossoms half a pound of Horse Radish roots dryed three ounces of the best Rhubarb sliced two ounces of sweet Fennell seed bruised and an ounce and an half of Nutmegs let them digest a week being put into a glass vessell in a temperate Balneo then press the Liquor hard from the feces put this Liquor in the said vessell again and to it put three ounces of sweet Fennel seeds bruised Licorish sliced two ounces digest them in a gentle heat the space of a week then pour it off from the feces and keep it close stopt This water being drank from the quantity of an ounce to four ounces every morning and at four of the clock in the afternoon doth seldome fail in curing the dropsie it strengtheneth also the Liver is very good against gravel in the back stone cures the Scurvy Gout and such diseases as proceed from the weakness and obstructions of the Liver A Water against the Colick Take of Aniseed three ounces Cummin seed three drams Cinnamon half an ounce Mace Cloves Nutmeg of each a dram Galingall three drams Calamus Aromaticus dryed half an ounce The dryed rind of Orenges two ounces Bay berries half an ounce Let all these being bruised be macerated in six pints of Mallago wine 48 hours then be distilled in Balneo till all be dry This water being dranke to the quantity of an ounce or two at a time doth ease the gripings of the belly and stomach very much A Water against the Vertigo and Convulsions Take of black cherries bruised with their kernels a gallon of the flowers of Lavander three handful half an ounce of white Mustard seed bruised mix these together then put some ferment to them and let them stand close covered the space of a week then distill them in Balneo till all be dry This water being dranke to the quantity of an ounce or two or three doth much relieve the weaknesse of the head and helps the Vertigo thereof as also strengthen the sinews and expell windiness out of the head and stomach A compound Water of Burre root causing sweat Take the root of the great Burre fresh Swallow wort fresh The middle rind of the root of the Ash tree of each two pound cut them small and infuse them 24 hours in the best White wine and Rue vinegar of each five pints then distill them in Balneo til all be dry put to the water as much of the Spirit of Sulphur per Campanam as wil give it a pleasant acidity and to every pint of the water put a scruple and a half of Camphire cut small and tyed up in a bag which may continually hang in the water This was a famous water in Germany against the plague pestilence and Epidemical diseases it causeth sweat wonderfully if two or three ounces thereof be drank and the patient compose himself to sweat Another excellent Sudorifick and plague water Take of the best spirit of Wine a gallon Andromachus treacle six ounces Myrrhe two ounces The roots of Colts-foot three ounces Sperma Cett Terra Sigillata of each half an ounce The root of swallow wort an ounce Dittany Pimpernel Valerian root of each two drams Camphire a dram Mix all these together in a glass vessell and let them stand close stopt the space of eight dayes in the Sun Let the Patient drink of this a spoonful or two and compose himself to sweat Dr. Burges his plague water Take three pints of Muscadine and boil in it Sage and Rue of each a handfull till a pint be wasted then strain it and set it over the fire again put therto a dram of long Pepper Ginger and Nutmeg of each half an ounce being all bruised together then boil them a little and put thereto half an ounce of Andromachus treacle and three drams of Mithridate and a quarter of a pint of the best Angelica water This water which as saith
the Author must be kept as your life and above all earthly treasure must be taken to the quantity of a spoonful or two morning and evening if you be already infected and sweat thereupon if you be not infected a spoonful is sufficient half in the morning and half at night all the plague time under God saith the Author trust to this for there was never man woman or child that failed of their expectation in taking of it This is also of the same efficacy not only against the plague but pox measles surfets c. Crollius his Treacle water Camphorated Take of Andromachus his Treacle five ounces The best Myrrhe two ounces and half The best Saffron half an ounce Camphire two drams Mix them together then pour upon them ten ounces of the best spirit of wine and let them stand 24 hours in a warm place then distill them in Balneo with a graduall fire cohobate the spirit three times This spirit causeth sweat wonderfully and resists all manner of infection It may be taken from a dram to an ounce in some appropriate Liquor A distilled Treakle Vinegar Take of the roots of Bistort Gentian Angelica Tormentill of each ten drams Pimpernell Bay berries Juniper berries of each an ounce Nutmeg five drams The shavings of Sassafras two ounces Zedoary half a dram White Sanders three drams The leaves of Rue Wormwood Scordium of each half a handfull The flowers of Wall-flower Buglosse of each a handful and half Andromachus Treacle Mithridate of each six drams Infuse them all in three pints of the best White wine vinegar the space of eight dayes in Frigido in glass vessels then distill them in Balneo This Spirit is very good to prevent them that are free from infection and those that are already infected from the danger thereof if two or three spoonful thereof be taken once in a day with sweating after for those that are infected but without sweating for others An excellent water against the Stone in the Kidneys Take of the middle rind of the root of Ash bruised two pound Juniper berries bruised three pound Venice turpentine that is very pure 2 pound and a half Put these into twelve pints of spring water in a glass vessell well closed and there let them putrifie in horse dung for the space of three months then distill them in ashes and there will come forth an oil and a water separate the one from the other Ten or twelve drops of this oil being taken every morning in four or six spoonfuls of the said water dissolves the gravell and stone in the kidneys most wonderfully Another water for the same use Take the juice of Radish Lemmons of each a pound and half Waters of Betony Tansey Saxifrage and Vervin of each a pint Hydromell and Malmsey of each two pound In these Liquors mixed together infuse for the space of four or five days in a gentle Balneo Juniper berries ripe and newly gathered being bruised three ounces the seed of Gromel Bur-dock Radish Saxifrage Nettles Onions Anise and Fennell of each an ounce and half the four cold seeds the seed of great Mallows of each six drams the Calx of Eg-shels Cinnamon of each three drams of Camphire two drams let all be well strained and distilled in ashes Two ounces of this water taken every morning doth wonderfully cleanse the Kidneys provoke Urine and expell the Stone especially if you calcine the feces and extract the Salt thereof with the said Water To make an excellent Wound water Take Plantain Rib-wort Bone-wort wild Angelica Red-mints Betony Egrimony Sanacle Blew-bottles White-bottles Scabius Dandelion Avens Honey-suckle leaves Bramble buds Hawthorn buds and leaves Mugwort Dasie roots leaves and flowers Wormwood Southernwood of each one handfull Boil all these in a pottle of White wine and as much Spring water till one half be wasted and when it is thus boiled strain it from the hearbs and put to it half a pound of hony and let it boil a little after then put it into bottles and keep it for your use Note that these hearbs must be gathered in May only but you may keep them dry and make your water at any time This water is very famous in many Counties and it hath done such cures in curing outward and inward Wounds Imposthumes and Ulcers that you would scarce beleeve it if I should recite them to you also it is very good to heal a sore mouth The Patient must take three or four spoonfuls thereof morning and evening and in a short time he shall finde ease and indeed a cure unless he be so farre declined as nothing almost can recover him If the wound be outward it must be washed therewith and linnen cloths wet in the same be applyed thereto Dr. Matthias his Palsie water is made thus Take of Lavender flowers a gallon pour upon them of the best spirit of wine three gallons the vessell being close stopped let them be macerated together in the Sun for the space of six days then distill them in an Alembick with its refrigeratory then take the flowers of Sage Rosemary Betony of each a handfull Borage Bugloss Lillie of the valley Cowslips of each two handfuls Let all the flowers be fresh and seasonably gathered and macerated in a gallon of the best spirits of Wine and mixed with the aforesaid spirit of Lavender adding then the leaves of Balm Motherwort Orange tree newly gathered the flowers of Stechados Oranges Bay berries of each an ounce After a convenient digestion let them be distilled again then adde the outward rinds of Citrons six drams the seed of Piony husked six drams Cinnamon Nutmegs Mace Cardamums Cububs of yellow Sanders of each half an ounce Lignum Aloes one dram the best Jujubs the kernels taken out half a pound Let them be digested for the space of six week then strain and filtre the Liquor to which adde of prepared Pearl two drams prepared Emrald a scruple Amber Gryse Musk Saffron Red Roses Sanders of each an ounce Yellow Sanders Rinds of Citrons dryed of each a dram Let all these species be tyed in a silken bag and hanged in the foresaid spirit A Scorbuticall water or a compound water of Horse radish is made thus Take the leaves of both sorts of Scurvie-grass being made very clean of each six pound let these be bruised and the juice pressed forth to which adde the Juice of Brook-lime Water-cresses of each half a pound of the best White wine eight pints twelve whole Lemons cut of the fresh roots of Briony four pound Horse Radish two pound of the bark of Winteran half a pound of Nutmegs four ounces Let them be macerated three days and distilled Three or four spoonfuls of this water taken twice in a day cures the Scurvy presently Spirit of Castor is made thus Take of fresh Castoreum two ounces flowers of Lavender fresh half an ounce Sage Rosemary of each two drams Cinnamon three drams Mace Cloves of each a dram the best
the space of two months and it well be dissolved into a Liquor a few drops whereof put into a glass of beer will purge delicately How to make a Furnace that shall of it self without any vessels which should contain the matter being put into it sublime Minerals and distil all manner of Oils and Spirits out of Minerals Vegetables and Animals and that in a very great quantity in a very short time and with small cost THe Furnace is made as followeth It may be made of one piece by a Potter or of brick round or four-square greater or lesser as you please if the inside be one span broad in the middle it must be four high one for the Ash-hole another above the grate to the middle Coal-hole and two above the Pipe this pipe being made of earth or iron must be a span long betwixt the Furnace and the Receiver and a third part as wide as the Furnace within The Recipients must be made of glass or very good earth well luted together the greater the better The first Figure The second Figure A Signifies the Ash-hole which must be as wide as the Furnace and alwayes open that the fire may burn the stronger B The middle hole of the Furnace for the putting in of coals C The stopple made of stone D The upper hole of the Furnace with a false bottome wherein sand lyeth which is there laid that the cover may lye the closer and keep in the fumes the better E The Cover which must presently be clapt on assoon as the matter to be distilled is put in F The Pipe which goeth out of the Furnace and to which the Receiver is fitted G The first Recipient for flowers H The second I The third K A Stool whereon the first Recipient resteth in the midst whereof is a hole through which goeth the neck of the Recipient to which another glass is fitted L The Glass fitted to the Recipient for the uniting the spirits that drop down M Another Recipient united to the former glass and into which the united spirits do run N A Stoole through the middle whereof goeth a screw for the raising of that Glass which is set under the first Recipient higher or lower O P The Grate with two thick iron bars which lye fast upon which four or five thinner are layed which may be stirred when the Furnace is made clean Thus far the first of the figures is explained by which you may see how sublimation and distillation is made at one time viz. of those things which will yeeld both flowers and spirits the flowers sticking in the three upper Recipients and the spirits dropping down into the lower Now follows the explanation of the second figure which is the same with the former in respect of the Furnace it self but differing in respect of the Recipients which serve for the receiving of the spirits and oyls of such things as yeeld no flowers Therefore I shall begin with the explanation of the Receivers G The first crooked pipe as it is fitted to the pipe that comes out of the Furnace H The-Recipient with its cover in which is one hole for one crooked pipe to goe through as you may see in the first H and two holes for two pipes to goe through as you may see in the second H and in H H. Note that these pipes may either be fastned to the cover being all of one piece or they must be wel luted that no vapours may pass through Now you must conceive that in the lower Receivers the vapour that goeth out of the first pipe goeth first into the Receiver then out of that into the next pipe and so forward till it cometh into the last Receiver by which means it is much cooled for indeed such vapours that come out of the Furnace especially when some materials are distilled if there were not some such art to cool them would break all Recipients I A tub of water wherein the Recipient stands to cool the vapours and condense them K The first crooked pipe as it goeth into the Recipient L The second crooked pipe whereof one end goeth into one Receiver and another end into another M The last crooked pipe to which you must annex a Receiver Now the manner of distilling is thus Let the Furnace be full of coals wel kindled then cast on your matter and stop your Furnace close This Furnace needs no Retort or other vessels to set into it neither can you doe any hurt by too much or too little fire and you may finish your operation when you please and in one hour try divers experiments It saveth very much time and cost and in one hour will doe as much as can be done in another Furnace in 24. In one hour you may make a pound of spirit of Salt with four or five pound of coals and as much flower of Antimony in a like space of time and with as few coals If your materials be vegetables or horn or bones cut them small If hard Minerals let them be powdered very small if salts let them first be dissolved in water which water must be imbibed with red hot coals until all the liquor be imbibed then cast in those coals into the Furnace If you would by this means procure the spirit of hard Minerals as of Antimony c. you must take them as they come from the Mine before they have passed the fire By this Furnace you may make the spirits of such things which will not yeeld them in any other way Note that such oyls and spirits as are drawne by this Furnace must be rectified in spirit of Salt as I have above shewed Ros Vitrioli is made thus Take of the best Dansick Vitriall as much as you please uncalcined put it into a glass gourd and distill it in the sand and there will come over a water somewhat sharpish This Water or Ros is of greater use then the spirit or oyl thereof It helpeth all inward inflammations as of the Liver Kidneys Stomach helps the ebullition of bloud and all distempers that come from thence This is that flegm which most vapour away but it is because they know not the vertues thereof A sweet green oyl of Vitriall is made thus Take as many Copperas stones as you please beat them small and lay them in a cool cellar and in twenty or thirty days they will attract the air and look black and after fourteen days become whitish and sweetish then dissolve them in distilled rain water then filter and evaporate the water and they will shoot into green Crystals which you may dissolve in a Cellar per deliquium being first beaten small and layed on a marble stone This liquor is that famous medicine of Paracelsus for the falling sickness a few drops thereof being taken in any appropriated liquor Take heed that it come at no strong fire for then saith Paracelsus it loseth its greenness and as much as it loseth of that so much
and is a putrid insipid cold narcotick and inebriating Liquor debilitating the stomach and offending the head A few spoonfuls of this will presently make a man drunk nay the flegm of half a pint of Wine will make a man drunk when as two pints of Wine it selfe would hardly doe it whence you may collect what a great corrector of Malignant spirits and vapours the spirit of Wine is which whilest it is mixed with the flegm before distillation doth temper and correct this inebriating quality thereof and as it doth thus so also being given I mean the pure deflegmated spirit to them that are already inebriated doth much allay their distemper This flegm therefore being of so narcotick a quality is the cause of Palsies and such like distempers Moreover it is to be observed that when this flegm is to be distilled off there remains at the bottom a viscous corrosive matter which by reason of its viscosity is the cause of obstructions and by reason of its corrosivenesse the cause of the gout colick stone c. 3 This feces being distilled yeelds a sharp spirit and fetid oyl which leave behind them a saltish substance out of which when the salt is extracted there remains an insipid earth Now if any shall object against what I have asserted and say that Aqua vitae or spirit of Wine are inebriating the causes of Palfie stone gout colick weak stomachs and such like as we see by dayly experience in those that are given to the drinking of these Liquors to which I answer it is true but then I must distinguish of Aqua vitae and spirit of Wine for there is a common Aqua vitae and spirit of Wine of which also they make Aniseed water by putting a few Aniseeds thereunto and other such like waters as Clove Angelica Lemmon c. With which this Nation is most abominably cheated and their health impaired But these are not rectified throughly but three parts of four of them are an insipid Narcotick flegm containing in it the feces I spake of all which I can in a day separate from the true pure spirit which spirit rather prevents then causes such distempers And the truth is all the goodnesse of the Wine is from this pure spirit The famous Arcanum or restorative Medicament of Paracelsus called his Homunculus FIrst we must understand that there are three acceptions of the word Homunculus in Paracelsus which are these 1 Homunculus is a superstitious image made in the place or name of any one that it may contain an Astrall and invisible man wherefore it was made for a superstitious use 2 Homunculus is taken for an artificiall man made of SpermÌ„a humamum Masculinum digested into the shape of a man and then nourished and encreased with the essence of mans bloud and this is not repugnant to the possibility of Nature and Art But is one of the greatest wonders of God which he ever did suffer mortall man to know I shall not here set down the full processe because I think it unfit to be done at least to be divulged besides neither this nor the former is for my present purpose 3 Homuncuâ—us is taken for a most excellent Arcanum or Medicament extracted by the spagyricall Art from the chiefest staffe of the naturall life in man and according to this acception I shall here speak of it But before I shew you the processe I shall give you an account why this Medicament is called Homunculus and it is this No wise man will deny that the staffe of life is the nutriment thereof and that the chiefest nutriment is Bread and Wine being ordained by God and Nature above all other things for the sustentation thereof Besides Paracelsus preferred this nutriment for the generation of the bloud and spirits and the forming thence the Sperm of this Homunculus Now by a sutable allusion the nutriment is taken for the life of man and especially because it is transmuted into life and again the life is taken for the man for unlesse a man be alive he is not a man but the carcasse only of a man and the basest part thereof which cannot perfectly be taken for the whole man as the noblest part may In as much therefore as the nutriment or aliment of life may be called the life of man and the life of man be called man this nutriment extracted out of Bread and Wine and being by digestion exalted into the highest purity of a nutritive substance and consequently becoming the life of man being so potentially may Metaphorically be called Homunculus The processe which in part shall be set down allegorically is thus Take the best Wheat and the best Wine of each a like quantity put them into a glasse which you must hermetically close then let them putrefie in horse dung three days or until the Wheat begin to germinate or to sprout forth which then must be taken forth and bruised in a Mortar and be pressed through a linnen cloth and there will come forth a white juice like milk you must cast away the feces Let this juice be put into a glasse which must not be above half full stop it close and set it in horse dung as before for the space of fifty days If the heat be temperate and not exceeding the naturall heat of a man the matter will be turned into a spagyricall bloud and flesh like an Embryo This is the principal and next matter out of which is generated a twofold sperm viz. of the father and mother generating the Homunculus without which there can be made no generation whether humane or animall From the bloud and flesh of this Embryo let the water be separated in Balneo and the air in ashes and both be kept by themselves Then to the feces of the latter distillation let the water of the former distillation be added both which must the glasse being close stopt putrefie in Balneo the space of ten days after this distill the water the second time which is then the vehiculum of the first together with the fire in ashes then distill off this water in a gentle Balneo and in the bottom remains the fire which must be distilled in ashes Keep both these a part And thus you have the four Elements separated from the Chaos of the Embryo The feculent earth is to be reverberated in a close vessel for the space of four dayes In the interim distil off the fourth part of the first distillation in Balneo and cast it away the other three parts distill in ashes and pour it upon the reverberated earth and distill it in a strong fire cohobate it four times and so you shall have a very clear water which you must keep by it self Then pour the air on the same earth and distil it in a strong fire and there will come over a clear splendid odoriferous water which must be kept apart After this pour the fire upon the first water and putrefie them
a glasse like a tree Dissolve Steele in a rectified Spirit of salt so shall you have a green and sweet solution which smels like brimstone filter it and abstract all the moisture in sand with a gentle heat and there will distil over a Liquor as sweet as rain-water for Steele by reason of its drynesse detaines the corosivenesse of the Spirit of salt which remaineth in the bottome like a bloud red masse which is as hot on the tongue as fire dissolve this red masse in oil of flints or of sand and you shall see it grow up in two or three houres like a tree with a stemm and branches prove this tree at the test and it yeeldeth good gold which this tree hath drawn from the aforesaid oil of sand or flints which hath a golden sulphur in it To melt any metall in ones hand without burning of the hand Take a little calcining pot in your hand make in it a lane or course of the powder of any metall then upon it lay a lane of Sulphur Salt-peter and Saw-dust of each a like quantity mixed together put a coal of fire to it and forthwith the metall will be melted into a masse An observation upon the beams of the Sun and heat of the fire how they adde weight to Minerall and Metalline bodies 1. Take any Minerall Liquor and set it in an open vessell in the sun for a good space and it will be augmented in quantity and weight But some will say that this proceedeth from the air to the which I answer and demand whether the air had not this impregnation from the sun and what the air hath in it self that proceedeth not from the sun and stars 2. Put this liquor in a cold cellar or in a moist air and you shall find that it increaseth not in weight as it doth in the sun or in the fire which hath in this respect some analogie with the sun I do not say but haply it might attract some little moisture which is soon exhaled by any small heat 3. Dissolve any sulphurous and imperfect metall as Iron Copper or Zinke in Aqua fortis or any other acid spirit then abstract the Spirit from it make it glowing hot yet not too hot that the Spirit may only vapour away then weigh this metalline Calx and set it in a crucible over the fire but melt it not only let it darkly glow let it stand so 3 or 4 weeks then take it off and weigh it again and you shall find it heavier then before 4. Set any sulphurous metall as Iron or Copper with sixteen or eighteen parts of Lead on a test made with ashes of wood or bones in a probatory furnace first weigh the test copper and lead before you put them into the furnace let the iron or copper fly away with the lead yet not with too strong a heat then take the test out and weigh it and you shall finde it though the metals are gone when it is cold to be heavier then it was when it was put into the furnace with the metals The question is now whence this heavinesse of all the aforesaid Minerals and metals proceeded if that the heat of the fun and fire through the help of the Mineralls and metals be not fixed into a palpable Minerall and Metalline body 5. Set a test with lead or copper in the sun and with a concave glasse unite the beames of the sun and let them fall on the center of the metall hold the concave glasse in your hand and let your test never be cold and this will be as well done in the sun as in the fire But this concave must be two foot in Diameter and not too hollow or deep but about the eighteenth or twentieth part of the circle that it may the better cast its beams forth and it must be very well polished 6. Calcine Antimony with a burning glasse and you shall see it smoak and fume and be made dryer then before yet weigh it and it will be heavier then before I shall take in for the confirmation of all this a relation of Sir Kenelme Digby concerning the precipitating of the sun beams I remember saith he a rare experiment that a Noble man of much sincerity and a singular friend of mine told me he had seen w ch was that by means of glasses made in a very particular manner and artificially placed one by another he had seen the sun beames gathered together and precipitated down into a brownish or purplish red powder There saith he could be no fallacy in this operation For nothing whatsoever was in the glasse when they were placed and disposed for this intent and it must be in the hot time of the yeare else the effect would not follow And of this magistery he could gather some dayes neer 2. ounces in a day and it was of a strong volatile vertue and would impresse it spirituall quality into gold it selfe the heaviest and most fixed body we converse withall in a very short time I leave it now to the reader to judge whether the beames of the sun and heat of the fire adde weight to Minerals and Metals To extract a white Milkie substance from the raies of the Moone Take a concave glasse and hold it against the Moon when she is at the full in a cleare evening and let the raies thereof being united fall upon a sponge and the sponge will be full of a cold Milkie substance which you may presse out with your hand and gather more De-La-Brosse is of opinion that this substance is of the substance of the Moon but I cannot assent to him in that only this I say if this experiment were well prosecuted it might produce for ought I know such a discovery which might be the key to no small secrets To condense the aire in the heat of smmer and in the heat of the day into water Fill an earthen vessell unglazed made pointed downward and fill it with snow-water which must be kept all the year in which is dissolved as much Nitre as the water would dissolve Let the vessell be close stopt Hold this vessell against the sun and the air will be so condensed by the coldnesse of the vessell that it will drop down by the sides thereof How two sorts of volatile salts will be fixed by joyning them together Take a strong Lixivium made of unslaked lime and evaporate it and whereas you would expect to find a salt at the bottome there is none for all the salt in the Lixivium is vapored away and the more the Liquor is evaporated the weaker the Lixivium becomes which is contrary to other Lixiviums Also if you take Spirit of vinegar and evaporate it you shall finde no salt at the bottome Now if you take the clear Lixivium of Lime and Spirit of vinegar of each a like quantity and mix them together and evaporate the humidity thereof you shall find a good quantity of salt at the bottome which
pot with pudled water put a soft and gentle fire under it lay some sticks acrosse on the pot brims and upon the sticks lay clean wool or a spunge well washed Now the wool drinkes up the vapours that ascend which then you must wring out and lay on the wool again and this you may doe till you have as much clean water as you desire The manner of this distillation is described thus A Signifies the pot B The fire C The stickes D The wooll This is of use for them that can come at no other waters but what are troubled as it falls out many times in some places Another way to purifie any thicke muddie or feculent Liquor This is performed by shreds of any white woollen cloth in vessells as you see hereafter expressed A Signifies the vessels B The shreds Note that the shreds must be first wet in fair water and the feculent matter be put into the uppermost vessell Note also whereas here be two receivers that in many cases one may be sufficient This way serves for the purifying of decoctions juices or dissolutions of salts from their feculency for that which is distilled by the shreds is as clear as Crystall when what remains is very feculent To keep fire in a glasse that whilest the glasse is shut will not burne but assoone as it is opened will be inflamed First extract the burning spirit of the salt of tin in a glasse Retort well coated when the Retort is cold take it out and break it and assoone as the matter in it which remains in the bottome thereof after distillation comes into the air it will presently be inflamed Put this matter into a glasse viall and keep it close stopt This fire will keep many thousand yeares and not burne unlesse the glasse be opened but at what time soever that is opened it will burne It is conceived that such a kind of fire as this was found in vaults when they were opened which many conceived to be a perpetuall burning Lamp when as indeed it was inflamed at the opening the vault and the letting in air thereby which before it lacked and therefore could not burn For it is to be conceived that there is no fire burnes longer then its matter endures and there is no combustible matter can endure for ever There may be many uses of such a fire as this for any man may carry it about him and let it burn on a suddain when he hath any occasion for fire A Lamp Furnace is made thus A Signifies the Candlestick which must be hollow and full of water B The top of the candlestick which must he wide to containe good store of water for to fill up the Candlestick as the candle riseth up C The candle which must be as long as the Candlestick D The vessell that contains either watâ—r sand or ashes for any vessell to be set into also to containe any matter it selfe that is to be distilled or digested E A glasse vessell standing in digestion F A narrow mouthed stopple to be put into the candlestick to keep the candle upright and that must be made of tin with holes in it G The cover for the vessell D which is to be put upon it when any thing is decocted or kept warme in it H A Still head to put upon the vessell D when you would distill any thing in it Note that if you make all these vessells large you may do many considerable things without much labour or trouble In the vessell D if it be large you may stew meat which if you put in at night and cover it close you may have it ready for your breakfast in the morning and so according to the time you put it in you may have it for dinner or supper Also you may keep any thing warme in the night and at all times and divers such uses as these it may be used for Note that the candle will still rise up till it be quite burned out and an ordinary candle will last twice as long this way as it will out of the water If you would have one candle last a long time as twelve or twenty hours you must either make your candlestick very long that it may containe a long candle or make your candle big and the wiek small or make your candle of such matter as will not presently be consumed Note also that if you would have a great heat your candle must be great and also the wiek thereof great but if gentle let your candle be small Another Lamp furnace There is another sort of Lamp furnaces with three candles after this manner The use of this is when you would have a constant fire that should give a stronger heat then one candle in the former furnace And the truth is that if your candles be big as you may make them as big as you will you may have as strong a heat this way as by ashes in an ordinary furnace To make a Candle that shall last long Take unslaked lime powder it and mix it with your tallow and so make your candle of that or else you may make candles of Castle-sope which will serve for such uses as these viz. to burne in such a Lampe furnace Note that it is the salt that is in the lime and sope that preserves the tallow from burning out so fast as otherwise it would To make a lasting and durable Oil. Take unslaked lime Bay-salt oil Olive of each a like quantity mix them well together and distill them in sand cohobate the oil upon the same quantity of fresh lime and salt and this do foure or five times By this means will the oil be clear and impregnated with what salt was volatile in the lime and salt Now that saline impregnation is that which gives a durablenesse to the oil Note that this oil whilest it is distilling is of a most fragrant smell I have some of it which I distilled seven times and it is as pure subtle and odoriserous as many common distilled oiles of vegetables This oil besides the durablenesse of it is also good against any inveterate ach in the limbs A Lampe made with this oil will continue burning six times as long as a Lamp made of other oil as also it burnes very sweet There must be a great deal of care used in making of it or else you will quickly break your glasses also you must take very strong lime such as the dyers use and call cauke Philosophicall Bellowes A Signifies that which blowes a fire for the melting of any metall or such like operation and it blowes most forcibly with a terrible noise B That which blowes a Candle to make the flame thereof very strong for the melting of glasses and nipping them up C That which any one may hold in his hand to blow the fire strongly upon any occasion Now the manner of the using them in this you must first heat them very hot then put the noses thereof
vapour away encrease your fire till the crucible be red hot and the mixture cease bubling then put it into a wind furnace and cover it that no ashes fall into it and make a strong fire about it for the space of an houre and the mixture will be turned into a transparent Rubie Then take it out and beat it and extract the tincture with Spirit of wine which will become like thin bloud and that which remaines undissolved may be melted into a white metall as the former Another tincture of Gold Hang plates of gold over the fume of Argent vive and they will become white friable and fluxil as wax This is called the Magnesia of gold as saith Paracelsus in finding out of which saith he philosophers as Thomas Aquinas and Rupescissa with their followers took a great deale of paines but in vaine and it is a memorable secret and indeed very singular for the melting of metals that are not easily fluxil Now then gold being thus prepared and melted together with the Mercury is become a brittle substance which must be powdered and out of it a tincture may be drawn for the transmuting of metals Another Tincture Take halfe an ounce of pure gold dissolve it in Aqua regis precipitate it with Oil of flints dulcifie the calx with warme water and dry it and so it is prepared for your work Then take Regulus Martis powdered and mix it with three parts of salt Nitre both which put into a crucible and make them glow gently at first then give a strong melting fire and then this mixture will become to be of a purple colour which then take out and beat to powder and add to three parts of this one part of the calx of gold prepared as before put them into a wine furnace in a strong crucible and make them melt as a metall so will the Nitrum antimoniatum in the melting take the calx of gold to it selfe and dissolve it and the mixture will become to be of an Amethyst colour Let this stand flowing in the fire till the whole masse be as transparent as a Rubine which you may try by taking a little out and cooling of it If the mixture do not flow well cast in some more salt Nitre When it is compleatly done cast it forth being flowing into a brazen mortar and it wil be like to an orientall Rubine then powder it before it be cold then put it into a viall and with the Spirit of Wine extract the tincture This is one of the best preparations of gold and of most excellent use in medicine Another Tincture First make a furnace fit for the purpose which must be close at the top and have a pipe to which a recipient with a flat bottome must be fitted When this furnace is thus fitted put in three or foure graines not above at once of Aurum fulminans which assoon as the furnace is hot flyeth away into the recipient through the pipe like a purple coloured fume and is turned into a purple coloured powder then put in three or four grains more and doe as before till you have enough flowers of gold that which flyeth not away but remaineth at the bottome may with borax be melted into good gold then take them out and pour upon them rectified Spirit of Wine tartarizated and digest them in ashes till the spirit be coloured bloud red which you must then evaporate and at the bottome will be a bloud red tincture of no small vertue Aurum fulminans Take the purest gold you can get pour on it four times as much Aqua regia stop your glasse with a paper and set it in warme ashes so will the Aqua regia in an houre or two take up the gold and become a yellow water if it be strong enough be sure that your gold hath no copper in it for then your labour will be lost because the copper will be precipitated with the gold and hinder the firing thereof then pour on this yellow water drop by drop pure Oil of Tartar made per deliquium so will the gold be precipitated into a dark yellow powder and the water be clear Note that you pour not on more Oil of Tartar then is sufficient for the precipitation otherwise it will dissolve part of the precipitated gold to thy prejudice Pour off the clear Liquor by inclination and dulcifie the calx with distilled rain-water warmed Then set this calx in the sun or some warme place to dry but take great heed and especiall care that you set it not in a place too hot for it will presently take fire and fly away like thunder not without â—reat danger to the standers by if the quantity be great This is the common way to make Aurum fulminans and it hath considerable difficulties in the preparation But the best way is to precipitate gold dissolved in Aqua regis by the Spirit of salt Armoniack or of urine for by this way the gold is made purer then by the other and giveth a far greater crack and sound Note that the salt of the Spirits which is precipitated with the gold must be washed away and the gold dulcified as before A few grains of this being fired give a crack and sound as great as a musket when it is discharged and will blow up any thing more forcibly far then gunpowder and it is a powder that will quickly and easily be fired This is of use for physick as it is in powder but especially it is used in making the foregoing tincture To make gold grow in a glasse like a tree which is called the golden tree of the Philosophers Take of Oil of sand as much as you please pour upon it the same quantity of Oil of Tartar per deliquium shake them well together that they be incorporated and become as one Liquor of a thin consistence then is your Menstruum or Liquor prepared Then dissolve gold in Aqua regia and evaporate the Menstruum and dry the Calx in the fire but make it not too hot for it will thereby lose its growing quality then take it out and break it into little bits not into powder put those bits into the aforesaid Liquor that they may lye a fingers breadth the one from the other in a very clear glasse Keep the Liquor from the air and you shall see that those bits of the calx will presently begin to grow first they will swell then they will put forth one or two stems then divers branches and twigs so exactly as that you can not chuse but exceedingly to wonder This growing is reall and not imaginary only Note that the glasse must stand still and not be moved Another way Calcine fine gold in Aqua regis that it become a calx which put into a gourd glasse and pour upon it good and fresh Aqua regia and the water of gradation so that they cover the calx four fingers breadth this Menstruum abstract in the
then it is fit for medicine The processe of the Elixir according to Divi Leschi Genus Amo. TAke of oâ—r earth through eleaven degrees eleaven graines of our gold and not of the vulgar one graine of our lune not of the vulgar graines two but be thou admonished that thou take not the gold and silver of the vulgar for they are dead but take ours which are living then put them into our fire and there will thence be made a dry Liquor First the earth will be resolved into water which is called the Mercury of Philosophers and in that water it will resolve the bodies of the Sunne and Moone and consume them that there remaine but the tenth part with one part and this will be the Humidum Radicale Metallicum Then take the water of the salt Nitre of our earth in which there is a living streame if thou diggest the pit knee deep take therefore the water of it but take it clear and set over it that Humidum Radicale and put it over the fire of putrefaction and generation but not such as was that in the first operation Governe all things with a great deale of discretion untill there appeare colours like to the taile of a Peacock govern it by digesting of it and be not weary till these colours cease and there appeare throughout the whole a green colour and so of the rest and when thou shalt see in the bottome ashes of a fiery colour and the water almost red open the vessell dip in a feather and smeere over some iron with it if it tinge have in readiness that water which is the menstruum of the world out of the spheare of the Moone so often rectified untill it can calcine gold put in so much of that water as was the cold aire which went in boyl it again with the former fire untill it tinge again The processe of the Philosophers stone according to Pontanus TAke the matter and grinde it with a physicall contrition as diligently as may be then set it upon the fire and let the proportion of fire be known viz. that it only stirre up the maâ—ter and in a short time that fire without any other laying on of hands will accomplish the whole work because it will putrefie corrupt generate and perfect and make to appeare the three principall colours black white and red And by the meanes of our fire the medicine wil be multiplied if it be joyned with the crude matter not only in quantity but also in vertue Withall they might therefore search out this fire which is minerall equall continuall vapours not away except it be too much stirred up partakes of sulphur is taken from elsewhere then from the matter pulleâ—h downe all things dissolveth congealeth and calcines and is artificiall to find out and that by a compendious and neer way without any cost at least very small is not transmuted with the matter because it is not of the matter and thou shalt attaine thy wish because it doth the whole work and is the key of the Philosophers which they never revealed The Smaragdine table of Hermes from whence all Alchymie did arise TRue without all falsity certaine and most true That which is inferiour is as that which is superiour and that which is superiour is as that which is inferiour for the accomplishing of the miracles of one thing And as all things were from one by the mediation of one so all things have proceeded from this one thing by adaptation The Father therefore is the Sun and the Mother thereof the Moon the wind carried it in its belly The Nurse thereof is the earth The father of all the perfection of the whole world is this The vertue thereof is entire if it be turned into earth Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire the subtle from the thick sweetly with a great deale of judgement It ascends from the earth up to heaven and againe descends down to the earth and receives the powers of superiours and inferiours So thou hast the glory of the whole world Therefore let all obscurity fly from thee This is the strong fortitude of the whole fortitude because it shall overcome every thing that is subtle and penetrate every solid thing as the world is created Hence shall wonderfull adaptations be whereof this is the manner wherefore I am called Hermes Trismegistus having three parts of the philosophy of the whole world It is compleat what I have spoken of the operation of the Sun FINIS THE London-Distiller Exactly and truly shewing the way in words at length and not in mystesterious CHARACTERS and FIGURES to draw all SORTS OF SPIRITS AND STRONG-WATERS To which is added their Vertues with Additions of many Excellent WATERS LONDON Printed by E. Cotes for Thomas Williams at the Sign of the Bible in Little-Britain 1652. THE DISTILLER OF LONDON OR Rules and Directions for extracting and drawing of Low-Wines and Spirits to be redistilled into Rich-Spirits Strong-Waters or Aqua-vitae WHereas some of the Professours of Distillation in and about London have heretofore usually drawn Strong waters and Aqua vitae c. out of Wines Low wines and Small Spirits c. by one alone immediate extraction operation or distillation contrary to the most approved form of working in this our Art and have been so opinionated of their own hereditary erroneous wayes that they have esteemed the manner and order here taught to be altogether unnecessary and improvident in that there is here required Redistillation which they have ever thought to be superfluous Not considering that what they save by their seeming thrift they lose double in the excellency of their Wares and otherwise Wherefore that such may not onely acquit themselves of an aspersion of ignorance not undeservedly cast upon them but also vindicate both their own the Companies reputation for time to come The directions following are henceforth by them and every Member of the Company and their Successours duly and exactly to be observed and practised from time to time for ever hereafter That all Wines Lees of Wines Low Wines and Spirits under proof whatsoever intended for making of rich or high Spirits Strong Waters or Aqua vitae c. be first distilled extracted or drawn into strong Proof-Spirit whereâ—y they may be corrected and cured of their natural harsh distasteful unsavory or evil qualities before they be compounded with ingredients or extracted and drawn into rich or high Spirits Strong waters or Aqua vitae according to Art and as is required in the ensuing Rules And because many grosse absurdities have been frequently practised in adulterating some and abusing others of the materials used in Distillation and otherwise by Distillers by such as onely respect their own particular gain regarding neither the profit or credit of Distillers that have been necessitated to make use of such their il-conditioned Wares Wherefore that these grievances may be removed for time to come the Directions following are strictly to be