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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A14595	The copie of a letter sent by a learned physician to his friend wherein are detected the manifold errors vsed hitherto of the apothecaries, in preparing their compositions, as sirropes, condites, conserues, pilles, potions, electuaries, losinges, &c: wherein also the reader shall finde a farre better manner how to preserue and correct the same ...	I. W., fl. 1586.	1586 (1586)	STC 24906; ESTC S104450	15,658	34

Popie for if you let the stinking Mercurie of Opium flee away and lay aside his Diaphoreticall salt for another purpose you shall then haue a pure Narcoticall Sulphure which by himselfe may be safely giuen inwardly to asswage any paine whatsoeuer In like māner may you vse Mandrake and Popie whereunto as vnto the rest you may adde the tinctures of Corrall Cinnamon Cloues and such like so shall you haue Anodina comfortātia Exhilarantia in one medecine So shall you not neede to stay a long season for the mellowing of them but may minister them presently if need require These few lines I trust will perswade you and cause you to confesse that you haue a long time erred in the preparation of al your medecines But I feare you are so deepely grounded in the principles the foggie mists and bogges of Aristotle Galene c. that you are fully resolued that these simples which we cal venemous are so cōpounded of the foure Elements into one substance that there ought not to be any separatiō made but they must be corrected by additions O what impietie is this that such as are called to the knowledge profession of God and his word should giue more credite vnto these wicked Infidels then to his sacred blessed word why should wee be Infidels in our philosophie and Christians by name only in respect of matters concerning eternitie why should we be as Christians in matters of the soule as Infidels in things belonging to the body why should we be as professors of holy religion in our meeting together after the manner of Christians on the Lords day and all the daies of the weeke after be as Infidels in the things concerning the bodie which God hath framed as the house of the soule Dooth not Moses that heauenly philosopher record that God beheld al things which he made and loe they were exceeding good How dare you then affirme that Opium Mercury Arsnick or any thing els is except If they were good then doth that goodnesse still remaine in them how then commeth it to passe that they are such strong poysons if you seeke the cause thereof in Aristotle or Galene you shall neuer finde it for herein they were as blind as beetels being altogether depriued of such knowledge vnto whom God vouchsafed not to impart the same yet left them inexcusable against the day of their appearing before the dreadfull Maiestie of that great God euē our Sauiour Iesus Christ But let vs take our way vnto the worde of God which will fully resolue all men that beleeue it which telleth vs that for the transgression of one not onely death was enioined vnto him but for his fault euery creature hath a deth inflicted vpon him each creature had an euill ioyned to his good but like vnto like vnto strong life was added strong death or venome for the death of Roses is not so strong as the death of Arsenicke which may bee perceaued hereby in that the balme of Arsenick is far strōger then the balme of roses as the life or balme of roses is inferiour to the balme of Arsenick which is of such force that he is able to preserue from death dissolution many yeares that most strōg poison which is ioyned with him whereby wee may perceiue that in the strongest poysons are the most pure sweetest balmes to be found But of this you shal heare more in my Anatomy of death Now we may see that before the fall of Adam all thinges were good all things came vnto him and were bred vnto his hand without his labour But afterward part of it was ioyned to poison part of it so fast lockt vp that without great sweate of browes he should not eat of it And in these our latter dayes sloth is growen so strong idlenes hath gotten such maisterie that there are very few which will let one drop fal frō their browes to seeke this bread but indeuour by all methodicall meanes to maintaine this idlenes and to continue it after their accustomed manner that they may sit in their chambers on a soft cushiō take pen inke a litle paper setting downe their prescriptions to their Poticaries ℞ rad flores Semina c. These men do not onely neglect their dutie themselues but with might maine they seeke to deface those which spare for no costes or labour to earne their bread in this māner by raising of ill reports against them whispering in the eares of the Honorable telling them that we are mad men that we do say we know not what are not worthie to liue in a common-wealth Howsoeuer other men be affected I pray you be not angry I haue a better opinion of you I doubt not but you thinke as wel of Paracelsus as his great friēd Erasmus doth which could not choose but commend his diligence in preparatiō of his medecines iudged them farre to exceede those which were commōly vsed At this time I craue no more at your hands but patiently to heare me and read that which I haue here set you downe neither will I at this present trouble your head with any further declaration of the matters before spoken of nor in prouing vnto you how farre you haue erred in bringing in your humors intemperie obstructions to be the causes of all diseases that they be but fantasticall inuētions of an idle head hauing no foundatiō or groūd in nature I know I should but anger you or tell you paradoxes to proue that neither Apoplexia Epilepsia Melancolia Mania Paralycis Lithargas Pleuritis Peripneumonia Pestis Sincope Colica Iliaca Dysenteria Diarhaea Gonorrhaea Nephritis Stranguria Dissuria Cachexia Hydrops Icterus ater flaum Febris Diaria Quotidiana Tertiana Quartana Hectica Lepra Vlcera Apostemata or any other disease whatsoeuer are the proper death or sicknesses of Microcosmi but are the sicknesses and death of the fruit of Microcosmi that by transplantation they growe in Microcosmus Hardly would you beleeue that Estis is the deth of Arsnick Pluritis the death of Antimonie Prunella the death of Brimstone Epilepsia the death of Vitriole Colica Podagra Gonagra Chiragra Ischias Arthritis Hemicrania the death of Tartar Morbus gallicus the death of Mercury Lethar the death of Opiū Febris the death of Nitroci sulphuris Vlcera the death of Saltes c. And if you had bestowed but half your studie in the first booke of Moses which you spent in the foolish Philosophie of Aristotle you had espied your errors long agoe I haue told you already yet I grieue not to tel you againe that for the offence of our first parents death was not onely laid vpon them but for the same transgression God planted a death in euery thing he had made in euery thing he put a death able to destroy such a life And these deaths were not nether are they dead deaths but quicke liue deaths they tooke power both of multiplication and transplantation of him which sent them This is the cause that mā dieth such sundry deaths because hee eateth in his bread the death of all other things which when perfect separation is not made bringeth foorth fruit according to his kinde Ouer these deaths hath the Physician power and not ouer that which was inioyned to the body of man particularly Therfore we affirme that neither Podagra Hidrops Lepra or Epilepsia are vncurable diseases the reason is for that as I sayd before they are the death of the fruites of the great world not of man that they grow not naturally in man but come in by transplantation therefore may be seperated But soft a litle I thinke I haue angred you before I was aware wherefore I will imitate the wise skilfull Chirurgion who when hee seeth a great deale of proude flesh in an vlcer will not apply a strong corosiue to take it away at once although need should so require but will by litle litle apply his corrosiue as well to keepe the good will fauour of his patient as to prefer his owne profite Euen so I seing these cancred opinions grafted rooted in you thinke it best rather to diminish it by litle litle then violently at once to pull it away least thereby I should purchase your displeasure which I am very loth to doo But if I shall perceaue that you will giue these my simple letters the second or third reading ouer you shall not onely encourage mee in my next labours to set out particularly and plainly that which I haue now hastily trust vp hard in a bundell cutting it as shorte as possibly I could doubting how you would take it but it will prouoke me to reueale vnto you the true and perfect preparation of such rare medecines which are found out by this arte of separation so called because it doth shewe the way how to seperate the good from the bad not to make that which is e●… as some haue falsly vnderstood And the more perfect that the seperation is the more worthy name it receiueth as for example if Antimonie be so purged that without any euident annoyance it may be inwardly taken then is he said to be in his magister but if he be further purged one degree higher then is he in his essence Nowe if you leaue him not there but do purifie him more then doth his tincture appeare and if you can purge him throughly and perfectly then shall you haue his Arcanum so of others There are also these degrees in solucion whereby the essence of gold surpasseth the Magister both are expelled by his tincture Thus leauing of at this time to trouble you I cōmit you vnto the tuition protection of Almightie God who for his sonne Christ his sake inspire you with his holy spirit whereby mutuall loue may bee increased in those that are his that in things concerning their owne other mens soules bodies they may agree be of one minde that God may haue the glory by their actions in this life and afterward they may through Christs merits attaine euerlasting happinesse From my house at S. the 21. of this present March 1586. Your louing Coosin and freend student in Physicke 〈…〉

asked the question you make a sleeuelesse answere But go amongst the common people where a man may better be instructed by Lady experience then by reading and reuoluing your methodicall volumes the vulgar sort I say will tell you that euery purgatiō is a poyson At which saying when I was in your predicament and opinion I haue oftentimes laughed but since the time that I came to the knowledge of the art of separation I finde it the truth and no ridiculous matter which they haue set downe For not onely Colocinthis Eleborus Turbith Scammonie Hermodactily Euforbium and such like haue their impurities but Polipodie Sene Manna Tamarinds Cassia Rubarbe haue also their filthines though not in that extremitie This could the simple and vnlearned find out yet you great clarkes with al your learning skill could not espy the same which tendeth to your great discredite hath brought you your art into such cōtempt that they had rather stand to the mercy of the disease then to meddle with your slubbered polluted medecines Yea the wise herby are brought into this opinion and conceyt that whosoeuer vseth much physick can not be very healthie euer after And I haue heard diuerse say that they haue marked sundry times obserued that if a man had taken a purgation cōfected after your accustomed manner the same had not wrought taken effect in his body if that he did not shortly after breake out into itch or scabs he should feel such an inward weakenes that a long time after he should not be his owne man againe The cause wherof may be gathered by that which we spake before in that these your adulterate medecines are cōfected only by addition without separatiō of that which is hurtfull for then the pure not working but the vnpure getting the mastrie hath his effect and worketh his will to the great hurt of the patient slander of our honorable science of physicke But you to saue your owne credite wil make a sluttish excuse say the party would not be ruled hath either taken colde or kept an ill diet and so leaue him oftentimes in worse case then you found him Alas good Cosin why are you then displeased out of charitie with such persons as do aduise and of good will exhort you not to couer the venome of Scāmonie with Quinces the windines of Sene with ginger the drinesse of Rubarbe with succorie the fretting of Colocinthis with gum Tragaganth the burning and firie qualities of Euforbium with the iuice of lillies the stinking sauour of Sagapenum with muske the bitternes of Aloes with sugar but haue brought to light the manner how to take quite away these incommodities that whether they worke or worke not there cā no hurt come to the party Which that you may bring to passe you shall not need to send vnto Atticum for fine hony nor into the East for Saūders nor into Spain for sugar nor into Italy for Anniseeds but only bestow a litle mony with the poore Collier as much at the Glashouse with these two things of small cost you may draw the pure spirit of wine which in few daies will seperate the good from the bad the vertue from the venome the pure from the vnpure without any hinderance at all to the operation of the good Neither need you to feare this that your medecines will take any heat thereby to cause any annoyance to the sicke in that the menstrue being rightly drawne will with euery small heat euaporate quite away But if there be any heat left it will be nothing so much as is in yours by adding Ginger Cinnamon c the which notwithstanding you are woont to giue in hote feuers Now your simples being prepared in manner aforesaid you may giue Colocinthis Euforbium Eleborus Elaterium Scāmonie so safely as you may minister the whole substāce either of Sene Manna or Cassia Thus hauing drawē extracted the essence of each simple purger then may you compound if you list Cholagoga Phlegmagoga Melanagoga Hydragoga yea Panchimagoga whereunto if you adde also the essence either of Stecados Mintes Betonie Nutmegs Cloues Mastick Cinnamon c not that you may correct the medicine but that thereby you may obtaine a double cōmoditie for your purgation shall both euacuate and strengthen In triall whereof you shall finde halfe a scruple of the essence either of Colocinth Euforb Hermodact Turbith Lapidis Cyaney c. to be more auailable and effectuall in Hemicrania Cephalalgia Hydrope Paralysi Lepra Melancholia Arthritide ophthalmia then two drams either of pillulae aureae pillulae Cochiae pillulae sine quibus esse noli pillulae ex Esula ex hermodactilis or pillulae è lapide Cyaneo ceteris one scruple of the essence either of Rubarbe Agarick Sene Scammonie whereof your Diagredium is prepared to be vsed in Febribus colica Nephritide then an whole ounce either of Catholicon Benedicta or Diaphaenian not onely more profitable to the partie but more pleasant in that they are small in quantitie pleasant in tast and without any lothsome smell And besides al this more ease and profite will ensue to the Apothecarie in that he shall not euery yeare be driuen to search his boxes and throw away so much as he findes euill which must be done in your purgations But our extractions wil be as perfect 20. yeares after as they were at the beginning when they were first drawen In so much as we doo not only finde fault with that which is ill but we bring also that which is better in place why should you be angrie or grieued with vs at all If you were but reasonable men you would in some measure requite our pains at the least with good words Thus much cōcerning your purgations Concerning your Comfortatiues as elect de gemmis Dia ambrae dia Margarit de cocco Daphn and such like wherwith you are commonly accustomed to strengthen such parts as you see weakened I am very loth to say my mind for that I am assured that I haue not a litle mooued you with that which before I haue spoken notwithstanding in that the commoditie vse thereof shall redound to the good of the cōmon-wealth and publike safety of all which things both you I ought to seeke being both of vs subiects mēbers thereof I hope it shall neither be from my purpose no new fāgled toy nor to be reprehended though I do lay open before your eies those errors which haue bene are daily committed in preparation of these also And that I may in breefe manner make demonstration therof you know that these are commonly compounded of hearbes rootes spices stones and sometimes of mettals which by ancient experience haue bene found to haue some vertue in them to comfort this or that principal part As for the hearbes rootes you may gather by those pointes which haue beene before set downe concerning your

The copie of a letter sent by a learned Physician to his friend wherein are detected the manifold errors vsed hitherto of the Apothecaries in preparing their compositions as Sirropes Condites Conserues Pilles Potions Electuaries Losinges c Wherein also the reader shall finde a farre better manner how to preserue and correct the same to the great honor and credite of the Physician and comfort of the sicke but chieflie and especiallie to the great prayse and glorie of Almightie God RIght welbeloued Coosin deere friend these are to certifie you that I haue receiued your letters dated the third of Marche wherein I perceyue you seeme to be sorowful for that I am so much addicted to this new sect of Physicians called by the name and title of Paracelsians a more odious and contemptible name I perswade my selfe you could not haue bestowed vpon it then to intitle it A new sect But sith you cannot iustlie prooue it I can the better brooke the accusatiō it seemeth that you neuer read many of Paracelsus his workes nor yet that booke lately set forth by Master B. in our mother tounge which if you had done I hope you would not haue called it the New Phisicke For in those authors you shall find this proposition truely and manifestly confirmed that it had his beginning with our first father Adam and so from time to time hath cōtinued vntill this day but indeed so amplified and enlarged of late and brought vnto euery mans sight that hath both his eies by the long labour and infinite paines of Paracelsus that it seemeth to be borne a new with him I cannot therefore be a little grieued at you nor take small offence at your scandalous and slanderous termes which from the corrupt coller of your angrie mind you haue giuen forth against him For haue you not called him Heretike Coniurer Dronkard Iugler Tospot Aleknight c Ah deere Coosin did you euer read any heresie in his bookes if you had then were it your dutie to haue named where but if you speake it onely vpon hearesay as many of your coate do commōly then are you greatly to be reprehended I assure you I haue read so many bookes of his as are extant and find not any spot of heresie in him but contrariwise a pure and true Christian a friend and fauourer of the flocke of Christ a great enemie to the enemies of Iesu as the deuil pope turke And who euer wrote more against coniuring then he did against Nigromancie sorcerie witchcraft gluttony and suche like abhominations repayre to his bookes De occulta Philosophia and De Magia there shall you finde it Iudge him not then good Coosin by the mouth of his enemies who speake of enuie no more then you would by the verdict of his friendes but trie him by his owne wordes Me thinkes you goe very neere him to find fault with his drinking I think you haue forgotten what Countryman hee was Can you giue the Dier leaue to quaffe the Smith to carrowse and will you grudge Paracelsus to drinke measurably and with reason remember with your selues for I speake to you and all your companie and fauorites that Paracelsus sate not all day on a cushion with a pen in his hand but was occupied both night and day in distilling subliming calcining melting fixing resoluing coagulating reuerberating digesting cementing which things could not be performed without great horrible and strong fires which must needes cause a man to haue a iust quarrell to the cuppe But that hee was a drunkard or tooke more then he could beare away you cannot prooue neither doo his workes declare As for his learning you say he had none if you coūt knowledge of diuers tounges learning as I thinke you doo he had the knowledge and vse of as many as any author you haue and wrote in more Galene wrote but in one tongue that his mother tongue no more did Hippocrates or Aristotle neither can you certainely say that they had any more but hee wrote as well in the Latine tongue as in the Germane tongue which you may perceiue if you please to peruse his booke De Tartaro Hee was also a reader in Basilia which hee could not performe without great learning aske Erasmus he will say the same Moreouer you lay to his charge that his medecines were nothing but poison wherof you nominate some particulars viZ. Oile of Vitriole the glasse of Antimonie the precipitate of Quickesiluer and the rust of Iron as you terme it As for the glasse of Antimonie if it doth otherwise then well you doo him great wrong to burthen him with it for you shal not finde in all his works that he did once name it I denie not but you may find in diuerse places of his workes where he maketh mention of prepared Antimonie and what great vertue it hath in curing many diseases if you suppose that he meant the glasse thereof you are farre deceaued there is great oddes betweene that the Magisterie essence or tincture thereof If you account and esteeme Mathi Gesnerus Andernacus and such like for Paracelsians as I thinke they would haue prooued if they had liued a litle longer I confesse that at that time the glasse of Antimonie was had in great estimation so that some of them so oft as they named it would terme it Stibium nostrū others would not sticke to call it the Philosophers stone yea they auouched that they would do more good with it in three dayes in any desperate disease then they could with their Methodicall medicines in a whole moneth And so often as any great griefe came to their handes whether would they runne for succour but to the same glasse What would they haue done thinke you if they could haue obtained the perfect preparation therof that is to separate him quite from his impurities which is nothing performed in vitrifiyng him For in this glasse the earthly sulphur is so mingled with his Mercurie that he is made rather worse then better and so of force he must do more harme then good And you Galenists cannot so much disprayse it but we doo as much euer did abhor it for our Master hath taught vs a farre better order how to vse it The oile of Vitriole if so be it be wel drawē rectified and with the spirite of wine well circulated vntill it come to a pleasant tartnes not onely we haue found great commoditie therin as oft as wee had neede to asswage thirst open obstructions or withstand the malignitie of feuers but a great many of your opinion haue highly commended the same and will not giue it a Paracelsian name for they thought it not good enough for such an excellent extractiō but they haue giuē it a new name and termed it their artificiall Melancholie If Dioscorides durst minister a dramme thereof vnprepared why should wee feare to giue a scruple of it when it is purged from his venome by the