THE METHOD OF CHEMICAL PHILOSOPHIE AND Physick BEING A brief INTRODUCTION to the one AND A true DISCOVERY of the other Namely of Diseases Their Qualities Causes Symptoms And Certain Cures The like never before extant in English LONDON Printed by J. G. for Nath Brook at the Angel in Cornhill 1664. The Preface ALthough I might have retained to my proper use this excellent Tractate yet considering that Veritatem celare est Aurum sepelire and convinc'd with charity and commiseration of so many diseased left as desperate and with desire of directing those that seek the splendor of powerful Physick I could no longer withhold it from publick view not doubting its kind reception from all that prefer native truth before fucated errour which needs so many volumes to cloak its deformities but confident of their acknowledgment that herein I have rightly improved my Talent as indeed I have endeavoured for the good not so much of my self as of many divulging not only the kernel of Physical Philosophy and a Treasure for health but even many Chemical Arcanaes also openly demonstrated and friendly tendred to all which to add their due praise would too much swell a Preface and too little satisfie the Reader when the work it self doth so briefly so apertly so compleatly demonstrate it that to speak it here were but to hold a Candle to the Sun or to hand thee a Torch in the clearest Noon day Farewell therefore and with me implore the donor of every good gift to give thee understanding of the truth to the glory of his great name and the utility of thy infirm neighbour Amara licèt VERITAS Non amarescit CHARITAS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Books Printed for Nath. Brook at the Angel in Cornhill Excellent Tracts in Divinity Controversies Sermons c. CAtholick History collected and gathered out of Scripture Councils and ancient Fathers in answer to Dr. Vanes Lost Sheep returned home by Edward Chesenhale Esq Bishop Morton on the Sacrament Grand Sacriledge of the Church of Rome in taking away the sacred Cup from the Laity at the Lords Table by Daniel Featley Quakers Cause at second hearing being a full Answer to their Tenets Re-assertion of Grace Vindiciae Evangelii or Vindication of the Gospel a Reply to Mr. Anthony Burges's Vindiciae Legis and to Mr. Rutherford by Rob. Town Anabaptists anatomized and silenced or a Dispute with Mr. Tombs by Mr. J. Cragg where all may receive clear satisfaction A Cabinet-Jewel wherein is Mans misery and Gods mercy set forth in eight Sermons with an Appendix concerning Tyches and expediency of Marriage in publick Assemblies by the same Author Mr. J. Cragg A Glimpse of Divine Light being an Explication of some passages exhibited to the Commissioners at Whitehall for Approbation of publâ—que Preachers against J. Harrison of Land-Chappel Lancashire The zealous Magistrate a Sermon by T. Threscot New Jerusalem in a Sermon for the Society of Astrologers in the Year 1651. Divinity no enemy to Astrology a Sermon for the Society of Astrologers in the year 1653. by Dr. Tho. Swadling Britannia Rediviva a Sermon before the Judges Aug. 1648. by J. Shaw Minister of Hull The Princess Royal in a Sermon before the Judges March 24. by J. Shaw Judgement set and Books opened Religion tryed whether it be of God or man in several Sermons by J. Webster Quarto Israels Redemption or the Prophetical History of our Saviours Kingdom upon earth by K. Manton The cause and cure of Ignorance Errour and Prophaneness or a more hopeful way to grace and salvation by R. Young Octavo A Bridle for the times tending to still the murmuring to settle the wavering to stay the wandering and to strengthen the fainting by J. Brinsley of Yarmouth Comforts against the fear of death wherein are discovered several evidences of the work of grace by J. Collins of Norwich Jacobs Seed or the excellency of seeking God by prayer by Jer. Burroughs The summe of Practical Divinity or the grounds of Religion in a Catechistical way by Mr. Christopher Love late Minister of the Gospel an useful piece Heaven and Earth shaken a Treatise shewing how Kings and Princes and all other Governments are changed by J. Davis Minister in Dover The Treasure of the Soul wherein we are taught by dying to sin to attain to the perfect love of God A Treatise of Contentation sit for these sad and troublesome times by J Hall Bishop of Norwich where all may receive full satisfaction Select thoughts or choice helps for a pious spirit beholding the excellency of her Lord Jesus by J. Hall B. of N. The holy Order or Fraternity of Mourners in Sion to which is added Songs in the night or chearfulness under afflictions by J. Hall Bishop of Norwich The Celestial Lamp enlightning every distressed soul from the depth of everlasting darkness by T. Fetiplace The Moderate Baptist in two parts shewing the Scripture way for the administring of the Sacrament of Baptism discovering the old errour of Original sin in Babes by W. Brittin Dr. Martin Luther's Treatise of Liberty of Christians an useful Treatise for the stating Controversies so much disputed in these times about this great point The Key of Knowledge a little book by way of Questions and Answers intended for the use of all degrees of Christians especially for the Saints of Religious Families by old Mr. John Jackson that famous Divine The true Evangelical Temper a Treatise modestly and soberly fitted to the present grand concernments of the State and Church by old Mr. John Jackson The Book of Conscience opened and read by the same Authour The so much desired and learned Commentary on the whole 15 Psalm by that Reverend and Eminent Divine Mr. Christopher Cartwright Minister of the Gospel in York to which is affixed a brief account of the Author's Life and Work by R. Bolton with Mr. Edward Leighs's Epistle annexed in commendation of the Work The Judges Charge delivered in a Sermon before Mr. Justice Hall and Serjeant Crook Judges of Assize at St. Mary Overeys in Southwark by R. Parr M. A. Pastor of Camberwell in Surrey A Sermon worthy perusal of all such persons as endeavour to be honest and just practitioners in the Law The Saints Tomb-stone being the Life of that vertuous Gentlewoman Mistris Dorothy Shaw late Wife of Mr. John Shaw Minister of the Gospel at Kingston upon Hull Gospel-Revelations in three Treatises viz. 1. The Nature of God 2. The Excellency of Christ 3. The Excellency of Mans Immortal Soul by Jer. Burroughs The Saints happiness together with the several steps leading thereunto in 41. Lectures on the fifth of Matthew called the Beatitudes of Christ by Jer. Burroughs being the last Sermons he ever preached both put forth by the same testimony that publisht his former Works The Iron Rod a Prophetical Treatise A Discourse concerning Liberty of Conscience in which are contained Proposals about what liberty in this kinde is now politically expedient to be given and several
one another then put that dish with the Opium into an Oven assoon as the bread is drawn out when it is so dry that you may crumble it between your fingers take it out then make it to powder and put upon it good distilled Vineger in a glass which keep in Balneo a fortnight then decant the clear from the thick and filter it through a brown paper that being done distill off the Vineger in gentle Balneo till the Opium remain thick as Honey â„ž of that thick extract â„¥ s. and add thereto Salt of Pearl and Salt of Coral ana Ê’i Tincturae Ambergrece 12. drops of Tincture of good Saffron made with spirit of Wine Ê’i and stir them all together with a stick then keep it in a Silver or Pewter box for your use make it so dry as you may make Pills of it Dose from gran 2. to 3. or 4. at most CHAP. V. Of Melancholy It is a Sowerness THe other kind of Sottishness without a Fever is melancholy He is melancholick in whom sowrness excels Melancholy is a great Sottishness accompanyed with Fear and Sorrow which is caused according to the Galenists of black and putrified humours and vapours occupying the seat of the mind That humor is generated when yellow choler or choler degenerates into black choler Sometime the humour consists in the milt sometime in the nigh parts sometime in the head alone sometime it is esfused into the veins and the whole body Hereupon melancholy is threesold that which is of the fore-â—art of the belly the primary and that which is caused by the hurt of the whole body The Hypocondriack melancholy is called also the slâ—tulent melancholy and it is caused when black choler cometh unto the seventh Traverse or Diaphragma from which a black and obscure vapour is conveyed into the seat of the mind The primary melancholy is when the Brain is primaâ—ily affected either with a peculiar hurt or by the hurt of the whole body from hence we may understand that melancholy wearies without affecting the Heart-roots which is caused by the hurt of the whole body They call this Melancholy Solitary Out-raging madness but yet falsly for melancholy is not the cause of Out-raging madness but the spirit of life infected with the poison of Mercury of which Paracelsus writes cap. 4 de morb Amentium tractat 1. cap. 5. that there are four kinds of melancholy men according unto the four complexions as they call them If these complexions beget Sottishness the cause is because they expell and drive away their spirit for their too much abundance But what are the spirits of the humours or complexions a snarp bitter or sowr or sweet taste But what is the taste that which hath a great power as Hippocrates Of the contracted Members Tract 1. c. 4. Melancholâ— hath his seat in the whole body sâ—eaks What is that that hath the great power Salt Sulphur and Mercury for in them all the powers as well of Health as Diseases are contained so the spirit or taste of every humour containing in it the three first powers as well of sanity as of diseases may produce melancholy in as much as such poison commixt with the spirit of life is more languid and faint In this disease the spirit of Salt predominates for it is a Chronical and fixt disease In the cited Chap. Paracelsus saith that melancholy and madness are oftentimes caused by Meat and Drink Cups hurt Men and also Women Melancholick men are oftentimes sorrowful and sad and fly the company and sight of men Others suppose that they must not be spoke unto but that they must live all their dayes in quietness and taciturnity The cure of melancholy the Galenists which say that melancholy is the cause of the disease of sadness when as it is only the name of a disease they endeavour to cure this disease by contraries Melancholy is say they cold and dry therefore it is to be removed with hot and moist things wherefore in that they endeavour to cure it they administer these hot medicines Diambra Mithridates Diamargarita the hot elect Plorisanoticon so also the conserve of Borage of Buglosse and of Sorrel so also Diaboriginatum Diabuglossatum and the confection and compounding of dulcis diamascus though these are not to be contemned for in some sort they refresh the vital spirits but yet they do not remove the disease but as much as in them lies and as far as they can exercise their vertues not yet reduced unto perfection they strengthen Nature The decree and opinion of Paracelsus will ever be firm and constant that melancholy or heaviness cannot be removed by the decoctions of Apothecaries In the curing of melancholy the specifical vertues of the secrets are to be considered The specifical vertue which expels melancholy is in the flowrs of Antimony for by the flowrs of Antimony those are freed wich have been bound in chains for some moneths The flowrs of Antimony are administred in a little quantity of Theriaca in the morning twice or thrice or four times by reason of the contumacy of the disease In the fifth Chapter of Paracelsus de morbis amentium The quintessence of Antimony is a perfect cure of madness so in the sixth Chapter The oil of Antimony preserves from all the kinds of madness The tincture or magistery of Saffron expels sadness desperation and melancholy for Saffron is the chief medicine for melancholy for when as any begins to despair it doth wonderfully refresh the prostrated spirits It is a general deoppilative or unobstruct of the vital spirit and it is the chief joy of the heart The Armenial stone and also the Jazal stone being prepared are more commodiously administred by much The Confection of Alchermes which is commended of all Physicians removes Madness and Melancholick Affections for it strengthneth the spirits and expels all poison The essence of Silver cures all melancholy affections The essence of Ellebor administred It is very expedient against all the affects of melancholy The Smaragdus not only drunk but if hanged about the neck it removes all melancholy affects The essence of Thime Epithime and Origanum take away melancholy Paracelsus tract 3. de generatione hominis Chap. 5. ascribes hereditary foolishness and madness to the unproportionable form of the Brain and bad conformation He setteth down the cause of it viz. The immature seed of undigested liquor of life for he which hath a vicious liquor cannot profuse good seed for the body of the seed is puâ—rid and such like are generated thereof thereof Foolishness and Madness do not rise from the seeds but in as much as some hurts are left from Generation from which many diseases of the figures and cavities descend He that would know more kinds of madness let him read Paracelsus de morbis acutis amentium these kinds which we have explained are more common but the other are more rare Confection of Alchermes much better than
that terra sigillata administred in Paracel theriaca will cure this disease so also Sulphur and Salniter being prepared cures it The Empyema is cured by the Empyoma oil or spirit of Turpentine which disposes the faulting matter unto expulsion of the Empyema Paracels in his cures saith that a noble woman had the Empyema which is an avoiding of filth and I cured her with the oil of Sulphur in the water of the Herb Hogs or Sowbread Balmmint and Betony If any feel a pain or pricking of the side in the lest side about the place of the heart especially upon night and if so be the pain do somewhat lessen then the pain comes from crass winds let him take of the seed of Carduus Benedictus in a convenient liquor and of the burnt horn of a Hart untill the pain vanish The said Diaphoretick Mercury prepare thus â„ž well purged Quicksilver grind it well with Salt Peter calcined Vitriol and Alume calcined ana then sublime up the Mercury in a Cucurbite in the head will ascend white flowrs which are useless and therefore to be cast away by the sides of the body will stick yellow flowrs which separate apart and on the Caput mort will lie Mercury sublimed red as Cinaber which take off carefully then grind the said red Mercury and likewise the yellow that stickt on the sides of the body with fresh Salt Peter Vitriol and Alume subliming the Mercury as before so do also the third time This being done take in the third sublimation the red Mercury only which remained or lay upon the Caput mort gâ—ind it with ana of flowrs of Sulphur and Sal Armoniac sublimed from calcined Vitriol being all well ground together set them to sublime in a subliming Urinal and what sublimeth grind again with that which remained unsublimed and sublime as before which work of grinding and subliming reiterate five times then shall you find your Mercury in the bottom of the Glass of a very deep red colour which is a true Diaphoretick Mercury of very powerful effects in extirpating all obnoxious humours in the body Dose is from 6. grains to 12. according to the strength of the Patient CHAP. XVIII Of the Affections of the Heart THe heart is obnoxious to diseases which partly proceed from the obstruction of the spirit of life partly from putrifaction The diseases which proceed from obstruction of the spirit of life are palpitation and a most vicious dauncing thereof The palpitation The palpitation of the heart is a bad motion of the heart somewhat like unto dauncing of the heart is begot from tartar in the coffer or place of the heart namely when the mechanical spirit of the heart doth not rightly separate the tartar which is in all the aliments or else doth not rightly expel the matter separated for then the passages of pores of the case of the heart are obstructed and the passage of the spirit of life is stopt from hence is palpitation from hence is putrifaction from hence is destruction and lastly from hence is death The Lypothymy is properly a disease of the heart but the Syncope or swounding is of the The Syncope is a prostrating of the vital vertue and strength of the whole body The Lypothymy a is prosâ—raâ—ing of the vital strength of the whole body caused suddenly and at once with sweat and danger of death Ventricle being hurt with crude and slegmy humours Johannes Montanus an excellent Philosopher and Physician in his Treatise de terra sigillata writes that the Lypothymy rises from vapours elevated from the Ventricle or Liver and from putrifaction and poisonful obstructions which invading the heart cause Lypothymies palpitations or trembling The Eclipses of the Microcosm of the heart which stop the breath and brings debility to the members Hippocrates lib. 7. Apo. Barthol Anglus lib. 16. cap. 103. Alexander Benedictus lib. 10. cap. 10 11 12. Read the sign in Galenists The causes which the Gnlenists adduce in the Syncope of the heart are for the most part true some are false which any ingenious man may easily distinguish The cure In the curing of the palpitation of the heart there are to be administred deoppilatives and unobstructive medicines of the spirit of life of which sort are the liquor of Gold the oil of Margarites and Corals Michael in his Apolog. fol. 173. saith that Pearls or Margarites do especially help the affects of the heart So the vertues of Corals amongst the rest are commended because they bring hilarity and alacrity to the heart and because they purifie the bloud and restore a heavenly body unto a temperate habit and absolute mediocrity by a certain vertue and power The essence of Saffron is good for Saffron provokes Urine and amends the colour helps the concoction and it is good to the heart The liquor of Macis Celandine and Balmmint as also the water of theriaca and all Diaphoreticks and Alexipharmatical medicines The liquor that flows forth of the Cedar-trees hath excellent faculties removes the affects of the heart Musk confirme the cold and trembling heart and it helps all the affects of it Ambergreece being smelt adds strength to the brain and heart it helps old men and those which are cold by nature wonderfully The spirit of Vitriol being reduced unto sweetness and some pleasantness of a sweet sowrness is a comfortative secret of the palpitation of the heart and the spirits of the heart and brain Davus fol. 399. The same is effected by the oil of Amber Diamargaritae calidae the confection of sweet Diamoschus Diambra Diacameron and Elâ—ctâ—arium latitiae expel the palpitation of the heart Galen saith very new conserves of Roses Schordion and Theoriaca are profitable in the Syncope and Lypothymy of the heart There must be administred comfortative and strengthning medicines as Gold Smaragdus and Coral Theophrast de tribus principiis cap. 10. so also medicines made of Pearls Saffron Balmmint Macis Theophrast lib. 2. de viribus membror cap. 1. also Succory Hysop and Mint of which Fuschius Thurnens in Pisone lib. 1. cap. 3. saith that Penniroyal red Mint and stores trinitatis are profitable so in the 7. Chap. Fengreek Betony false Ditany Savory Withwind the gumm of a tree in Persia and Earthsmoke so also the herb prunell which is gathered in the beginning of the Spring also Aromatica Moschata Diaboriginata Diabuglossata Diambra and Dianthos laetitiae Take of Oleum Benedictum of Galen in wine with a fasting stomach Riffius bids take it in his Antidotary so also Theriaca water and of Andromachus the conserve of Borage Sorrel and Bugloss do cure the palpitation of the heart Manus Christi Diamargaritae frigidae Diacoralli and Saunders comfort the cold heart these cure the dejected strength and Fevers Thurnens c. Against the straitness and heart-ach take the essence and tincture of red Roses Violets and Sorrel with the salt of Crystal and tinctures of Corals Quercitanus in his answer ad Anbertum