may excite such as are more experimented in this art to essay an inquiry into the natures of the rest of the mineral Wells with which our Country is abundantly furnished and much adorned they giving no small ground to suspect that the earth is replenished with variety of minerals And seing the earnest desire I have after promoving the knowledge of truth and the good of others did obstetricat these first labours into the world I do earnestly intreat for a cheerfull acceptance of them and that you would swadle them in a favourable construction and not expose them to the brumal sharpness of mockery or detraction For they contain the rudiments of that nature-imitating-art Chymie being only taken from the resolutory part which is subservient to medicine and make no mention of the Transmutation of Mettals Potable Gold and the Philosophers Stone c. Concerning which many things which are false ridiculous and inconsistent with reason have been spoken by some and with which others did and yet do egregiously deceive the world For which some have been deservedly forced to finish their dayes upon Gibbets And this is the reason for which Artists are by some called dâ—ceivers and by others fools as appeareth in Florentius Schoonhovious his Emblem concerning Chymists to which he subjoyneth this verse Dum certis incerta sequor rem prodigus omnem Converti in fumos miseros cincres That is Whil'st that by things most sure such as uncertain are I seek by smoak and ashes I 'm deceived far And in its commentary in these words Alchymie that amiable madness whose sure companion is poverty and labour in vain familiar to the curious its vanity doth hence appear ev'n in promising such things as nature can neither suffer nor attain unto whilst it laboureth to over-turn the natures of things by making a Philosophers Stone as they call it which will forth with change all bodies into Gold or Silver at their touching it The miserable Alcumist who hath spent all his dayes in trying of experiments when all that he had is spent and converted into smoak and ashes in his old age he becometh raged covetous alwayes favouring of Sulphur and Paralytick through his continual handling of Mercury getting nothing but painfull and sorrowfull sighs because his labours hath produced nothing but errour loss and shame But I hope that it shall afterwards clearly appear to all Momus and Zoilus only excepted how wrongously these things are asserted concerning all Alcumists Lastly seing we do not profess our selves to live without the confines of humane fallibility we do humbly intreat all such as know any things of greater worth and more consonant to truth than what we have set down hereafter for two eyes or moe will see better then one that they would upon the same account communicat them unto others If thus our labours shall work upon such we shall possibly be thereby excited to set about some other task no less profitable to others For we believe that all good endeavours are praise-worthy although their events be uncertain Fare-well Mome favere decet prodesse volentibus ergo Carpere vel noli nostra vel ede tua That is Mome it doth become thee well To favour such as would do well Then either give to others yours Or cease to carp and censure ours Ad Lectores Omnibus haec animae conamina prima modestae Grata superveniant quos nova scire juvat That is I. W. These first essayes which the modest mind hath offert Accepted be by such as novels covet To his most accomplished Friend and worthy Comrade Mr. Matthew Mackaile upon his elaborat description of the Moffet and St. Catharines Wells INgenious soul who 'll not admire thy skill Who thus anatomisest with a quill Dame natures hidden cabin and displayes Treasures beyond the conquest of the bayes Such soveraign wealth as miracles performs Restoring death to life and calming storms Rais'd by intemperance Thy water-brooks Refresh the panting heart and fainting looks Of anxious valetudinaries thou Constrain'st the Peasant rude to make a vow And from earths hidden cavern then dost bring Him health and strength to pay his vow and sing Thy Lynx-cy'd intellect receives no stop From intermedes but thou that well stor'd-shop Survey can'st in a minut and from thence Bring soveraign Antidotes with small expence And from things despicable like the Bee Sweet remedies prepare strange industry And yet more strange the bounty of thine hand To straw such treasures up and down our land And in such form that every vulgar Eye From hence may learn profound Philosophy Whereas their sole Monopoly were able To bring thee fame and wealth inestimable What inspiration moved thee to make Poor mortals of their Makers skill partake I' st not enough that they His foot-stool tread But must they also know how He it made Sure providence reserv'd hath these displayes To give them life in these our halcyon dayes And hath designed thee likewise to be Her message-bearer to posterity O may thy virtuous soul receive the fruit Of those the labours and of thy wit acute And may each barking Momus blush to see The lustre of thy ingenuity That so thy nimble Pen may never sall Till myriads of pens thy loss bewail In amoris testimonium sic conatus est I. A. THE PREFACE THat the following description of Moffet-wells may be the better understood we thought it necessary to premise some things concerning the elements of Chymie 1. There are six simple though Physically of the four elements composed bodies whereof every Animal Vegetable and Mineral body is composed and into which they are resolved by destillation and calcination and they are these 1. Earth 2. Phlegme or the insipide Liquor 3. Mercury or the acide Spirit 4. Sulphur or the combustible Liquor 5. volatile-Volatile-salt which cannot endure the fire but flyeth from it 6. fixed-Fixed-salt which resisteth the strongest of Vulcan's fury his vitrifying heat only excepted without any damage The last four only are called Elements by way of excellency above the rest because they only are endued with medicinal virtues 2. The foresaid bodies are called simple because they connot be resolved into heterogeneal parts by destillation without the adding of a heterogeneal body 3. Mercury Sulphur salt-Salt-volatile and Fixed-salt are called the elements of all the foresaid Bodies because they are composed of them but not because all of them can be extracted out of any body and made obvious to the senses for there can but a little Volatile-salt be extracted out of some things and very little Fixed-salt out of others In the Original we asserted that there can no Volatile-salt be extracted out of man's Blood but having since attained a more exact manner of destilling the blood of Animals and separated some Volatile-salt which attacheth it self to the sides of the recipient like Spiders webs from them we do retract that assertion having in the Epistle to the Reader professed that we did not live without the confines
the fermentation of fresh Fleshes 3. Or where there is not a free egress given to the superfluous though not abounding humidity as when a green herb or piece of flesh wrapped up in a two or three-fold cloath doth putrifie whereas it would have been fermented and dryed without putrefaction if it had been hung up in the open air 4. All savour or smell whether pleasant or unpleasant proceedeth from the evaporating Sulphur for such things as are most sulphureous are most odoriferous whilst the Sulphur is evaporating as Camphire Turpeutine c. But Stones Mettals c. which are almost destitute of all combustible Sulphur are likewise also destitute of smell And there be many very sulphureous bodies which are void of smell before the Sulphur begin to evaporat as the recent Vrine of a Man and the flesh of new mactat animals which smell most abominably whilst their Sulphur is evaporating in their fermentation And yellow Lamer which is void of all smell containeth a most odoriferus Oyl as appeareth when it is destilled or inflamed 5. Salt detaineth Sulphur and to its power prohibiteth its evaporation And this is the reason why the recent Vrine of a Man smelleth not For whensoever the Salt of the Vrine which also stinketh because of a little Sulphur which it detaineth united to its self beginneth to be separated from it and affixed to the sides of the Matule the Sulphur beginneth to evaporat and the loathsome smell ariseth Likewise fresh fleshes for the same reason have no abominable smell and the future putide and loathsome savour is prevented by the admistion of Salt For the Sulphur of salted fleshes is fixed and detained by the Salt so that it cannot recrudesce nor evaporat abundantly with any abominable savour and the putrefaction is also exiled by the Salt which doth not absume as some do ridiculously affirm but contemperat the supersluous humidity as before 6. Brimstone not inflamed doth scarcely emit any savour because its combustible Sulphur is by its Salts fixed as well as volatile detained from evaporating Now that Brimstone containeth salts fixed and volatile is hence proven that out of its dross after the separation or consumption of its combustible Sulphur the former is extracted by lixiviation and it is the latter which being resolved into smoak and ascending into the vitreous campane is by the humide air resolved into a most sharp spirit or spiritous liquour which falleth down into the other campane which is the receiver and it is called the Oyl or spirit of Brimstone by the Campane or Bell. 7. The quality of the vapors of inflamed Brimstone which affecteth the Nostrils is not so much a smell as a corrosive quality existing in the Volatile-salt resolved into smoak as was said which doth mordicat the tender skin of the Nostrils penetrateth into the brain perturbeth it and deceiveth the sense and sometimes killeth as is demonstrat by its killing of Bees for all smell proceedeth from the evaporating combustible Sulphur as was formerly proven but the combustible Sulphur of Brimstone doth not evaporat when it is inflamed because it is totally converted into flame and consumed and none of it doth evaporat or is converted into smoak with the volatile salt for if from inflamed Brimstone sulphureous smoak doth ascend with the salinous into the vitreous campane why are not the former condensed into a sulphureous as the latter are into a salinous liquor Moreover no sulphureous body which is void of volatile salt emitteth smoak when it is inflamed unless it be blown upon by wind and so a little of the flame be extinguished and converted into smoak as Sheeps-tallow c. But the smoak of Lamer Camphire and such like inflamed bodâ—es is only the volatile salt resolved into smoak which any man will confess when he shall in vain have sought for a sulphureous and combustible liquor amongst the foresaid condensed smoaks which become either a salt only or a spiritous liquor as was said concerning the volatile salt of Brimstone Likewise no sixed salt doth emit any salinous vapors when it is melted by the fire and therefore in the destilling of such salts as of Nitre Sea-salt c. the double quantity of some Earth as of Bole of Armenia calcined Allom Sand c. is usually mixed with them that their fusion may be hindred for the heat of the fire doth sooner convert the atoms of the salt which are separate from one another by being mixed with the atoms of the Earth into a spirit then if they were united into a liquor by fusion for united virtue or strength is stronger for operating or resisting and contrariwise and the atoms of the Earth do impede the union of the salinous which are melted by the heat and converted into a spiritous vapor But some perchance will say if the quality of inflamed Brimstone which affecteth the nostrils were only a corrosive quality existing in the volatile salt then the forementioned spirit of Brimstone which is its volatile salt dissolved into a liquor by the humide air cast upon burning coals would emit a smoak endued with a corrosive quality which would affect the nostrils trouble the brain and deceive the sense as before To this I answer that this cometh not to pass because the volatile salt in which only the corrosive quality doth exist is detained by the fixed salt of the coals which doth prohibit its evaporation with the humide air which was first converted into water and is again resolved into smoak The truth of these things will afterwards better appear in the answers to the first and second Objections 8. From the premisses we conclude that the whole substance almost of Brimstone consisteth not in a rotten smell and that it cannot in a natural manner communicat to any earth or water an unsavoury smell whether natural called foetor or unnatural called putor For only the salts of Tartar and Lime can produce the solution in water and indâ—gestion from whence proceedeth the putide smell which it communicateth to water of the combustible Sulphur of Brimstone as in the composition of Lac sulphuris For when Brimstone is boiled in water with the salt of Tartar the combustible Sulphur with the salts being by boyling associated to the salt of Tartar becometh dissolved in the water which before its fermentation smelleth no otherwise than Brintstone which is not inflamed Now the fermentation of this water thus impregnat is 1. subitaneous when some drops of destilled Vinegar are instilled into it for then the salt of Tartar doth associat it self to its like according to the proverb viz. the salt of Vinegar both which have their original from Wine And after the precipitation of the pouder it relinquisheth some of the combustible Sulphur mixed with the water which incontinent becometh indigested and beginneth to evaporat because it is dissolved in a strange humide body and is associated to a strange salt which cannot hinder its evaporation from whence proceedeth the
unpleasant smell most like to that of the yoke of a hard boyled Egg and most unlike to the smells of not-inflamed Brimstone and Moffet-Wells which argueth the indigestion of the combustible Sulphur 2. Or slow because the salts c. of the Brimstone and Tartar do within few hours assix themselves to the sides and bottom of the vessel wherein they were boyled and then beginneth the fore-mentioned loathsome smell as was said concerning the fermentation of Vrine Now that the reliques of the combustible Sulphur which are mixed with the water do recrudesce appeareth hence that this putide water doth extinguish fire and its relicts do not take flame as doth the Sulphur which is by the salts detained into the precipitated pouder The same cometh to pass when the double quantity of the pouder of Lime is mixed with Brimstone and both are destilled together for then some few drops only of almost insipide but stinking Phlegme like the fore-mentioned water impregnat with the combustible Sulphur of Brimstone and Salt of Tartar do exstill although you should augment the fire unto the liquefaction oâ— the Glass Retort thus was I cheated in seeking after Schroderus his Oleum Sulphuris rubrum described in his Pharmacop Med. Chym. lib. 〈◊〉 cap. 28. Here you may take notice that it is inpossible to extract out of Brimstone a sulphureors and combustible â—…uor without mixing with it some other body containing a combustible Sulphur because the combustible Sulphur of Brimstone is so united to it's salts and so detained by them that it cannot be separated from them without the actual touch of fire and when it is so touched it becometh presently inflamed and consumeth totally as was asserted We said 1. that Brimstone could not in a natural manner communicat to earth or water any putide smell 2. That by the salts only of Tartar or of Lime the solution in water and indigestion of the combustible Sulphur of Brimstone can be produced because neither Nitre Salt-Amoniack nor Sal-Gemmae which only are true Mineral-salts can produce the solution in water or indigestion of the foresaid Sulphur Neither will the longest infusion or decoction of Brimstone in water produce the solution and indigestion of it's combustible Sulphur because it is most strictly united to it 's proper Salts Seing these things are collected from our own proper experiments only wâ— are of opinion that from them may be concluded that it is most probable that the water of Moffeâ— Wells passeth not through Brimstone seing thâ—â—he solution in water and indigestion of it's comâ—ustible Sulphur cannot be caused by any true mâ—â—eral Salt and the Salts of Tartar and Lime by which only the fore-mentioned effects can be proâ—…ced neither were nor ever can be found is the veins of the earth through which the wateâ—… do run The fore-mentioned Author otherwayes most learned in the beginning of his 9. chap. of hâ—… 4. Book of hot Baths judgeth also amiss in saying that the cause of fervide Fountains is an actual fire in these words Seing the waters do spring abroad very fervide or hot we must of necessity confess that an actual fire above all degrees of heat is beneath them for the very waters themselves do bewray the very substance of fire it self a most hot quality and the operations likewise of fire they burn observe here that the Author useth two words incendunt and urunt by the former of which if he do mean that they do inflame or kindle he is yet further in the wrongâ— for there is no solid body more easily set on fire then Gun-powder is nor is there any liquide body of a more facile inflamation then the rectified spirit of Wine is and yet neither of these could ever be inflamed by any such waters as he mentioneth neither by the most rectified Aqua-fortis which according to his judgement hath as many degrees of hear as any of these waters of which he writeth vesicat destroy sense expilat whatsoever Animals are cast into them then excoriat a little and at length do consume the flesh and enervat to the very bones all which are the effects of fire These things are spoken amiss 1. because the very contrary effects are at some times produced by bodies which are most hot as when the most rectified spirit of Wine and all sulphureous Oyles which are drawn out of Spices as also the Oyl of Lamer do not destroy sense but revivifie it when it is destroyed and as it were dead as in the Palsie 2. There be two bodies viz. Iron which no man did ever call more hot then cold and Aqua-fortis which is composed of Nitre and the Salt of Vitriol which are really cold radically frigide the mixture of which in a Glase Cucurbite covered with it 's Still produceth a great heat ebullition and destillation and that without the external adhibiting of the heat of fire Now this heat ariseth not from actual fire seing the forementioned bodies are not firy nor hot but rather from the motion of the corrosive Aqua-fortis whilst it operateth upon the Iron for dissolving of it for motion produceth heat as when a piece of Lead which is of it self most cold contracteth heat being beaten by an Iron Pestill or Hammor which also are naturally cold That actual fire is in neither of these two bodies and that it produceth not this heat appeareth hence that the most rectified Spirit of Wine which is most easily inflamed when mixed with Aqua-fortis whilst it is dissolving Iron conceiveth not flame but doth debilitat the action and totally prohibite it for a time But we shall easily shew that Aqua-fortis and every acide Spirit as the Spirits of Vitriol Nitre Brimstone c. which do vesicat burn as it were c. are not hot but cold by proving that every Salt especially the fixed is cold seing the fore-mentioned Spirits and water are only Salts converted into Liquors either by the heat of the fire or humide air Arg. 1. And 1. we say that all Physicians both Hermetical and Galenical do acknowledge that Nitre the Spirit of Vitriol which Angelus Sala in his 6. chap. concerning the nature of the spirit of Vitriol asserteth to be borrowed from Brimstone and to have the same virtues and properties with the spirit of Brimstone and which in the 10. chap. he acknowledgeth to be hot in the fourth degree the Spirit of Brimstone c. do refrigerat although they do say that they do it accidentally only and by de-obstruating As for example when some drops of the Spirit of Vitriol which they call hot by de-obstruating the pores of the body do conciliat a more facile entry to the refrigerating water I do acknowledge that it is not admirable that this opinion thus masked with the specious dress of probability and vulgarly believed because established by the authority of Antiquity hath hitherto inclined the reasons of all men to an assent and conformity unto it but yet upon the evidence of hope we dare
Medicinae pract lib. 6. part 5. cap. 1. de natura veneni who did eat at supper flesh wherewith much Saffran was boiled and immediatly thereafter he had almost died through laughter It were superfluous to ad more to this purpose seing the practice of all Physicians who have any knowledge of Chymistry doth demonstrat that Antimonial medicaments externally or internally used do operat as innocently as any others As to the second which is a most confident assertion destitute of probation and most unbeseeming a Physician who for each of his assertions ought to have in promptu causam I do first deny Lead to be poyson in any other respect than I have conceded Antimony Wine and Sâ—ssran to be such in the fourth answer And secondly I deny the consequence for similitude of external formes can never infer a similitude of internals especially when the effects flowing from both the internal formes are most discrepant as in Antimony and Lead For the third that it emitteth a virulent and venemous smell and exhalation like that of orpament from which as from present poyson Chymists do advise to preserve the nose I answer first that neither of these exhalations are poysonous for I have often breathed the air that was vitiat with both and oftest that of Orpament yea of Arsenick itself when burned yet was never prejudiced 2. Though it were true that the exhalation of Antimony is poysonous doth it argue that Antimony after calcination whereby it is freed from that poysonous exhalation is still venomous It doth certainly demonstrat the contrary as in Antimony Diaphoretick or at least that its venenosity is much diminished as in Crocus Metallorum Moreover is not the flesh of vipers an excellent Alexipharmick or antidot against poyson when the head and gall wherein its venom doth reside according to Schroderus are separated from it To the fourth viz. that it is imperfectly corrected by Borax Treacle c. I answer 1. this Author should have evinced by reason that none of those mentioned Alexipharmicks were capable to correct the venenosity of Antimony and not have given his nudam assertionem for it 2. Although he and his informers could never attain the skill of preparing it so as that it would not produce any of those sad symptoms should others who have attained it be by him or any prohibited to use it when frequent experience hath discovered unto them the innocency and usefulness of its operation As for the fifth the sad and lamentable symptoms which it produceth I answer that I never found the like save once notwithstanding of which I have still made use of it with good success and therefore every one would make use of it as he shall find encouragment from its peaceable behaviour Concerning the sixth viz. that it purgeth not elective as they say any peculiar humor as others do viz. Bile Melancholy c. but promiscuously all both good and bad I answer 1. that it is well asserted but ill proven 2. I will not contradict that opinion so generally received by the learned that some medicaments are Cholagoga other Melanagoga c. but only declare that though I be by experience convinced that some have a natural aptitude to purge Bâ—…e more then any other humor and another sort for purging of Melanchâ—ly c. Yet whensoever a potion composed of either sort is exhibited to any person it doth promiscuously evacuat a part of each of those humors which it encountereth and this is undeniable by my who have been diligent observers of the egesâ—a which in valetudinary persons is as necessary as the noticeing of the ingesta 3. The assertion may be denied for I have known an Antimonial potion evacuat a pound of Bilis porracea which was the only cause of a constant vomiting two or three hours after meat all that the person had taken at the last meal as also another pound of Bilis Vitellina mixed with pituita salsa wherewith the internal wrinckled superfice of the stomach being as it were daubed it and the other humor occasioned an indigestion of the meat and in others produceth either a lienteria when meat is evacuated by stool without being at all altered by the stomach which being slippery cannot retain it as when its wrinckles were not daubed with the humor or Coelica passio wherein meat is excerned after being but a little altered Seventhly he affirmeth that Antimony purgeth not of it self as other purgatives do but accidentally This is all one as if he had said that Antimony purgeth as drink fruits c. which are not purgative of themselves do when a person hath taken a surfet of them whereby nature being oppressed it doth impetuously expell them and other humors both good and bad with them The falsity of this is so palpable that it were folly to set about the refuting of it The eighth is an irrefragable truth The ninth doth not well express the Authors meaning which I conceive was at least should have been this that so long as the natural mistion of the constituent parts of Antimony is not altered by fire the vomitive and purgative faculties of it do not discover themselves but so soon as the Sulphur is freed in some measure from the bonds of salt by which it was formerly fettered it doth communicat it self unto the affused liquor and draweth along with it the nitrous volatile salt in both which resideth the vomitive and purgative virtues of Antimony I shall add for a Colophon the reason why the foresaid water worketh not but when it is taken by pounds viz. because it is impregnat only with the putide Sulphur of Antimony for if it were inriched with the Earth volatile salt and best Sulphur that is such as is not become putide by recrudescing in fermentation of Antimony as is Spanish Wine wherein the Saffran of Mettals hath been infused it would by ounces as this doth commove and purge out the humors and contain such a matter as would be precipitable by some liquor for the earth of Antimony wherein do exist the Sulphur and volatile salt which commove and purge out the humors doth by precipitation separat it self from Spanish Wine when some drops of Aqua-fortis are mixed with it But the water of the Wells containeth no precipitable matter Now that the vomitive and purgative qualities of Antimony existeth in the Sulphur and volatile salt is hence proven that Diaphoretick Antimony which is Antimony that is totally deprived of Sulphur and volatile salt by calcination is neither purgative nor vomitive and the sublimed flowers of Antimony are most purgative and vomitive And hence it appeareth that in Diaphoretick Antimony the virtue of Antimony which attracteth and purgeth humors is not imprisoned but banished by Nitre Courteous Reader these are the things which we learned from the operations of Art and Nature but if any shall from the same or like principles prove that the fore-mentioned water runneth through Brimstone or Vitriol c. we
of humane fallibility But it is ordinarly in greater abundance extracted out of the hornes feathers c. of living Creatures Likewise there can be but very little Fixed-salt extracted out of these unless they be taken in great quantities and put to a tryal for where the volatile-Volatile-salt doth abound there is little of the fixed-Fixed-salt and contrarywise 4. The Earth which they call the dead head is as it were the subject of the foresaid Elements and is of no use or virtue when the Elements are separated from it 5. Phlegme is only the carrier of nourishment to the Elements As for example water is only the carrier of that aliment which Vegetables and Minerals do suck out of the Earth for their nutrition and it is the carrier also of that nourishment which living Creatures do extract out of the parts of Vegetables and Minerals as the Phlegme of Wine is only the carrier or chariot of those active Spirits which do exhilerate the heart of man 6. It is not only certain from the Chymical resolution of bodies that the forementioned Elements have a real existence in nature but it is also naturally known to all Cooks for in their dressing of Meats they labour to supply the penury of Sulphur Mercury and Salt by adding Butter Vinegar and Common-salt in making of Sauces 7. In the resolution of any natural Body that is in a natural estate by destilling the Phlegme exstilleth first 2. the Mercury 3. Sulphur 4. Salt-volatile and 5. the Fixed-salt remaineth in the earthly part from which it is to be extracted by calcination solution filtration and coagulation Neither doth this falsifie what hath been said that in the destilling of fermented Wine that is which hath stood one two or moe dayes after i'ts being pressed out of the Grapes the sulphureous Spirit exstilleth before the rest for this cometh to pass because the sulphureous Spirit which is Volatile of it self is separated from the rest of the Elements by fermentation and is in an unnatural estate Neither doth any more of this Spirit exstill then is separated from the Salt c. by fermentation And in the destilling of new Wine the sulphureous Spirit beginneth to exstill before that the Phlegme is altogether separated because of the suddain fermentation of the Wine which causeth the sulphureous and volatile spirit reject that bond and tye under which it was formerly For all bodies when they are in their natural condition are alwaies resolved by art after one and the same manner that is to say their elements are still separated in the same order So that it is probable that in the destilling of not-fermented Wine the Vinegar or mercurial-part which is the true spirit of the Wine For spirit is first and most properly attributed to Mercury and in the next place only to Sulphur would exstill before the sulphureous spirit if the fermentation of Wine could be impeded whil'st it is a destilling You would here take notice of the reason why the simple spirit of Wine doth pass sooner and more facilely through the stomach and occasion less unpleasant eructations from it than when it is impregnat with the sulphureous spirits of Cinnamon or other Spices We conceive that this cometh to pass because the spirit of Wine is a most homogencal body which debateth less with the natural heat and flatulent vapors which are contained in the slomach than when it is associat to the sulphureous spirits of Spices for the more sorts there be of them there is the greater confusion and debate amongst them and betwixt them and the forementioned flatulent vapors when they begin to be altered and concocted by the natural heat and therefore the eructations occasioned by this strife cannot but be more frequent and noysom to the pallat than such as proceed from a less confused and violent debate 8. The Mercury or acide Spirit is the ferment of the forementioned bodies 9. Ferment in general is either natural or artificial and each of these is either simple or composed 1. The natural and simple ferment is the proper mercury of any simple body as of Wine Milk c. which being incited by external heat doth produce a swelling of the body whose it is and a separation of its heterogeneal parts or elements as the mercury or vinegar of Wine causeth it to swell and produceth a separation of the sulphur from itself as also of the salt contained in the tartar which doth attach it self to the sides of the vessel from both 2. The natural and composed ferment is made up of the praper mercuries of several simple bodies as of Cinnamon Opium c. whereof Treacle is composed and produceth a swelling of it and a conjunction of the several elements and qualities of the many different bodies as it were into one new nature and that by fermentation concerning which you shall have more hereafter Here you may observe that a simple body which hath been fermented by its simple and proper mercury may be thus also as it were fermented As well fermented Wine being put into a glass hermetically sealed or well stopped with a Cork and exposed to the Sun his beams in the Canicular-dayes its mercury or fixed spirit will alter the sulphureous and volatile spirit and change it into its proper nature by fixing it and the sulphureous and volatile spirit will in some measure volatilise the fixed spirit for Vinegar thus prepared is the best and strongest And hence it appeareth that the spirit which doth first exstill in the abstraction of such Vinegar from Mettals which have been dissolved by it and which is commonly called the burning spirit of the mettal and by Angelus Sala in his seventh Aphorisme of the first Sect a part of the Vinegar converted into a burning spirit like to the spirit of Wine and the very spirit of Vinegar is not so much the spirit of Vinegar as either a part of the sulphureous and volatile spirit of the Wine which revivifieth as it were by defermentation if we may thus speak for it was fixed by the fixed spirit of Vinegar and is now for saken when it beginneth to operat upon the mettal which it dissolveth or that part of the sulphureous spirit which the mercurial had not fixed compleatly The verity of this is proven by another operation like unto it viz. in the destilling of the Butter of Antimony out of equal parts of Antimony and Corrosive-sublimed-Mercury the salinous spirit of the sublimat which had before corroded and united to themselves the Mercury when they are commoved by a new heat they begin to corrod the Antimony and do forsake the Mercury which they did formerly corrod for when the fire is augmented the revivified Mercury exstilleth towards the end of the destillation Yea the Butter of Antimony is nothing else but the salts of the sublimat by corrosion impregnat with the Reguleal part of Antimony For we did convert the Emetick powder which is made of the Butter of Antimony into
promise to our selves that our not understanding how actuall cold and an effectually cooling quality can consist with radical heat will avert from us the odious attribute of presumption and conciliat a favourable construction to this our singularity and non-adherence to Antiquity because that distinction never was nor could be applied to any without controversie hot body not salinous as to the spirit of Wine Oyl of Cloves Cinnamon Mustard c. any of which being mixed with the most cooling liquor will without controversie diminish its frigidity 2. Aqua fortis the spirits of Vitriol and Brimstone the spirit of common Salt the Oyl of Tartar by deliquation which is the Salt of Tartar dissolved into a liquor by the humide air in a cold or subterrancal place the Oyl of common Salt by deliquation c do extinguish the fire as doth the coldest water Therefore they are in their first qualities heterogeneal to fire for such bodies only are and ought to be vulgarly called homogeneal to fire in their first qualities which do contain some matter which becometh nourishment unto fire Salts and Salinous bodies only excepted and that is only Sulphur it from if it be almost insipide as the Sulphur â—r Oyls of sweet Almonds Olives c. before they become rancide then the body which containeth it is not called hot but temperat in heat but if the Sulphur bâ— very sapide and do affect the taste much the body wherein it doth reside is called hot and its degreeâ— of heat are commensurat by the degrees of its sapidity Now every pure Salt is altogether destitute of such matter Moreover the frigidity of bodieâ— which are estimat cold should likewise be measureâ— by their different degrees of sapidity as Cichory is colder than Lettice and the juyce of a Limon is colder than either and the spirit of Vitriol is the coldest of all the four c. Neither is this contrary to the common saying of Phâ—losphers viz. that water is the coldest of all bodies for that is only to be asserted of the pute elementary water which is not to be found amongst us and unto which without all controversie frigidity in the highest degree is as proper as siccity humidity and calidity are unto the Elements of Earth Air and Fire So that it is more then probable that as the refrigerating cold of some springing waters doth hugely surpass the same quality in common fountain water so likewise the frigidity of the elementary water doth surpass that of the spirit of Vitriol and springing water as far as the strength of Aqua fortis doth the strength of the juice of Limons in dissolving of Pearls both which do operat after the same manner only dissolving them into pouder without 〈◊〉 I roying their natural temperaments which five doth when it dissolveth them or any thing 〈◊〉 all which do undeniably evince this that Corrosives are not of a fiery and hot temperament 3. Every Fixed-salt doth naturally attract those things which are cold and humide as Water and Air therefore it is in its first qualities frigidity and humidity homogeneal to them Moreover as the action of the spirit of Wine Aqua-vitae c. upon Oyls whereby they dissolve them and unite them unto themselves doth argue the Oyls viz. of Cinnamon Anise c. and spirits to be homogeneal so likewise we do most probably conceive that the dissolution of Salts by water doth demonstrat the homogeneity of their natures For no natural body which is in its natural estate doth naturally appetize or attract its contrary Nor is it contrary unto this that an animal whose stomach is distempered with calidity and siccity naturally desireth a humide and refrigerating body because that stomach is not in its natural estate neither is it the stomach but the Animal whose the stomach is which desireth the curation of the morbifick distemper by a humide and refrigerating body You would here take notice that the cause of Thirst which is by Aristotle in his second Book of the Soul called a desire after a humide and frigide body is two-fold external and internal each whereof is either hot or corrosive and cold For corrosives are really different from such things as are hot as shall afterwards appear from what hath been and is to be said 1. The internal hot cause of thirst is a hot distemper of the whole body as in a Feaver or of some part of it as of the Stomach Liver c. 2. The external hot cause of thirst is the radical heat of meat or drink existing in their sulphureous parts which produceth a hot distemper in the stomach c. 3. The internal corrosive cause of thirst is a bilious salt and corrosive humor which corrodeth the skin of the stomach and by motion in the solution of continuity conciliateth heat in the corroded part only whereas the heat of meat and drink do sometimes produce a hot distemper in the whole body each of whose parts after the concoctions it permeateth 4. The external corrosive cause of thirst is the corrosive salts of meat and drink which do corrode the stomach as before For the cure of thirst proceeding from a hot cause whether external or internal a body radically and actually cold and humide is necessarily required But for the cure of thirst proceeding from a corrosive cause a humide body radically only though not actually cold is sufficient wherein the Salts may be dissolved which being done in a copious humide body they become so debilitat that they cannot any more corrode the skin of the stomach for disjoyned virtue or strength is weaker Now this solution is more easily effectuat in a humide body which is actually hot than in one which is cold This sort of thirst is curable also by Pearls Coral c. For when such things are put into the stomach the Salt of the corrosive humor doth affix it self to the atoms of the Pearls Coral c. and so the humor is dulcified as is Vinegar when affused to Corals Red-lead c. and loseth its corrosive quality and then the thirst ceaseth Here we cannot but inquire after the cause and cure of that common and troublesome distemper vulgarly called the Heart-scade We conceive that it is caused by acide and corrosive humors which being congested into the stomach do irritat its expultrix faculty so that they are constrained to mount upwards to the throat where the greatest pain and trouble is found because the corrosive humor having excoriat the Oesophage or Wezand it is still most sensible of the mordication of the humor which is most active upon the uppermost part upon which it beateth with violence So this may be called an imperfect vomiting because there is but little or nothing expelled at the mouth the humor descending again into the stomach The cure of this turbulent distemper consisteth 1. either in the evacuation of the peccant humor which is the perfect cure or 2. in the correcting of its
is this Oyl of a sudain operation to heal all salt-scabs and humors that trouble the outward skin of man commonly the head and hands are quickly healed by the virtue of this Oyl It renders a marvellous sweet smell Dr. Ja. Hart also maketh mention of it to the same purpose in his Dyet of the diseased Book 3 chap. 19. at the end The Author of the forementioned description is mistaken 1. In saying that the Oyl floweth perpetually above the water 2. In asserting that it hath a marvellous sweet smell As to the latter assertion it favoureth of misinformation because the smell of the Oyl is most like unto the smell of the smoke of Coals and their Oyl which are no wayes gratefull or sweet and the first assertion is also of the same nature For the Oyl remaineth in the veins of the earth which are near unto the bottom of the Well and doth never ascend unto the superfice of the water but by drops only and that when the water is commoved because some drops of the Oyl are then separated from the rest which are detained in the veins of the earth through their viscosity by which they are attached unto the earth 3. The manner of collecting the Oyl is this the water of the Well being exhausted by buckets untill the superfice of that which remaineth be as low as the orifices of those veins in which the Oyl is absconded when the superfice of the water is often moved by a convenient vessel from the side of the Well where these orifices are unto the middle the Oyl cometh forth of the veins and floateth upon the water from which it is separated as Cream from Milk Here you would take notice 1. that when the Well is full of water there appeareth sometimes scum upon it which is most delicatly vatiegat with these colours blue red green purple c. and Chamelion-like changeth all these colours according to the variation of its position unto your eyes either by your moving from one place unto another round about the Well or by its moving its place upon the water by motion The reason of this variation of colours we conceive to be the different wayes of reflecting the rayes of light by by the foresaid scum seing it is not altered by any other physical agent 2. The water of the Well is scarcely affected with the taste of the Oyl so that it may be justly esteemed as destitute of its other virtues The reason of this is because its taste and consequently its parts wherein its virtues do confist cannot be communicated unto the water without the mediation of its salt either fixed or volatile But so it is that the fixed-salt of the Coals remaineth inseparable from them before they be calcined and the volatile being nitrous is drawn along with the resinous oyl whereby its solution in the water is prohibited If it shall be demanded what this Scum is We answer that it is nothing else but one or more drops of the fore-mentioned oyl which have been by agitation of the water first separated from tho rest which lurketh in the subterraneal veins at the bottom of the Well and then by a further commotion extended over as much of the waters superfice as it could cover when converted into a thin pellicule or scum The truth of this is easily demonstrat by this experiment take one drop of the fore-mentioned oyl and instill it into a large vessel full of water and then agitat the water with a stick and you shall presently perceive the like scum which will vary its colours as was said The Chymical Oyl of Worm-wood will do so also 4. It is most probable that the foresaid oyl is the oyl of Coals for proving of which consider 1. that this oyl is most like in colour smell and taste unto the oyl which is by the Spagyrical Art extracted out of Coals save only in that it is not so strong because it was not extracted by the violence of fire as this whose strength existeth in its most active spirits which the fire hath separated from the Coals 2. The artificial oyl of Coals is impregnat with the same virtue but in a more eminent degree which the Author ascribeth unto the oyl of the Well as experience hath often testified unto me 3. A drop of the artificial oyl of Coals being instilled into a large vessel full of water by agitation it will be converted into a scum which will vary its colours after the same manner that the scum of the Well doth 4. The adjacent ground south-wards is full of Coal-pits and Lime-stones which we conceive do tend unto the nature of Coals and do differ only from them as Silver differeth from Gold and this difference is easily collected from that Axiom Metallizationis finis est aurificatio Moreover Lime-stones are alwaies found near to Coals as we are credibly informed Having already afferted that this oyl is the oyl of Coals we cannot but also confess that we are of opinion that it is the very oyl of the Parretcoal because this is the most sulphureous Coal whose copious Sulphur is of a most facile separation by the abluent water as it passeth through the veins of the earth in which this sort of Coal is contained 5. Whilst the water of the Well passeth through the veins of the Earth where the Coals are it carrieth along with it as much of the oyl as serveth to make an unctuous scum upon its superfice and when it passeth through other veins of the earth into the Well it encountereth some dryer parts to which it attacheth it self untill it is converted into an oyl by the contraction of its parts and continual accession of more pellicules This is sufficiently proven by the forementioned experiment For if one drop of the oyl be convertible into an unctuous scum as was proven why should any doubt that the unctuous scum may be again converted into oyl by having its parts more strictly united We hope that none will question the separation of this oyl from Coals which are a most sulphureous mineral seing many vegetables less or no more sulphureous do daily sacrimat sulphureous Gums as Turpentine Mastick c. The virtues of the oyl 6. THe only virtues which as yet are ascribunto this oyl are 1. It s singular curing of the Scab by the forementioned Author 2. A power of healing all aching of the Bones by our learned Country-man Dr. Anderson in his Cold-spring of Kinghorn But we conceive that these following virtues may upon a most rational account be attributed unto it and to the artificial oyl of Coals 1. It is very probable that these are excellent Anti-podagrick and Anti-paralytick oyls because of the intense calidity wherewith they are endued 2. They are good Anti-hysterick oyls for internal as well as external use because of the fetide smell wherewith they are impregnat 3. They will prove good Ant-asthmatick oyls because of the aperitive quality wherewith they