strength of Roses is rather placed in the earthy part Quercetan erreth whilest he would have the digestion of the juyce at length drawn or prest forth to be repeated in Balneo and that which is clear to be seperated adding thereto the earthy parts But plenty of the said flowers being wanting infusion in boyling water the vessell being well closed up hath the next place nor then is there any need of Balneum it sufficeth to be placed in a warme place for certain houres or if you had rather use the distilled water of Roses it ought not to boyle forth but to be placed a while in Balneo with the Roses There is also a salt made or prepared by decoction out of salt waters It is the propriety of Salt to bind and be sharp brachish and of a watry of spring by which name it receiving into it self a moist aire forthwith melteth as also others which from their first origine are rather watry then earthy From hence it followeth that no true Salt can be got out or Plants yea even from them which abound with Saltness Such as are Kaly or Saltwort and Sea-grape or knotted Kaly For which cause we refuse and altogether reject those white Powders which are made of sodden lyes whilest lye filtered is stilled till there remaineth in the bottome a thicknese like Hony which is dryed at the sunne or by the Fornace and at length for whiteness sake is burnt by a moderate fire in a Gold smiths pot when they want a native genuine saltness and if there be any it is much inferiour to that in naturall Salt when in like manner the lye retaineth nothing of the nature of a Medicine besides sharpness much lesse the foresaid Powders unless peradventure those which are void of all sharpness may be usefull gently to dry but will not answer the labour of making them and cost in their operation Neither can true Salt be gotten or made out of urine For if it be boyled or stilled till the watery moisture is resolved into vapours and the dregs be calcined there ariseth a Powder with an odious taste and if you poure water upon the thing calcined and after draw it by distillation you may truly wash away the stinke but you will have remaining rather the taste of Salt-peter then of Salt But what madness is it to reckon Vitriall Allum and Sugar in the number of Salts where is their faltness shall then likeness make all things the same In like manner also by decoction almost are prepared your Lohochs your Electuaries candid things Morsels Pils Trochisces Glisters Suppositories Ointments Pultesse and Cerots In making your Medicines which are called Lumbitives and Arteriacks from the rough artery a Wind-pipe they mollifie The Arabians call those Medicines Lohochs which have power to mollifie the Brest stay Catarrhes or Rheumes and cut flegme and they make a decoction first to clamminess then adde Sugar Pennels and boil it to the thicknesse of honey and after expression when it begins to cool mingle the rest in a morter without decoction as Vine kernels sweet Almonds husked juyce of Liquorice Tragacanth and Gum Arabick Ireos Roots and white Starch Because their strength will rather be weakned by decoction then drawn forth But seeing the cutting faculty is extream contrary to tough and thickning and that the one weakneth the strength of the other sometimes they are wont with great oversight to be mixed together In like manner in Electuaries they are first boyled in the same order of which I have formerly advised you those things whose faculty may fitly be drawn forth by decoction to the consumption of their parts there is after added a third part of Sugar and then it is boiled up again to a consistence as well for taste as lasting and last of all such things are added which are not fit to be boyled such as are conserves flowers of Cassia pulp of Prunes Tamarindes c. or Sena leaves Rubarb Agarick Coloquintida are infused into the boyling decoction and about twelve hours after they may bestreined with expression and the expression forthwith boyled up to a consistence with Sugar the rest as I have said being added Those things which we will preserve we first cleanse and throw away that in the roots which is woody and by decoction we soften hard things and take away the bitterness from bittter things though this rather serve for gluttonie then Physicall intentions and being lightly dryed we put Sugar to them warm boyled up to a fit thicknesse for too much heat shrinketh the fruit till they are well covered and then if any of the waterie moistnesse appear that being separate and reboyled is poured on but some fruits as for example sake Cherries are presently dipped into the said Sugar The soundnesse of the Flowers is conserved from whence they are called conserves if unto them being small bruised a double part of Sugar carefully poudered be mingled and exposed to the Sun to drie up the watry moisture and therefore they are to be gathered in fair and dry weather and the whites are to be clipt off from the roses for their bitternesse Some times to gratifie the sick we mingle powders simple or compound or distilled oiles with sugar and also medicines cut into small parts If the pouder be pleasant or purging that the purgative power may not be weakned by too great a proportion of sugar we mingle an ounce of it dissolved and perfectly boyled with a dram of the said sugar in odoriferous water or such as shall serve for our purpose but with pouders lesse gratefull one dram with two ounces of Sugar but of oile one scruple with half a pound of Sugar and the Sugar being boyled enough remove it from the fire beat it a good while with a Pestle untill the pouders or oile are well mixed together and then poure it forth upon a Table and frame out round pellets or four square Tablets or Lozenges or Long which they call Bits Sometimes to the Sugar poudered we mingle onely some few drops of distilled oile without any decoction but this we have referred unto our Infusions Pills called Cataphotia because they are swallowed are made up either of Extracts or Pouders moistned with some lost humour of such a bignesse as any one may swallow them an that they may not offend in smell or taste let them bee guilded The close is esteemed by the working of the Ingredient v. g. The scone of the golden pills of Nicolaus is to purge all humours which Scammony performeth but more slow flegme therefore Coloquintida is added to it But Aloes though it loosen the belly yet it is chiefly here inserted because according to the opinion of Mesue it strengtheneth all the bowels but especially the Stomack and liver by opening this and cleansing that and by his thicknesse correcteth the acrimonie or the rest Mastich and Tragacanth by their clamminess corrected the sharpnesse the seed of Fennell and Annise Saffron and Roses
Iron and Cyprian Brasse seeing they agree in substance and onely differ in certaine accidents is chiefly made from Sulphur because it is greedily drawn and imbibed by these being hot for the Sulphur by his hidden accrimony and thinness peircing all the coagulation or matter which holdeth and keepeth them together is dissolved and exhaled away And whether the coagulum of other mettalls may be so dissolved by loosning waters that the potentiall moistnesse may bee resolved into vapours I much doubt of 2. Liquefaction or melting is generally an actuation or working forth of moistness lying hid in a dry body by heat a waterie body excepted but that ought so here to be that the liquid matter remaining by piercing may work that in the body which by his vertue or facultie it is able to doe The materiall principles of which sublunary bodies consist are two 1. Earth and 2. Moistness which are the subject of heat upon which he worketh for earth is the bound or limit of moistness Of humours or moistnesse some subsist by themselves all earthy matter being removed such as is an airie waterishnesse which is Spiritous or Oily Both of which are inflammable or apt to bee kindled To these as to the earthy matter so many materiall principalls are answerable in an animate bodie by which name that is nourished in these Again the Olie hath three differences for it is either from the far of living creatures in plants from which that which is drawn forth yeeldeth his chief nourishment or floweth by his own accord from stones as Petroleum but is not fit for the nourishment of a living body by reason of the excessive heat as also the rest And for the same cause that which lyeth hid in amber brimstone and waxe for that which lyeth hid in honey is of one and the same kinde with oyle of waxe But Manna and Salt-peter because they easily take fire prove and shew a hidden oile in them but then by reason of the scarcitie of the oile as also for the plenty of the earthy mattter that is first resolved and vapoureth away into smoke before it is separated from the same Besides these there are others which are not actuated or brought forth but by heat nor are kindled by themselves that is do not nourish a flame but the heat being removed return to their former drynesse And again of these things there is a threefold sort or kinde 1 One sort of plants seeing that the ashes of these melt 2. Of Mettals and these are fluxible or run forth in the fire 3. Of Minerals and these are fluxible or run forth in the fire And truly these cannot be separated at all from their earthy matter without their losse By the said humours or moistnesse wee understand the oilie which is melted out that it may preserve and keep his actuall moisture the which is done by mixing the oiles especially those of the same kinde or also hot water for so we melt or dissolve Manna or vinegar as we melt Rosins for by this means the earthy matter overcome by the aiery by the multitude or by help of a little heat continueth moist Those things easiest melt which the heat can easiest penetrate Notwithstanding either 1. The Soliditie or hardness which is in iron or brasse Or 2. coldness actual and potential which is in other mettals Or 3. actual dryness or scarcity of the oile contained which is in Amber But earth and the said watery and aierie humour is not found in all sublunarie bodies nor can all sublunarie bodies be resolved as Pseudo-Chimices vainly imagine into these principles But of that Solution and Separation wee shall presently handle 3. Expression By hand or presse when greater strength must be used the jucinesse is drawn from the plants and their parts Or simply the waterie or oilie juyce by certain helps As 1. Almonds unhusked are drawn forth least the husk or rinde should suck or imbibe a great part of the juyce and being bruised that the oile without any hinderance may passe forth through the thinner earthy parts a little quantitie of rose water is poured upon it as well for smels sake as that it may come forth the readier and after this manner an oile is drawn forth of the meal of the Sesame seed 2. Nutmeg is hung up in a covered still that it may touch the hot water that the hot peircing vapours afterwards may carry away with them in the expression the flowing oile 3. Yolks of eggs boyled or fried in a frying pan unto hardness more easily send forth their oile being afterward pressed 4. From corn or grain put between two hot plates of iron an oile is drawn forth which is gathered together by heat 4. Infusion Dry things are infused into liquor fit for our purposes that by helps of actuall or potentiall heat they may impart their vertue to the liquor and so may bee more use fully received in at the mouth or else that the hard may be softned or loosed or that the liquor many correct some qualitie of the thing infused or contrary So we infuse Rubarb or the leaves of Sena into hot water lest the thin parts should exhale by boyling being well and close covered and leave them in a warm place and so likewise the leaves of Roses Rue c. in vinegar that the moisture actually warm passing through all the earthy parts may receive into it self the vertue of those things which is in the thin parts So Purgatives or changing Medicines being infused in wine or spirit of wine we place in a cold place that the wine may not sowr and that the moisture potentially hot which I have said it will make in the hot bath that the moisture by the actuall and potentiall heat may work so much the stronger but this latter is compounded of Infusion and Concoction The thing infused are left the longer in the liquor if the matter infused bee the grosser or harder and the moisture potentially hot but lesse while if the liquor be more thin and penetrateth more and hath lesse potential heat For you must take heed that they stand not so long infused that they may putrifie or contract foulness or hoariness To infusion belongeth 1. We pour out a cold emulsion as for example sake with the seeds of Melons or Pompeons husked and bruised and strain them through a linnen cloth so long as they will cast forth a milkie juyce 2. Aâ—lie 3. When a hot iron flint or stone heated communicateth their astriction to oile or water quenched That oile which they call Philosophers oyle taketh from the flame a very heating power as well in this Infusion as in the following dry distillation 4. When pouders or things calcined as either salt and ashes poured forth receiveth the taste and smell and strength of the juyces which they imbibe But Spirits suddenly resolved exhale and vapour away Being infused in salt or ashes flowing 5. Lotion as when the yellow colour and troublesome
according to the end which they are to be used for which are either to repell draw mittigate pain strengthen soften discuss dry up digest crudities open purge conglutinate and harden a scar Destillation is made when the actuall or potentiall humour is resolved by heat into vapours and separated from his earthy dregs which presently by the compassing cold growing together drop or distill into a simple water spirits or a spiritous water or oyle 1. Destillation otherwise is made in Ballneo to prevent a collection of corrupt matter in the whole Bulke Empyreurna and Adustion onely upward because the watry vapours especially are lifted up 2. Or without Balnenum which we may call a dry Distillation For by this the Water and Oil descend downward or the vapours are lifted upward which are Watry Spiritous Oylie For whilest in the thing distilled the water and spirit are both together then they both ascend together by reason of their thinnesse and therefore the Distillation is to be reiterated that afterward the spirits by their thinness may go before the watry vapours for the water spirit and oile are all together thus the waterie and spiritous vapours are lifted up together and they by reason of their naturall affinitie carry the oylie with them by reason whereof the oile being separated the distillation is to be reiterated for severing the spirits but if with the earthy matter the oyle only is joyned by a dry distillation it ought to be increased with a greater heat that it may be separated from the earthy matter which it hardly forsakes either by descending or smally ascending to which purpose peculiar Organs or Instruments are required The Spirits by reason of their lightnesse will by no meanes descend In Balneo either not at all or very sparingly they are lifted up because if the fire work not on them which the water of the Balneum hindereth they cannot be separated from the water The Spirits by reason of their thinnesse and potentiall heat that they may the sooner increase and grow together require refrigeratories filled with cold water which are either fastned to the top of the Elembick or a right or winding crooked Pipe is fastned with the beak of it therefore called Serpens because thereby the Spirits staying the longer in the Cockle doe the more put off their collection of corrupt matter passing through the cold water of a large vessell In distillation which is made downward either a Paper is put upon the juycie plants having a linnen cloth spread over the platter or dish with good store of sand to which hot coales are put for assoon as the heat hath drawn forth the vapours when they are restrained from being lifted up being grown together they fall down into the platter set under in drops Or else in rosinie woods being included in a Potters vessell coales being placed about them which draw forth by their powerfull heat that which is fattie from whence the oile floweth by a cover with holes without the earthy matter into a vessell set under set close to the earth for refrigeration sake or amber melteth after this manner in such a vessel but that the thinner part or the earthy matter may not passe through the holes we use dry sand or pouder or flints or tiles or ashes of bones burnt and to wash away the stench and blackness a vessell below is filled up to the half with water into which the falling drops slide or fall into another vessell set under of purpose In distillation which is speedily made upward the Spirits are separated from the water by an Instrument of a large neck which they call Phyola a plain pot with a wide mouth whilest as I said the former are listed up assoon therefore as the waterie vapours succeed the receiving vessell is to be changed the other shut up the watery vapours with a spunge or parchment paper set upon the cucurbite In this kinde of distillation sharp tart vapours have this peculiar that after for example sake the waterie vapours arising out of Vinegar Salt Vitrioll Allum Salt-peter are lifted up they are separated first without Acrimonie therefore wee suffer the said vapors of Vitrioll to exhale before distillation in an open Vessell and that which is left of the waterie humour the stronger heat doth by boyling more exactly mingle with the subtiler earthy parts till at the length it separateth and driveth forth that violently from the thicker matter That is called water of Salt c. unskilfully oyle seeing it hath nothing common with oyle besides the thicker consistence apparent but Spirit though improperly since every Spirit is inflamable and potentially or virtually hot by it selfe it may be called for his potentiall heat but accidentall for this from fire which hath insinuated it lelse and sharpness partly from fire from the said mixture in which it differs from the nature of water and agrees with the Spirits If therefore those Spirits separated againe be poured upon the earthy matter forthwith the vapours goe forth much sharper and hotter and by reason of their aiery and fiery nature suffer themselves to be shut up very heavily by which cause the recipient vessell ought to be very ample and large least it break before the concretion be made of the vapours To Distillation which is made upward a little Wine or Water is sprinckled on the fresh Plants which are not juycie enough that you may draw away the water from the dry If you desire onely water something spirituous they are powred into water wine be water if it be spirituous it selfe And they are left in Balneo for 24. houres that the vertue may be the more communicated and imparted to the humour But if you would adde fresh Floures gathered at divers times the infusion is to be made in the Spirit of wine in a cold place least by placing they may be corrupted For example Cinamon water this being broken small is hanged in a peece in a blinde limbech filled with water so as the water may not touch the bag then let the water boyle till all the parts of the Cinamon be moist and warme fitly then take out the Cinamon and beat it into paste and then again let it be infused and distilled in the former water If thou desirest Spirit and Oyle out of Plants you ought to boyle the matter before alwayes either in his proper humour or moistness So red Roses exquisitely brused and stopt up in a glassie vessell and plac'd in a cellar till the potentiall heat actuates and the moisture boyles up compelled by the Antiperistasmi or repulsion on every part of the cold Cherries with their kernels for the Spirits lye inclosed in them are placed in a warme place the Lees of Wine or Oyle being poured upon them that their heat lying hid may stir up the Spirit till it boyle up Or with water poured on and the said lees as is done before the distillation of the Spirits and the Oyle Juniper
berries Wheat c. are first to be brused that the water may peirce all the parts and the Spirit with the Oyle may unite unto it If you separate the Spirits from the water by distillation sometimes repeated at the length you shall have the most pure Spirits together with the Oyle from all Plants potentially hot None but a foole will call those Infusions or Macerations putrefaction because this is an innated destruction of heat that the actuation thereof and this is a progress not unto perfection as that but a passage to the corruption of the thing If there be a little part of oyle in it the dry matter ought to be infused into the Spirits that they may peirce the more and draw the oyle with it The purging force taste sweet bitter salt and the colour seeing it is placed in the thicker earthy matter they are not communicated to the humour in distilling nor the smell of the purple violet c. by reason of the smalnes of the odoriferous exhalation as it chiefly appeares in the example of sirrup of Roses purging in whose Distillation the water drawes away nothing but the Astringent facultie under which it stayeth the looseness of the belly without Inflammation the purging part being left in the dregs and this very Observation ministred the first occasion to Extraction If water distilled as for example of Roses bee often poured on fresh Roses the distillation being iterated by so much the more his strength is increased but the same doured upon the Lees forthwith to still as the water of Capons were to spend time foolishly seeing that the qualities of flesh are communicated not by distillation but by decoction When the most subtile earthy matter is mixed with oile only as in Waxe Sulphur Rosins Amber then there is required to the distillation some loosing spirituous matter which may carry the oile along with it an humour and earthy matter which may keep back Empyreuma and Adustion and the ascension of the subtle earthy matter Such loosing things which effectuate all these together are common Salt Sal gemmae Salt-peter Salt Ammoniack plume Allum pure sand ashes of bones burnt pouder of flints and Tiles or Bricks these especially hinder the ascent of the earthy matter Distilled vinegar and spirit of wine have truly a loosing power and carry the oyle with them but to the distillation of Amber are impertinent because they ascend before the Amber melteth and so preserve it not from the heat or violence of the fire If the first distillation of Amber be made rightly there doth not need another in Balneo which they call rectification for so much as the water washeth or taketh away of his colour so much it taketh away of his strength Pitch and Colophonie by reason of their great viscositie and grossness before are sod with rich wine to the consumption of the wine that Allum afterward added may so much the easier passe or penetrate this liquid matter and the oyle separated from the earthy matter may ascend more speedily There is another kind of distilling of oile when hot glowing Bricks or Tiles broken in peeces are quenched in the oil from whence it is called oyle of Bricks because it taketh from the fire his grew heat and from the Bricks his Astriction and being after reduced into powder are forced out by a strong fire that by this means they may also receive more heat and astriction and by the same manner oyle of quick lime is prepared And seeing it is the nature of oile and of oylie things that being put to the fire they are presently inflamed these if they be actually drie they swim above the water contrary to all reason 1. Amongst Oyles are reckoned spirit as I said of salt the water being concrete from the vapours of brimstone set on fire under a bell 1. Extract of Cinnamon which setleth at the bottome in water distilled 2. The moistness which is drawn from Wormes being stopt up with paste in a glasse with heat of an Oven 3. Or which from Couslip flowers and by insolation is drawn forth 4. And when in like manner the white of an egge hung in a pot with Camphire floure of Brimstone or Myrrhe or Tartar burnt mixt with a sharp moisture the dryness vanishing or vapouring away which they received or took from the heat they return into their former watery nature Secondly Oile is sought from stones Jewels Mercurie Antimonie mettals and out of all those things which have now before felt the strong resolving force of fire from Crystall Tartar Corall Pearls Vinegar which hath an extream contrary nature Yea though Salt-peter and Manna also are presently inflamed yet the scarcity of Oyle is much overcome by the earthy and cold waterie matter so that rather that which is oylie in it may be consumed by the fire then separated by distillation from the said matter To draw oyle from blood by distillation is to mock God by whose Ordination nature in the third concoction hath wrought out oyle from blood more perfectly that is to say fat tallow butter which if after the common Liquefaction or coction of flesh and bruised bones from water thou requirest more pure the temparament being unhurt thou shalt some daies of Harvest set in the sun that thou mayest separate the purest from the dregs setled downward But behold how in a matter so hard and difficult they trifle here which exhibite a Mutinie of which it appeareth not whether it be the dryed flesh of a man or a beast and whether it came to a true Balsome or whether it dyed not by poison or whether or not they were not the late carcases of many men rather annointed over with Myrrhe Aloes c. then with true Balsom and though true Balsom was used to the bodies of great men whether in so long a time the force and vertue bee not gone forth and expired and by reason of the corruption which was joyned with it whether the Indian or Succedanean Balsum made from Oyle of Cinnamon Cloves and the like things were not much more excellent Now when your Oyles are distilled and your spirits whether those so mixt in Hermes vessel by boyling them longer it behoveth to mingle them more exactly that from thence they may draw an Elixir which these Triflers call Circulati one of the two Homogeneall principles that is to say of the aire One truly increaseth the heat and smell of the other and the same faculty or strength which is in the smell but here observe the madness of Quercetan above or beyond all his other doatings he mingleth pag. 60. Lips edit 59. Medicines which every on 1. Either strengtheneth the principall parts 2. Refresheth the spirits 3. Breaketh the strength of poysons 4. Resisteth putrefaclion 5. Cutteth grosse thick humours And he calleth it a specifique Medicine to cure inveterate diseases giddiness falling-sicknesse palsie madness melancholy but how that may be called a speciall or specisique Medicine which is composed of
smell of turpentine is washed away with water as also when the Cyancan and Armenian stone are washed oiles and fat that the vitious malignant qualities and foul smell may be taken away Lye is a waterie or spiritous humour sifted through ashes Therefore it is to bee valued as well from the nature of the ashes as the moisture poured out on it for from the ashes it hath his strength of drying cleansing and cutting by his sharpnesse which the actuall and potentiall hear of the liquor poured forth increaseth and by consequent it hath no strength of softning or conglutinating together If the moisture poured on be potentially hot or cold of the same nature will the lye bee also But seeing the ashes doth retain nothing of the vertue of the medicine neither from the lye will any vertue be in it at all The lightnesse of the lye ariseth from that moisture of the ashes which we have said is melted with a vehement fire and advance the passage through the vessels taken by the mouth and after the cleansing of the foulnesse away induceth especially a smoothness to the skin of man In the said faculties and in the manner of generation it is like to the wheyie part of blood by which name it hath a sympathie with the reins and bladder and from thence a dieuretick power of cutting the flegm and de-obstructing the veins But it hath no sweating power unlesse it bee got from good wine or the Spirits of wine nor of a counterpoison by it self unlesse it be got from distilled waters decoctions and infusions of this kinde or that plants resisting poyson be put in place of strata in the straining through But by accident whilest it resisteth putrefaction and tough clammy poisons by drying and cutting by urine and sweatings it carryeth along with it the poison nature together thrusting forth the poison by which advice many drink their own urine in times when the aire is infected That mixture also is like to infusion when the oile and watery humour is mixed with the earthy matter for when the oily humour repelleth from it the water contrarily the waterie may be easily dryed up with the earthy so that thence it may easier admit the oile it accordeth rather that the earthy matter be mingled before with the waterie moist then with the oylic so in the threefold medicine lythargie or white-lead is first mingled with vinegar and after with oyle 5. Decoction The humour is either digested by the fire alone or with the humour and earthy matter untill that either for the most part the waterie parts exhale away as it is in boyling of salt water 1. Of a Nitrous humour of juyces expressed c. That no occasion of Putrefaction on may be given 2. The vitious or evill qualities exhale away 3. Hard things may be softned 4. The Medicinable qualitie of the things infused may bee communicated to the humour 5. And that the moist pants may be exactly mixed and united with the earthy And these also are two ends of insolation when we expose into the sun oile spirits or vinegar with things infused for this also is a certain decoction or digestion that the earthy matter may be gathered together and settle so that afterward it may be separated That humour is either an oylie or a waterie juyce drawn forth water wine beer sweet wine honyed wine and vinegar Foolishly called by some a menstruum since no Physicall infusion or decoction requireth the spaces of a month but may at the utmost be finished in three daies space 1. Decoction is made in a vessell shut or closed when we fear the losse or flying away of the subtile and thinner vapours 2. Or in an open vessell when we would exhale offensive qualities There is need of being carefull about it and looking often to the matter that it may not bee burned and of double clarifying it either in the bath to keep in the faculties of the things infused and to prevent Empyreuma 1. By reason of the delay hard things require a long time which for this cause ought first to be put in and require more moistnesse in which their great abundance of moisture is to be resolved for avoiding putrefaction 2. Lesse hard require a lester time when there is not such great abundance of water to be resolved so we boil leaves to the consumption only of the fourth part of the water 3. Flowers and Spice require a short time to the boyling of which two or theee walmes will suffice Sometimes the decoction is reiterated or the infusion by a straining or expression renewed that the thicker parts being separated those which are thinner may in the other decoction bee mote exactly united together There is also a certain naturall coction as when new Wine boyleth up or as new Beer brewed Honey and water mixed new Wine c. and some infusions when as the potentiall heat actuated or put a working separateth the grosser parts from the thinner some advancing upward and some setling downward and resolveth the thinner parts into vapours or spirits which being scattered if there be not space or issue enough to goe forth the same break the vessels a peices though very strong Though according to the opinion of Actaurius Sirrup or a Julep be water boyled with Hony or Sugar or Wine boyled to the third part yet at this day all Decoctions are called Sirrups in which water with plants is boyled either with or without Sugar or Hony and Juleps when stilled waters Rob when the juyces are pressed forth in an equall weight with Sugar or boyled with a halfe part of Sugar Sugar and Hony are added for cleansing taste or lusting sake For by their clamminess as by a coagulation it conserveth the parts united In preparation of simple Sirrup for continuance as for example sake of flowers of Violets or Roses it is best to have the juyce of Violets pressed out to be infused raw in Sugar clarified warme not boyling lest it exhale away some of the smell and to set it into the Sunne to resolve away the superfluous watry moistness and if insolation suffice not by inclining the vessell to seperate that which is watry and then being boyled again to poure it on for so the smell and strength of the Medicine will be preserved and kept more powerfully concerning which our Reformer Quercetan hath nothing he can more boast of But seeing in Roses there is an aicry spirituous and oyly matter which either doth not enter the juyce or is more drawn out by a fervent decoction it is best that Roses be first infused in a boyling or fervent decoction and some houres after pressed forth and to this juyce other Roses be put and being about nine times iterated by infusion in Balneo to prevent Empyreuma and Evaporations then that juyce at length prest or strained out should be boyled with about a third part of Sugar to a fit consistence in Balneo Mariae For since the purgative