THE SECOND PART OF THE Spagyrical Dispensatory. (continued 3)

I taught in the Second Part of my Furnaces to prepare a Spirit of Urine and Sal Armoniack by the addition of Calcined Tartar; But yet the already concentrated Urine or Sal Armoniack may be mixed with double the quantity as its own weight is, of fixed Niter, and so be distilled, for so those Spirits will be more strong and more efficacious than if Tartar were added unto them. And if the Oil of Tiles or of Wax, which is made by the addition of Earth, so heated as to imbibe the Oil or Wax, be yet once more distilled by the concentrated Spirit of Niter, it will be brought to the highest subtilty, and ’tis to be done after this following manner.

Dissolve in one pound of the Spirit of Niter, four ounces of Lapis Calaminaris: Put the Solution in a Glass-Viol upon a vaporous or dry B, that the Phlegm may evaporate by little and little (for the Lapis Calaminaris holds all the Spirits, and permits the Phlegm to go off) and the Spirit of Niter will remain behind in the Viol like Oil. Take one part of this concentrated Spirit of Niter, and half a part of Oil of Tiles or Wax, put them both in a glass Retort well luted, and force them out (by a distillation in Sand) from the concentrated Spirit into a great Receiver; and by this operation it will be far more penetrative than it was before. For the Spirit of Niter being by concentration by the Calaminaris freed from all its Phlegm, and seeing it is thereby become the more attractive, and can find nothing else that it might attract, it associates to its self all the humidity that lies hidden in the Oil, and which could not be separated by the former distillation, and hereby brings to pass that the Oil doth necessarily become more subtile and efficacious, yea so penetrative, as that it performeth wonderfull things, especially in the effects of the Matrix, the which nought but very subtile Spirits can heal, and which those concentrated Spirits are wont to do far more certainly and securely than all the other Medicaments in the whole world: After the same manner is the concentration and purification of the other Oils to be performed. And now that none might scruple as to Waters being mixed with the said Oil or Wax, which have no affinity with Water, the separation of which from the Oils, I have here taught; I would have such an one to know, that much fatness, as the expressed Oils of Vegetables are never without an aqueous moisture, though it be invisible, and cannot be perceived, for the fire can make it manifest by distillation: As for instance; There’s Oil olive, one pound of which is wont to yield six or seven Lots of Acid Water by distillation; and thus do all Oils, Wax, Turpentine, Rosin, Gums, Pitch, Amber, and all combustible fatnesses. Yea even the very burning Spirit of Wine it self, and such others as are prepared of Vegetables, can never be thoroughly rid of their Phlegm, unless they be poured on some Calcined Salt, and so rectified, they leave their humidity therein, and become more subtile. But this is to be noted, that by how much the drier and more attractive that Salt shall be, so much the readier will it attract the moisture out of the winy Spirit and hold it. Therefore the Salts of Vegetables, Calcined Tartar, and principally fixed Niter, serve for such a rectification. The other Corrosive Salts, as fixt Sal Armoniack, Calcined Vitriol, and such like, do rather love to hold and retain the Phlegm of their own peculiar Volatile Spirit than of the Spirit of Wine. And thus much let suffice as to making subtile Oils more subtile, that they may perform wonderfull things in Medicine. And now having described in this my Second Part of the Spagyrical Pharmacopœa, some of the most necessary Medicaments, that are preparable by Niter, and have shewed the way of using them, and which may safely be given in chief diseases as well for preservation as cure: I could to these add many more, and so encrease the number of them. But because there are not a few of such good kind of Medicaments in the writing I have hitherto published, viz. in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth Part of the Furnaces, in the Miraculum Mundi, and in the Mineral-Book, and there shall yet follow more in the following third Part in this Pharmacopœa Spagyrica, in the Vegetable work, as also in the second, third, and fourth Parts of the Prosperity of my Country, I judged it needless any longer to dwell on these here, but will onely by way of conclusion, and for (as it were) ornaments sake, yet add one onely Medicament of Niter, which will be none of the meanest. But forasmuch as this is not a common preparation, but comprehends in it great Mysteries, it seems not good unto me to set down its preparation before the eyes of the perverse world. Let it therefore suffice to give onely some hint, that the Common Niter, which to our Eyes appears most white, doth contain in it a Soul of a deep red Colour, which by the benefit of the Vulcanick Art may be thence educed. For when Vulcan hath reduced that old Dragon, bound in Chains, unto a most high streight by his Iron and fiery Mallet, and yet cannot plainly kill him; Neptune coming in to help, meets the Basilisk with a clear Looking-glass, and turns on him his own peculiar poison, and so slays him. As soon as he begins to die, and ceaseth to vomit forth fire, Neptune laying aside all fear, approacheth boldly near him, and puts a Sheeps-skin over his Jaws, and receives his Bloud and Soul, and precipitates it into the Salt-sea, wherein being drowned and choaked, he lays off all his venome and all his filth, and is converted into a most fair and most red Medicine. One onely drop of this Soul of Niter can tinge an ordinary glass full of Common water with a golden Colour. But he that can turn this Bloud of the Dragon by the help of fire into a fire-resisting Salamander, he may deservedly be compared with the happy Jason, and obtain most great Honours, Treasures, and Riches. From all these things may a studious Artist easily see what Mysteries lie hid in Niter. The things which I have hitherto described are onely as it were small sparklings of those kinds of Mysteries that lie hidden in Niter. There shall be described in the fourth Part of the Prosperity of my Country, and in the following third Treatise of this Spagyrical Pharmacopœa more and eminenter Metallick Medicines, and which are preparable by Niter: and this is done to the intent, that every one may know, how wonderfull and excellent a subject Niter is, the which is notably hidden by the Antients, and never wont to be called by its true name, but by Enigmatical Riddles. From hence has sprung up even infinite names, as, a dry water, a water not wetting the hands, an Hermaphroditical Mercury, a Balneum Regium, the Soap of the Wise men, the flying Dragon, the Urine of Boys, a Dunghill, Azoth, the washer of Laton, a most sharp Vinegar, the Stygian-water, the Death of the Living, the Life of the Dead, the Purgatory of the imperfect Bodies, the Basilisk, the forked Serpent, the most great Venome, the Venome of Herbs, the Menstrue of Women, and such like infinite names, whereby they have wrapped over its true hidden name in Cimmerian darknesses, but is now by me revealed, and is set before the eyes of the whole world, and it shall farther be revealed and detected in the three remaining Treatises of the Prosperity of Germany, which shall very shortly follow, and so its wonderfull power and most efficacious vertues, which it performeth in the bettering of Metals, and in preparing Metalline Medicaments may be manifested and laid open before the whole world. I will not onely declare this in writing, but also will (God permitting) very shortly shew, even manually and in very deed in a convenient Laboratory, the making and use of all my Furnaces, hitherto published in my writings, and the preparation of many excellent Medicines, as also the truth of the metalick Transmutation. Nor will I do thus to the end that I may advance my own profit, but will rather do it for this intent, viz. that the health and safety of many thousands may be provided for that are afflicted with various sicknesses, and that the whole World may see, believe and confess, that the Transmutation of Metals by the abject Niter may be effected. But because in such a like demonstration, if the Laboratory be frequented but for one years space onely, and daily laboured in, and the confecting of so many Medicaments be shown, such a great quantity of various Medicaments as I shall have by me, cannot be all used by my self, nor can they be of any use if laid up, and therefore they shall be sold to any one for a small and vile price, that so they may each that needs them use them in their necessity. It is not Covetousness that driveth us thus to doe, thinking thereby to get great riches, but onely to get just as much as may serve to pay for all the necessary matters, as Coals, Glasses, and other things. So then by this so good and laudable a work, there will not onely be laid open to the whole world, the occult Mysteries of Nature, to the honour of God: But withall, the most miserable poor Sick will easily obtain good Medicaments, and recover their former health. Nay farther, not a few of such as have been in want will be able by the most profitable use of Niter in transmuting the inferiour Metals into better, be able to sustain themselves better and more quietly. But that the whole world may see and consider that my own peculiar profit and gain is not sought, but that my Neighbours profit is out of a Christian affection onely aimed at, there shall be adjoined at the end of the following third Part, the price of every Medicament; from whence every one may easily conjecture, that there is not expected any gain or large profit, but onely the recovering of my disbursements; seeing no one is to be found who, bestowing great costs in teaching others, would willingly lose both his Expences and Labour too. I will with a willing mind reach others, but I will not lay out my Money and run the hazard. The World is wise enough, and great is the number of those sick people that need help: And therefore this publick Laboratory will (by God’s help) be able to bring abundance of profit to all mankind; In this Laboratory there shall be all the Furnaces and all the Instruments whereof I have made mention in the Writings by me published, but the resemblances of them not pictured, because there’s no occasion for that to be added; And withall, those Furnaces, Presses, and Instruments which we have mentioned or shall mention in the first, second, third, and fourth Part of the Prosperity of my Country, and in the Vegetable work, and my other Writings shall be there to be seen, the which certainly will be exceedingly helpfull to most men that abhor not to labour, to procure them food and sustenance in their necessity.

Furthermore, forasmuch as all my Writings hitherto published, are very negligently and faultily printed here and there by other men, against my knowledge. I will again send them forth corrected, amended, adorned, and encreased with the figures hitherto omitted. And this I was unwilling to conceal from the Lovers and Students of Arts. Herewithall will I conclude this Second Part of my Spagyrical Dispensatory, and shortly add the Third Part, onely wishing that this Work of mine may serve for the comfort and assistance of very many sick persons. Amen.

The End of the Second Part.