CHAP. LX.
Of the fit and conuenient time to distill in: and of the faculties, vertues, and durablenesse of distilled waters.
EVerie thing is to be distilled in the time wherein it is best disposed,* 1.1 and best fit, that is to say, rootes, hearbes, flowers, and seedes when they are ripe;* 1.2 but liuing things, and the parts of them, when they are of middle age, as wee shall haue occasion to declare in his place. Now as concer∣ning the ripenesse of rootes, hearbes, flowers, seedes, and fruits, we referre you to our second Booke, where wee haue sufficiently at large laid open at what time euerie one of these things is to be gathered. But it is to be noted, that necessitie sometimes com∣pelleth vs to distill drie plants, and then it will be good to macerate and s••eepe them in some conuenient liquor or decoction, answerable vnto the vertue of the thing••, by that means in part to renew and bring againe their youthfulnesse, and to endow them with such moisture as they brought with them when they were first gathered from off the earth, as we will further declare by and by.
As concerning the vertues of distilled Waters:* 1.3 it is most certaine, that such as are distilled in Maries bath, retaining the cast, smell, and other qualities of the matter whereof they are distilled, haue not onely equall vertues with the Plan•••• and matter whereof they are distilled, but become much more pleasant vnto the ••ast, and also more delightsome vnto the eye, than the iuices or decoctions of the said matter would be. It is true, that the waters distilled through Leaden, Tinne, Bra••en, Cop∣per, or such other like met••all, like a Limbecke (as we shall by and by speake of) doe loose the best and most subtle parts of the substance of their matter, by suffering the same to vanish away in and into the ayre, and for that cause they doe not prou•• of so great vertue as their Plants. But howsoeuer it is, distilled waters are a g••••at deale more pleasant vnto sicke persons, more readie for vse, better for medicines for the eyes, to make epithemes of for the heart and liuer, to make painting colours of, to put into perfumes, or other sweet things, as well for the vse of Physicke, as also for the delight and decking of the bodie, than the decoctions and iuices of Plants: and therefore there is great reason they should be distilled with greater heed and care.
It is most certaine also,* 1.4 that Waters distilled in Maries bath, especially those which are distilled in the vapour of boyling water, are not of long continuance, and hardly will last aboue a yeare: likewise you must renew them euerie yeare by distillation, circulation, or by distilling of them againe, putting them also into the Still againe with some new matter vpon the cake or drossie part, left vpon some former distillation: or else to distill them by a Filtre, whereof wee shall haue oc∣casion to speake hereafter.