The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latine and compared with the French. by Th: Johnson

CHAP. XXXVIII. Of Quick-silver.

QUick-silver is so called because it resembleth silver in the colour, and is in * 1.1 perpetuall motion, as if it had a spirit or living soule. There is a great controversie amongst authors concerning it. For most of them affirme it * 1.2 hot, amongst whom is Galen, Halyabas, Rhases, Aristotle, Constantine, I∣sack, Platearius, Nicholas Massa: they maintain their opinion by an argument drawn from things helping and hurting; besides from this, that it is of such subtle parts, that it penetrates, dissolves, and performeth all the actions of heate upon dense and hard mettals; to wit, it attenuateth, incideth, dryeth, causeth salivation by the mouth, purgeth by the stoole, moveth urine and sweat over all the body, neither doth it stirre up the thinner humours onely, but in like sort the grosse, tough and viscous, as those which have the Lues Venerea find by experience, using it either in ointments or plasters.

Others affirme it very cold and moyst, for that put into emplasters and so apply∣ed, it asswageth paine by stupefaction, hindring the acrimony of pustles and chole∣rick inflammations. But by its humidity it softeneth scirrhous tumours, dissolveth and dissipateth knots and tophous knobs; besides, it causeth the breath of such as are anointed therewith to stinke, by no other reason, than that it putrefies the obvious humours by its great humidity. Avicens experiment confirmes this opinion, who affirmeth, that the bloud of an Ape that drunke Quicksilver, was found concrete a∣bout the heart, the carcasse being opened. Mathiolus, moved by these reasons, writes * 1.3 that Quicksilver killeth men by the excessive cold and humide quality, if taken in a∣ny large quantity, because it congeales the bloud and vitall spirits, and at length the very substance of the heart, as may bee understood by the history of a cetaine Apo∣thecary, * 1.4 set downe by Conciliator; who, for to quench his feaverish heat, in stead of water, drunke off a glasse of Quicksilver, for that came first to his hands: hee dyed within a few houres after, but first hee evacuated a good quantity of the Quicksilver by stoole, the residue was found in his stomack being opened, and that to the weight of one pound; besides, the bloud was found concrete about his heart. Others use another argument to prove it cold, and that is drawne from the composition there∣of, because it consists of lead and other cold mettals. But this argument is very weak. For unquencht Lime is made of flints and stony matter, which is cold, yet neverthe∣lesse it exceeds in heat. Paracelsus affirmeth that quicksilver is hot in the interior sub∣stance, * 1.5 but cold in the exterior, that is, cold as it comes forth of the mine. But that coldnesse to bee lost as it is prepared by art, and heat onely to appeare and bee left therein, so that it may serve in stead of a tincture in the transmutation of mettals. And verily it is taken for a rule amongst Chymists, that all metals are outwardly cold, by reason of the watery substance that is predominant in them, but that inwardly they are very hot, which then appeares when as the coldnesse together with the moy∣sture is segregated, for by calcination they become caustick. Moreover many ac∣count quicksilver poyson, yet experience denyes it. For Marianus Sanctus Barali∣tanus * 1.6 tels that hee saw a woman, who for certaine causes and affects, would at seve∣rall times drink one pound and an halfe of quicksilver, which came from her againe by stoole without any harme. Moreover he affirmeth that hee hath knowne sundry who in a desperate Cholick (which they commonly call miserere mei) have beene freed from imminent death, by drinking three pounds of quicksilver with water on∣ly. For by the weight it opens and unfolds the twined or bound up gut, and thrusts forth the hard and stopping excrements; he addeth that others have found this me∣dicine

effectuall against the cholick, drunke in the quantity of three ounces. Antoni∣us Musa writes, that hee usually giveth quicksilver to children ready to dye of the wormes. Avicen confirmeth this, averring that many have drunke quicksilver with∣out any harme, wherefore hee mixeth it in his ointments against scaules and scabs in children; whence came that common medicine amongst the countrey people to kill lice by anointing the head with quicksilver mixed with butter or axungia. Ma∣thiolus affirmeth that many think it the last and chiefest remedy to give to women in * 1.7 travaile that cannot bee delivered. I protest, to satisfie my selfe concerning this mat∣ter, I gave to a whelpe a pound of quicksilver, which being drunke downe, it voyded without any harme by the belly. Whereby you may understand that it is wholly without any venemous quality. Verily it is the onely and true Antidote of the Lues Venerea, and also a very fit medicine for maligne ulcers, as that which more power∣fully impugnes their malignity than any other medicines that worke onely by their first qualities. Besides, against that contumacious scabbe, which is vulgarly called Malum sancti manis, there is not any more speedy or certaine remedy. Moreover Guido writes, that if a plate of lead bee besmeared or rubbed therewith, and then for * 1.8 some space laid upon an ulcer, and conveniently fastned, that it will soften the cal∣lous hardnesse of the lips thereof, and bring it to cicatrization, which thing I my selfe have oftimes found true by experience.

Certainely before Guido, Galen much commended quicksilver against maligne ul∣cers * 1.9 & cancers. Neither doth Galen affirm that lead is poysonous (which many affirm poysonous, because it consists of much quicksilver) but hee onely saith thus much, that water too long kept in leaden pipes & cisternes, by reason of the drossinesse that it useth to gather in lead, causeth bloudy fluxes, which also is familiar to brasse and copper. Otherwise many could not without danger beare in their bodies leaden bullets during the space of so many yeares, as usually they doe. It is declared by Theodoricke Herey in the following histories, how powerfull quicksilver is to resolve and asswage paines and inflammations. Not long since, (saith hee) a certaine Do∣ctor of Physick his boy was troubled with parotides, with great swelling, heat, pain & * 1.10 beating; to him, by the common consent of the Physicians there present, I applyed an anodine medicine, whose force was so great, that the tumor manifestly subsided at the first dressing, and the paine was much asswaged. At the second dressing all the symptomes were more mitigated. At the third dressing, I wondring at the so great effects of an Anodine Cataplasme, observed that there was quicksilver mixed there∣with, and this happened through the negligence of the Apothecarie, who mixed the simple Anodine medicine prescribed by us, in a mortar wherein but a while before he had mixed an oyntment whereinto quicksilver entred, whose reliques, and some part thereof yet remained therein. This which once by chance succeeded well, I afterwards wittingly and willingly used to a certaine Gentlewoman troubled with the like disease, possessing all the region behind the eares, much of the throate, and a great part of the cheeke, when as nature helped by common remedies, could not e∣vacuate neither by resolution nor suppuration, the conteined matter greatly vexing her with paine and pulsation. I to the medicine formerly used, by the consent of the Physicians, put some quicksilver, so within a few dayes, the tumour was digested and resolved. But some will say, it resolves the strength of the nerves and limbs, as you may see by such as have beene anoynted therewith for the Lues venerea, who tremble in all their limbs during the rest of their lives. This is true, if any use it too intemperately without measure, and a disease that may require so great a remedy; for thus we see that Gilders, Plumbers and such as digge in mines, by the continuall ascent of the vapours of quicksilver to the braine, the fountaine of the nerves, by re∣solving the spirits, and dissipating the radicall and substantificke moysture, maketh them subject to the trembling of their joints. Verily if it bee killed and incorporate with hogs greace, and a list besmeared therewith, which may encompasse the body like a girdle, it will drive away lice, fleas and cimices; and anoynted about the navell, * 1.11 it kils the wormes in the guts. There are two sorts of quicksilver, the one naturall, the other artificiall. The naturall is found running or flowing in the veins and bow∣els of the earth, and amongst metals, and in the fornaces of silver mines. The Arti∣ficiall

is made of minium (as it is in Vitruvius) and of the powder of Ivory. Also it is probable that by art it may bee extracted out of all metals, but chiefly out of Lead and Cinnabaris. You may easily distinguish these kindes by the dull and blackish colour, tough and grosse substance, which as it runs, leaves an impression like mel∣ted greace, being as it were the excrement of lead. The best quicksilver of all is pure, cleare, thin and very white: it may bee cleansed with the drosse of Lead, and * 1.12 becomes more thin, being boyled in sharpe vinegar, with sage, rosemary, time, lavan∣der. Or else give it by a pound at a time to a whelpe, to drinke downe, and being cast forth by it, boyle it againe in vinegar, for thus it hath wondrous faculties, and fitly given produceth marvellous effects; nothing is more contrary thereto than fire. For quicksilver, though of its owne nature ponderous, flyeth upwards by the force of the fire, and forsaketh gold by that meanes, than which nothing is more friendly to it.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The reason why it is so called.
• * 1.2

  Lib. 4. simpl. in 〈◊〉〈◊〉. practic. cap. 148. 3. ad Almaa. 4. Meteor.
• * 1.3

  In l. 6. Dios. c. ••8.
• * 1.4

  A historie.
• * 1.5

  Lib 4. de nat. rerum.
• * 1.6

  Tract de 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & offen.
• * 1.7

  Quicksilver good▪ or women in travaile.
• * 1.8

  For the disease called Maum sancti manis.
• * 1.9

  Lib 7. de comp. m•…•…▪ secund loc. Against malign ulcers.
• * 1.10

  Against the Pa∣rotides.
• * 1.11

  Against lice & fleas &c. The kinds thereof.
• * 1.12

  How to puri∣fie it.