The practise of chymicall, and hermeticall physicke, for the preseruation of health. Written in Latin by Iosephus Quersitanus, Doctor of Phisicke. And translated into English, by Thomas Timme, minister

CHAP. III. Wherein by Examples, the forces and properties of Salt are manifested.

YEe haue séene out of that first remaining Chaos (that is to say, out of that base earth, or out of a matter confused and deformed) an extraction, and seperation of a fairer, bright cléere, and transparent forme: that is to say, of that Salt, which is opt to receiue many other formes, and which is endued with diuers and wonderfull properties.

Ye haue also séene, how out of one, and the same essence, thrée distinct and seueral things, yea, thrée beginnings of Nature are extracted: of the which all bodyes are compounded, and with skilfull Chymist can extract and seperate out of euery natur••ll bo∣die, that is to say, out of Mineral, Vegetal, and Animal: to wit, Salt, Sulphur, and Mercurie: principles verily most pure, most simple, and truely Elementarie of Nature, all compre∣hended vnder one essence of Salt, Sulphur, and Mercurie, which Phylosophers are woont to compare with the body, Spirit and Soule: for the body is attributed to salt: the spirit to Mercurie: and the soule to sulphur: euery one to their apt and conuenient attribute.

And the spirit is as it were the mediator, and conseruer of the soule with the body, because through the benefite thereof, it is ioyned and coupled with the soule. And the soule, quickeneth the spirit, and the body.

Yée haue also seene in the aforesaide salt, a Hermaphroditicall Nature: Male and female: fixed and volatil: Agent and Paci∣ent: and which is more, hot and cold: fier and Ice, by mutual friendship and simpathie ioyned in one, and vnited into one sub∣stance: wherein is to be séene the wonderful nature thereof.

The properties thereof are no lesse wonderful: nay, rather

much more wonderful. For Salt-peter is the especial key and cheife Porter, which openeth most hard bodies, and the most solid things, as wel stones as Metal: and bringeth gold and sil∣uer into liquor, which the proper water extracted out of the whole maffe, without separation of the male or fixed. And as it maketh al bodyes metallick, spiritual and volatile: so on the contrary part, it hath vertue to fixe and to incorporate spirits, how flying soeuer they bée.

Who now wil not wonder, or rather bée amazed, which knoweth that Salt-peter is so apt & ready to take fire, by which it passeth into ayre and smoake, and yet in the meane time seeth that it remaineth liquid and fusible in a red hote crucible, placed in the center of burning coales? notwithstanding the which most burning heate, it conceiueth no flame, except the flame or fyre happen to touch it. And which is more, being of nature so vola∣til, it is at the length fixed, neither is it ouercome by the fire, nei∣ther doth it yéelde bée it neuer so violent and burning, no more then doth the Salamander (if it be true which is reported of that beast) which before notwithstanding it could not abide, nor by any manner of meanes indure. Thus therefore yée sée, that by fire onely his nature is transformed.

Furthermore the same Salt••peter, which was of late right∣ly prepared and clensed, so white and Christalline, (at the least outwardly so appearing) being now put into a fixatorie fire, you shal sée that it conteineth within it al maner of colours, as gréene, red, yellow, and white, with many others moe. The which if a∣ny man wil hardly beléeue, because he wil bée rather incredulous than docile, I wish him to make tryal thereof, and then hée shal learne so notable a mysterie of Nature, within the space of tenne houres, with very little cost.

And least yée should take mée for some Lycophrone, or Gra∣marian writer of Tragedies, I wil teach you how to worke truely and plainly.

Take of Salt-peter the finest and clearest, one pound or two; put it into a glasse Alembic with a couer, and set it in sand: no otherwise than if you should distil Aqua Fortis. Put fyre vnder,

and moderate the same by degrées according to Art: she which fyre thou shalt increase the third or fourth houre after, in such wise, til the sand appeare very hote. This fyre in the highest de∣grée thou shalt continue by the space of fiue or sixe houres: and then thou shalt finde and plainly sée, that the spirits of Salt-peter, haue penetrated the very glasse of the Alembic, and that it hath dissoloued the same as wel within as without.

Furthermore the spirits of the Salt-peter, which are come through the body of glasse, cleauing to the out-side therof like vnto flower, yée make take off with a soft feather, and easilie gather to∣gether in great quantitie. This flower is nothing else, but the spi∣rit of Salt-peter, wherein ye shal sée al sorts of colours very liue∣ly expressed.

That which remaineth in the bottom of the Culcurbit, so white as snow, and wholy fixed, is a special remedie to extinguish al Feauers. It is giuen from halfe a drachme to a drachme, dis∣solued in some conuenient liquor.

And to speake in a word, this remedy hath not his like, to cut, to clense, and to purge, and euacuate the corruptions of humors, and to conserue the body from al pollution of corruption. For séeing it is of the nature of Balsamic Salt, it must néedes bée in∣dued with such vertues and properties. And in very déede to deale plainly and truely, I cannot if I would, sufficiently extol with prayses, the true Salt-peter, and Fusile salt of the Phylo∣sophers. This Salt, Homer cals diuine. And Plato writeth, that this Salt, is a friend and familiar to diuine things. And ma∣ny Phylosophers haue said, that it is the soule of the vniuersal, the quickening spirit, and that which generateth al things.

It may peraduenture séeme that we haue bene too tedious in the inquisition and speculation, as wel of the general, as of the particular, concerning the nature of Salt: but it is so profitable and necessarie, that it is the Basis, and foundation of al medici∣nable faculties (as more at large shalbe shewed in his place) that Physitians may haue wherewith to busie themselues, and to vn∣derstand.

But as touching a Chymical Philosopher, let him know

that hée ought to bestowe his labour most chiefely in fusil Salts, and to remember that Philosophers haue not without good cause euer and anon cryed; Bake it, Bake it, and bake it againe: which is al one, as if they had sayd, Calcine, calcine, or bring it to ashes.

And in very déede if wée wil confesse the trueth of the mat∣ter, al Chymical workings, as Distillations, Calcinations, Reuerberations, Dissolutions, Filtrations, Coagulations, Decoctions, Fixations, and such other appertaining to this Sci∣ence, tend to no other ende, then so to bring their bodies into dust or ashes, that they may communicate the spirits of Saltes and sulphur which haue made them (placed neuerthelesse vn∣der one and the same essence) after a certaine imperceptible manner, with their metallick water, and true Mercurie: and that to this ende, that by the infernal vertue and force of Salt, the Mercurie may bée consumed, boyled, and altered from his vile nature, into a more noble: when as of common Mer∣curie, it is made by the benefite of the spirit of Salt, the Mercurie of the Phylosophers: which Salt it hath attracted out of the ashes, or calx vine Metallick.

Euen like as it commeth to passe in the lye-wash which is made of ashes and water, the which béeing oftentimes messhed and drawen away, the ashes leaue al their life and strength, communicating all their Salt to the foresayd wa∣ter: the which water, albeit, it alwayes remaineth fluxile and liquid, yet it abydeth not simple and pure water, colde, or of smal vertue: but béeing now made lye, it is become hote, and of a drying qualitie, clensing, and of qualitie wholely actiue, which is altogether the vertue and facultie of an al∣tering medicine.

But it is to bée considered, of what matter this quicke and metallick ashes are to bée made. Also of what manner of wa∣ter the lye is to bée prepared, that thou mayest exalt the Salt or Sulphur of the Phylosophers, that is to say, the Balsamick me∣dicine, which is ful of actiue qualities like vnto thunder, béeing reduced into a true liuing calx.

And whereas at the first, it was a certaine dead body voyde of life, it shal then be made a liuing body indued with spirit, and medicinal vertue.

Notes

• Body, soule, and spirit.
• A practise.
• A good pur∣gation of bad humours.