Memoirs for the natural history of humane blood, especially the spirit of that liquor by Robert Boyle.

The XV. (Secondary) Title. Of the Medicinal Vertues of Spirit of Humane Blood outwardly ap∣ply'd.

HAving resided for many years last past, in a place so well furnished with learned Physicians as London is, I was careful to decline the occasions of entrenching upon their profession. And tho that care did not always secure me quiet, yet it did it so far, as that you, to whom my circumstances are not unknown, will not I hope expect, that I should say much upon my own experience, of the Medicinal Vertues of Spirit of Humane Blood; yet since I had some few opportunities to get Try∣als made by practitioners in Physick, (who were pleas'd very willingly to make them for me,) that I may

not leave this Subject wholly un∣touch'd, I will subjoyn what oc∣curs, either to my Memory, or to my Thoughts, about it.

When I consider, that, as far as I have observ'd, we do not meet re∣gularly with any Acid Substance, (except perhaps in the Succus Pan∣creaticus) in a sound Humane Body: For the fixt Salt of Blood does it self much resemble Sea-salt, whe∣ther its Spirit be Acid or no; whereas the several parts of it, whether Solid, as Bones, or Liquid, as Blood, af∣ford in Distillation store of Liquor impregnated with Volatile Salt; I am induc'd to think it probable, that the Spirit of Humane Blood, where∣in such a Salt abounds, and where∣of it is the main and predominant Ingredient, is like to have notable o∣perations upon the Humane Body, and afford Medicines of great Effi∣cacy in many of its Diseases. And, tho against most of these it is to be internally given, yet there are some

against which it may be successful, when but Externally administred.

For, as well rectified Spirit of Humane Blood abounds with very subtile Particles, which in point of Tast, Odour, Diffusiveness and Pene∣trancy, do much resemble those of strong Spirits of Urine, of Harts∣horn, and of Sal-Armoniack; so one may very probably expect to find the same vertues in the Spirit of Blood, that Experience has manifested to be∣long to those other Spirituous Liquors.

I have seldom, if ever, seen any Medicine operate so nimbly in Fits of the Mother, as a well dephlegm'd Spirit of Sal-Armoniac; which as I formerly noted is in effect mainly a Spirit of Urine; which it self is granted to be, a Liquor separated from Blood: for this Spirit being held to the Noses of Hysterical Women, has often in a trice, to the wonder of the By-standers fetch'd them out of their Fits. Nor is this the considerablest effect that I have

had of this Spirit, for sometimes it has with a strange quickness brought to themselves Patients that were fallen to the ground, and either real∣ly were, or were judg'd to be, Epi∣leptical. And even in Agonizing Persons, where it could not re∣cover them, it would frequently for the time, bring them out of their swoons, and make them know and understand the Assistants, and perhaps speak to them too: of which, if it were needful I could give more then one instance. But I shall rather add, that if nature be not quite spent, and the case wholly desperate, this may be of great advantage, because it allows the Physician some (tho perhaps but little) time, and a good opportunity to administer other Re∣medies which the Patient, unless excited and brought to himself, would not be made to take. Of which I shall give you a memorable instance in a Patient of the very learned Dr. Willis's, who being in

the Fitt of an Apoplexy, when he was necessitated to go from her out of the Town, and leave her in that Condition, he Committed her to the care of a very Ingenious Physician, who (whether by his direction or no, I remember not) came to me to acquaint me with it, complaining that they could not hope for any success of their Remedies, in regard she was so stupid, and had shut her mouth so, that they could not get any down; whereupon I gave him, and told him the use of, a very sub∣tile Spirit that I had by me for such cases, tho I remember not, whether it were of Sal-armoniac, or some other Volatile and Liquid Alcaly; by applying which to her Nose, the Physician found he could presently make her open her Eyes, and in part come to her self; but then she would again, when the Glass was remov'd, soon relapse into her former Condi∣tion. Wherefore having by those frequent Vicissitudes gain'd some

time, and got a Medicine for his pur∣pose he then held the glass to her Nose for a good while together; by which means she so recovered her senses, that she knew the By-standers, and being exhorted to take a Medicine that was offered her, which they told her would do her much good, she understood them, and swallowed it; and tho afterwards, upon the removal of the Vial, she relaps'd into a senseless state, yet by the help of the Urinous Spirit they kept her alive, till the very brisk Medicine she had taken began to act its part, and make a Copious Evacuation, which did not only rouse her, but little by little relieve her; So that in a short time she happily escap'd a danger, that was judg'd to be very hardly, if at all, superable by any Medicines. But here I must give you notice, that in such difficult and desperate Cases I am not content that a Vial with a somewhat long neck be held to the nose, but sometimes order that little

Pellets of Lint or Cotton, or of thin rags, be dipt into the Spirit and thrust up into the Nostrils. And the same thing I would advise, if need should require it, in the administration of Spirit of Humane Blood. And as, for external uses, I make a particu∣lar Preparation of Spirit of Sal-Armoniac, or of Urine, that is more strong and penetrant, then that which is made the more ordinary way: So, if I had been furnish'd with store of Spirit of Blood, I would have hand∣led it in a not very unlike manner. And however with the little I had, I made the following Experiment, for Tryals sake. We took some dry'd Volatile Salt of Humane Blood, (being then better able to spare that than Spirit,) and put to it as much Spirit of Nitre, as would just serve to satiate it; and then by Evapora∣tion we obtain'd thence an Anomalous kind of compounded Salt, which afterwards, because we desired a Medicine in a dry form, we sublim'd

from a Convenient quantity of a well chosen fixed Alcaly, (if I mistake not, we took an equall weight of Salt of Tartar) fit to retain, not only the Phlegmatick parts, but the Oleagi∣nous too, which oftentimes lye con∣ceal'd in Volatile Salts and Liquors, wherein they do not at all at first appear, and unto which the greatest part of their foetid or offensive smell may probably be imputed. By this means we obtain'd a dry white Salt of a very piercing smell. But I had no opportunity to try this sublim'd Salt upon diseased Persons: for whose sake, I also made use of another way to bring over the Saline part of Blood in a Liquid form, (which for the use of smelling I for the most part prefer to the dry) for which pur∣pose we mix'd two parts of dry'd Humane Blood, with three parts of Lime, and then distill'd them with a pretty strong Fire, by which means we obtain'd, as we expected, a pretty deal of Spirit unaccompany∣ed with any Volatile Salt in a dry

form, which Spirit seem'd, even without Rectification, to have a stronger smell, and a more fiery tast then other Spirit of Blood, after a Rectification. And I guess'd that if we had taken more or stronger Lime, we should have had less Oyl, and a more piercing Spirit, since the Lime would probably have retain'd most of the Oyl, and perhaps all the Superfluous Moisture.

I have likewise often found, that slighter Head-aches have been cured in less (and perhaps much less) time than a quarter of an hour, by the base smell of some of these well depurated Volatile Alcalies; and if I misre∣member not, I have been relieved particularly by that of H. B.) and I have very rarely for these many years us'd, or (thanks be to God) needed any other Medicine to free my self from pains of the Head. And even Violent and durable pains of that part have been, if not quite re∣mov'd yet much lessen'd, by the same remedy often reiterated, which I have

likewise observ'd to be usually enough very effectual in faintings, especially those of Hysterical and Hypochon∣driacal Women; which makes it probable, that our Spirit of Humane Blood, which is a Liquor that in many Qualities manifestly resembles other Volatile Alcalies, (and per∣haps surpasses them,) and which, when well freed from its Oyl, can by few, if by any, be distinguisht from other Urinous Spirits, may by its odour be available in the forementi∣oned Maladies. I expect you should tell me, that the ill scent of Spirit of Blood will hinder that sex from useing it externally, to divers of whose Distempers it is the most proper. To this it may be answer'd, that most of those that find themselves in pain or danger, would be content to be eas'd or rescu'd by an unpleasant Me∣dicine. For we may apply to health, what Vespasian said of the Tax that was paid him, upon the score of Urine, Lucri bonus odor ex re qualibet. And

accordingly we see, that Ladies them∣selves ordinarily make use in such Ca∣ses of burnt Feathers, and in these and some others of Castoreum, Galbanum and Asafoetida, whose smells are offen∣sive enough to men. But for the more delicate and Nauseous Patients, one may much lessen the offensive odour of our Spirit, by long Digestions, or by reiterated, or skilful Rectifications. And if even then they cannot be recon∣cil'd to the odour of so good a Remedy, that odour may (as was formerly inti∣mated on another occasion) be cor∣rected by uniting it with a Conveni∣ent quantity of highly rectified Spirit of Wine; by which means it may perhaps (for I am not sure on't) lose somewhat of its penetrancy, as well as of its Urinous odour, but yet may remain subtile and active enough for divers good purposes. And if you would not only correct the smell of the Spirit of Blood, but make it afford a fragrant one, you may do it by dissolving in the Spirit of

Wine a convenient quantity of some Aromatick, or other well scented, Chymical Oyl, whose proportion may be found by letting it fall drop after drop into the Vial, and frequent∣ly shaking it to mingle the Liquors well, till you find by your smell, That the offensive odour of the Spirit of Blood is sufficiently obscured; or (if you will not only correct it, but perfume the Liquor) that the mix∣ture is sufficiently imbued with the grateful Odour of the Oyl, where∣with you compounded it.

I shall add on this occasion, that, if we aim chiefly at correcting or changing the smell of Spirit of Blood, we may usefully employ a Chymi∣cal Oyl, more mild or temperate than the Aromatick ones of Cinna∣mon or Cloves. For Tryal purpose∣ly made has inform'd me, that, if the Oyl of Rhodium (which is much esteem'd by perfumers) be sincerely and skilfully made, (which I fear it is not over frequently) a very few

drops of it will make an ounce of Alcohole of Wine so fragrant, that this Solution being shaken together with a convenient quantity (perhaps much less than an equal one) of well rectify'd Spirit of Humane Blood, there will emerge a mixture, that I found to have a scent brisk enough, and yet to be not only free from stink, but imbu'd, tho not strongly, with the Odoriferous Particles of the Rhodium.

I must not here omit, that di∣vers happy Practitioners, as well Physicians as profess'd Chymists, do highly extol the Oyl of Amber, a∣gainst Convulsion fits and other Di∣stempers of the Brain and Genus Ner∣vosum: And indeed Experience has so recommended some Medicines of Amber to me, that in some cases there are few that I more willingly give or take. And besides the great Character that Helmont has left of Amber dissolv'd in Spirit of Wine, Experience has brought such Credit

to it in divers cases, (for there are some cases and constitutions wherein I suspect it of too much heat) that many Patients, as well Women as Men, had much rather endure the smell, than deny themselves the be∣nefit of the Tincture or the Oyl. And if you have any such Patients, perhaps you will not be ill pleas'd to be advertiz'd, that you may ac∣cording to the formerly mentioned way, employ the high Tincture of Amber taken with Spirit of Wine; to correct the Odour, and encrease (at least in number) the Vertues of Spirit of Humane Blood. And because it requires some skill, and not seldom a pretty deal of time, to draw this Tincture from Crude Am∣ber, tho finely powder'd, I be∣thought my self of the following way, to draw speedily a strong Tin∣cture from the Oyl it self; for, tho this Oyl will not, even by long sha∣king, dissolve throughly in Spirit of Wine, as the Aromatick and other

Oyls lately mentioned will do; yet I found that by well shaking those two Liquors together, and leaving them to settle at leisure; tho they would separate into distinct Masses, yet the Spirit of Wine would even in the cold extract from the Oyl a fine Tincture of a high Yellow co∣lour, little, if at all, different from that of the Oyl it self. Of which Tincture I afterwards mix'd as much with Spirit of Blood, as suffic'd to ob∣scure the Urinous smell, and make that of the Oyl of Amber somewhat predominant, and as we judg'd, more subtile and brisk than it was before.

Three things more I have to inti∣mate concerning the external use of our Spirit of Blood. The first is, that by what has been said of the good effects it may have, when (af∣ter it has been, by the lately men∣tioned or other preparations, imbu'd with Chymical Oyls) it is smelt to, I would by no means be thought to deny, that it is after these changes

fit to be also inwardly employ'd, as I shall have ere long occasion more particularly to declare. My second Admonition shall be, that, whereas in some mixtures it will be hard to hit upon the proportion of the Chymi∣call Oyl, or other things employ'd to correct the smell of the Spirit of Blood, so exactly, but that after the mixture has had some time to settle, a separation of some oleaginous parts will be made: The bulk of the mixture may be freed from it, by pouring all into a Glass Tunnel somewhat sharp at the bottom, after the manner us'd among Chymists to separate Oyls from other Liquors, and then the mixture that will run through before the Oyl, may be kept close stopt in a Vial by it self, and the fragrant Oyl (unless it be of Cinna∣mon or Cloves) reserv'd for other uses. And whereas frequently, if not most commonly, if the Vinous Spirit were sufficiently Rectified, there will, by the Concoagulation

of the Saline and Urinous Particles, be produc'd a kind of Salt; you may either pour the Liquid part from it into another Vial, and use each of them separately without more ado, or else without thus se∣parating them, you may sublime with a very gentle warmth, as much as will ascend from the rest of the Mixture in a dry form. And this Sal Volatile Oleosum of Spirit of Blood, when it was duly prepar'd, I found to be depriv'd of its former bad scent, and perhaps endow'd with a fragrant one, and yet to have an Odour more subtile, brisk, and pier∣cing, than I had thought it reasonable to expect. The third and last thing I would advertise, is, that besides those Medicinal uses, that may be made of the Odours of Spirit of Blood Simple or Compounded, it may have considerable Vertues, ap∣ply'd in substance as a Liquor, by way of Fomentation or otherwise; which I think the more likely, be∣cause

the Spirit of Sal-Armoniac has been much commended, for mitiga∣ting the sharp pains of the Gout, and is said to have been successfully us'd in the Erysipelas. And when I con∣sider, that our Liquor is very Spi∣rituous and Penetrating, and so fit to strengthen and resolve, and also of an Alcalisate nature, which fits it to mortify Acidities, it seems very probable, that, by vertue of these and other friendly Qualities, it may, by being apply'd in its Liquid form, prove good in divers cases, where the Chyrurgions or the Physicians help is wont to be requir'd.

But 'tis high time for me to pro∣ceed, from the External to the In∣ternal uses of the Spirit of Humane Blood,