Chymical secrets and rare experiments in physick & philosophy with figures collected and experimented / by the Honourable and learned Sir Kenelm Digby ...

A most Excellent Panacea of the true Sulphur of Antimony.

TAke Lees of Wine, which you may have of the Wine-Coopers when they have pressed them out, break them into small pieces, let them dry, then burn them to Ashes: Take of these Ashes, of Quick-lime, and Nitre, ana; make a Lixivium thereof with warm water, then filter it: Then take Cinaber of Antimony, which is found in the neck of the Retort when one maketh the Butter of Antimony; pulverize it, and boyl it in the afore-said Lixivium for the space of four hours; pour off the Lixivium from the Quick-silver into another Vessel, which lean on the side, that the red Sulphur may settle; then edulcorate it with hot water, and dry it gently; so have you the true Sulphur of Antimony. Take of this Sulphur, and of Regulus of Antimony, ana &ounce;j. Oyl of Sulphur per Campanam, or rectified Oyl of Vitriol &ounce;iij. Mix all well together, and put it into a small Retort, di∣gest it in Horse-dung, or if you will, in some other gentle heat for eight or ten days. Then distill it, and cohobate the distilled Liquor upon the mark three or four times; then increase the fire to the highest degree,

which continue for twelve hours, to force all over, and the Matter will be fixt; then break the Retort, and take out the Matter, which pulverize, and edulcorate it with Rose-water; then dry it gently upon a gray Paper, then reverberate it for four or five hours. Then take &ounce;j. of this Powder, and of Salt of red Coral &ounce;ij. grind them well together to a very subtil Powder.

This is an Universal Medicine to Purifie the whole Mass of Blood, and to root out such Distempers as proceed from the cor∣ruption thereof, and are Curable by sweat. It Cureth all stubborn, Malign, and Chro∣nick Diseases: It Cureth the Venereal Dis∣ease, the most inveterate; the Leprosie, the Evil, the Scurvy, the Plague, and all Epi∣demical Diseases. The Dose is from ten to thirty grains.

The Order of using this Medicine is thus: First, Purge the Patient once or twice with fit Purges, then rest three days, then Purge again; then begin with ten grains of the Powder, which continue for three times, mix the Powder with some fit Conserve, and give it upon the point of a Knife, in the Morning in his Bed, drinking a Glass-full of a Sudorifick decoction after it, made hot; let him keep his Bed for an hour or two, then let him be rubbed with warm Clothes, and

the sweat being quite over, let him rise, and eat of good wholesom Food, forbearing to eat of Salt Meats, Salt-fish, Sallet, Milk, Butter, or Cheese, or raw Fruit. Then for three Mornings more give him twenty grains, and then thirty grains for three Mornings more; then come again to twenty grains for three Mornings more.