Van Helmont's works containing his most excellent philosophy, physick, chirurgery, anatomy : wherein the philosophy of the schools is examined, their errors refuted, and the whole body of physick reformed and rectified : being a new rise and progresse of philosophy and medicine, for the cure of diseases, and lengthening of life / made English by J.C. ...

CHAP. XV. An Answer unto Reproaches.

1. An Argument against the Contemners of Sciences. 2. Answers unto the Reproaches of the Galenists. 3. The Chymical Medicines of the shops are adalterated. 4. Corrosives wax mild by the fire. 5. An Objection concerning the smaleness of the Dose. 6. The dignity of Mercury, and Stibium or Antimony. 7. A most rare Arcanum of Volatile Salt. 8. All things cry for revenge against the Galenist, the Despiser of Chymistry. 9. The Original of the Apothecaries shop. 10. An Objection concerning the solving of Pearls and Coralls. 11. After what manner things dissolving are separated from things dissolved in the stomack. 12. What to [Precipitate] may signifie in Chymical preparations. 13. A censure of some Writers of Chymistry. 14. A repeated Objection, privy escapes unto the more soft Tophus's or small stones of living Creatures. 15. Of what sort the action of Gemms on us may be. 16. What there may be in a more tender stone which ope∣rates, its powder remaining safe. 17. Mechanical proofs. 18. Proofs from their own weapons. 19. A certain wonderful, and almost infinite re-acting of the Patient without a transchangeative passion of its Essence. 20. An explaining it by handicraft operation. 21. What Bodies being apparently dissolved, may suffer in us. 22. A danger unknown to the Schools. 23. A Secret involved first by ungrateful dissolved bodies, and afterwards a superlative one by grateful Dissol∣vents. 24. A general kind of Medicine. 25. A conclusion unto Physitians. 26. The praise of the volatile salt of Tartar.

This ulcerous or corrupt age of most perverse Wits, will not suffer those that are admonished to repent: For so far are they as yet from that, that most Practitio∣ners refuse to enquire into these greater Secrets, because they every where inveigh a∣gainst Sciences which they are ignorant of.

But because they are altogether ignorant of the same, they both almost triumph, and also gratifie each other concerning their ignorance; neither is it manifest, that they have spent their time in those things unprofitably, because it shameth them not; to have a vile esteem of Chymical Science, by Writings and Taunts, as a smoak-selling, and delusive or false Art: But they know not, that since of a Non-being there is no knowledge, and no conception in the mind answering thereunto:

Therefore also, in that whereby they deny the truth of science, they manifest that they [unspec 1] are ignorant of the same: that is, vilely to esteem of that which they are wholy ignorant of: And there are others, who more mildly, but alike blockishly say:

1. Those things belong not to our judgment or employment, they no way touch at medicinal affaires: for we follow things approved from of old.

2. Chymical medicines cast a smel of corruption, being hot, violent, and not com∣mon.

3. We have Servants who faithfully prepare those medicines which are for use: And it is unseemly for a learned man to excercise the composition or preparation of medicine.

4. The smoak-selling Experimentators institute all horrid evacuations, being full of terrour, because they are supported only by Mercury, and Antimony, they be∣ing manifest poysons: And so, they are to be reputed among Mountebanks or Juglers.

These are those things which they by reason of their ignorance, thrust upon the unwary

vulgar: whereunto I in order thus give satisfaction. We treate of medicines, but not of things, which concern a corriar, or potter: They therefore suppose a shamefull evasion, that they are ignorant of what it had behoved them to learn: Neither also is there a trusty foundation from antiquity, it being always ruinous; they going where it hath been gone, not where they were to go, they alwayes following the flock of predecessours, and mutu∣ally subscribing to each other through the blind judgments of their mind: our fugitive ser∣vants also will answer, I being silent, from whom they borrow the corrosive powder of Precipitate, and of another more sweet, or lesse poysonsome, and likewise the vitrum or glasse of Antimony, and the floures thereof, Cinabrium, and in summe; nothing but poysons, for the transplantings, and cloaking of great diseases: But all things notably a∣dulterated for the desire of gain.

For it is easie to deceive the ignorant in things which they professe themselves to be [unspec 3] ignorant of: For there are essential oiles set to sale, and the which are valued at a great price, they being all and every of them adulterated: whether nine parts of oyle of Al∣monds were co-mixed with one part of essential oyle, is a matter of easie experiment: For cast it on a sponefull of Aqua vitae, and whatsoever shall swim atop; let it be the essential oyle; but the rest, oyle of Almonds: And that thing thou shalt the more cer∣tainly know, if thou shalt make tryal in a Bath: The oyle of Sulphur is for one half of it raine water, but the distillation of Vitriol is brought wholly into deceit, and is more fri∣volous dayly: The which will presently be manifest through a simple examination by a Bath: That scarce a sixth part thereof is the pure distillation, and that as yet loaded with the tincture of oaken bark.

In the next place, unto the second particular I will by and by answer: Now it is sufficient to have said, that the more choice Physitians at this day, do not despise Chimical remedies, the which, their bookes do lately testifie: And so the Fox dispraiseth Grapes, and Hens, that are sequestred from him in the Tree: But how much they can performe, the experienced sick do speak though we be silent.

Unto the third: It is no disgrace or uncomelinesse, to have prepared some the more choice remedies with ones own hand, and to have bequeathed and delivered those medi∣cines unto his posterity, by his hands: For neither was it an unbeseeming thing for the High Priest of the Hebrewes to have struck down Oxen, and to have played the butcher for the salvation of the people: Is it happily a more glorious thing for the Galenical rout to have viewed stinking dung, and to have stirred it with a stick, than for us to have handled Furnaces, vessells, and coales? surely if they had the weight of truth, they would know∣that the works of charity do not defame any one: But they who have not charity, account all things disgracefull besides gaine and Lucre. Depart ye from this pride, and be ye mercifull, as your Father which is in heaven is mercifull: For else he will say, I know you not that live for gaine and deceite: But indeed disgrace hinders not these some∣what ambitious ones, but ignorance, and the covetous desire of Lucre: For they make more account of the number of visits, than of the glory of curing, which wholly buries it self in having done well.

For as soon as they are dismissed from the Schooles with the title of Doctour, they en∣quire through the Streets and Inns, with the eyes of a Lamprey, whether there are not sick folks which may entrust them with their life: But stop your proceedings, Medicine is not to be excercised after the manner of Mechanick arts.

And because Physitians err in this point, the Father of Lights withdrawes his gifts, after that Medicine is managed as a Plow. Possess ye Charity, and gain Will voluntarily, follow you with Honour and Glory, the which take hold of a Physitian that shuns them, whom the most High hath commanded to be honoured.

Unto the fourth I grant, that all kind of Knaves have most licentiously thrust themselves into Chymistry, no less than into Medicinal Affairs, and that a various destruction doth [unspec 4] thereby daily arise unto mankind; on whom surely the Magistrate ought of right to be severe in punishment: But these things do not defame honest men. It is certain, that deceit, and the adulterating of Medicines have always been annexed to gain. But as to what pertains to the reproach of Remedies, & Chymists, that is to be sifted by a larger Discourse.

First of all, it is suitable in this place, That Science or Knowledge hath no enemy but the ignorant person; Not any such one, but him that is proud, and refuseth to learn: The which is manifest by the already mentioned Corrosives, and indeed manifest poy∣sons, that they become sweeter than Sugar: The same thing is also more easily manifest, and to our hand; For truly Scarwort, Frogwort, Apium risus, &c. do forthwith in distilling lay aside their embladderring power, even as the juyce of Citron doth its sharp∣ness,

Water-Pepper its Acrimony, &c. Neither is that of concernment, that Chy∣mical Medicines are to be administred in a small Dose: For that accuseth them not of [unspec 5] poysonsomness, but of the higest perfection of acting: For so there is one dose of meates, and another of Scammony, Spurge, and Coloquintida: Therefore an undiscreet Physitian is like a Tormenter.

The virtues of a Chymical remedy are narrowed in a smal quantity, under which they are pleasing while as all things have regard in their own proportions, unto the strength and necessities of the sick.

Hitherto perhaps that saying of Jeremy 15. doth not unfitly square: If thou shalt seperate [unspec 6] the pretious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth: But that which they upbraid us with concerning Quicksilver, and Antimony, it conteins a meer ignorance of things, and a blockish reproach: For Antimony, as long as it provoketh vomite and stooles, and Mercury may be revived, they are poysons, nor the remedies of a good man: But when they have have come unto the top of perfection for which they are ordained of God, no mortal man can search out their virtues, or illustrate them with due praises, however the guts of the scoffing Momus may crack.

For neither do we boast, that we have known the purgative force of Mercury and Sti∣bium, and to have given them to the sick to drink, who detest purging things, especi∣ally those which alike equally dissolve an healthy, as a sick person, by causing putreficti∣on. Lay aside Choler, and remember that in your shops, dispensatories Eccho forth no∣thing besides Scammony, Coloquintida, Elaterium, Esula or spurge, that is, meer poysons: And then, although the essences of vegetables and spices are hot; yet their volatile salts (which thou hast never seen) are temperate.

So that, if thou shalt know how to transchange the oyle of Cinnamon, Cloves, Laven∣der, [unspec 7] &c. into a volatile salt, thou hast obtained a temperate medicine effecting as much as can be hoped for from those simples, in an old Vertigo, Bearing of the heart, Apoplexy, and the like diseases: Therefore they who at this day keep the keyes of medicine, seeing themselves do not enter the passages, they drive mortals from the usefull fruite of those gifts which the most high hath dispersed in nature.

Therefore the powers of the most exellent things cry to heaven, that they have come [unspec 8] as it were in vain, that there is scarce any one who can loosen their bonds, that they may bestow the benevolence which is due to mortal men; but rather, that they have be∣come the rewards of whoredomes and adulteries: That science therefore which teacheth how to look, into bodies shut up, by a re-solution of themselves, and to extract their hid∣den virtues, is not the servant of the practick preparatory part of medicine (as the reproaches of the ignorant do sound) but it is the chief interpretation of the history of nature.

For the Apothecaries shop began at first, from Merchants, the collectours of simples and herbs: but afterwards when Physitians saw that it was not meet for every one to [unspec 9] boyle, season, and prepare simples, that buisinesse was also comitted to the sellers of simples.

In the mean time, Physitians kept the more choyce and secret remedies to themselves, whereby they might procure honour with their posterity: But at length the sluggishness of Physitians increasing, they were contented to run through the streets from house to house, to have made gain by the frequency of visits; at length Dispensatories succeeded thereupon, for the compiling of formes of medicines here and there selected according to the pleasure of ignorance, that they might be kept in the shops, and in a bravery set to sale, rather for expedition than for their property. Whence at length, Physitians joyning compositions to compositions, give sometimes the hotch-potch of a thousand simples to the sick, to drink, that if one thing help not, at least wise another may help; or at least, that they may excuse themselves that they have managed the cure of the sick according to the common rule. This is the preparation of medicine at this day, from which, how far the Philosophy of Chymistry differs, they indeed have known, who even but from the entrance, have saluted the same; but unskilfull haters only, are ignorant thereof.

The Galenists surely will take it haynously, that I have answered unto their ignorni∣nies and reproaches by meer light, and that I have rent the Houshold-stuffe of their chiefest remedies, wherefore they will pursue (I know well enough) after this manner: Thou urgest that Pearles, Corrals, &c. Are not disolved in sharpish liquors; but that they are only calcined, and powdered by the salts of the dissolvers, also that they are hidden, and made invisible onely to the sight: And that thing thou provest by Silver being dis∣solved

in Aqua fortis, that it is from thence reduced safe, therefore that it hath not lost its former essence, and thou wrestest that aside unto the aforesaid Stones, and provest it, because by the Alcali salt of Tartar, the same stone is again precipitated to the bottom, which before was an invisible powder, as the Alcali salt drinks up the sharp or soul salt which contained the powder of the stones in it self: But thou seest not, that first of all your young Beginnings do teach, and greatly esteem of these sort of dissolutions: Then also, that the stomach wants the salt of Tartar, that it may precipitate the dissolved powders, and separate them from their dissolvent, and therefore thou proposest a mockery; and by consequence, the matter of Pearls, Corals; &c. being once after this manner dissolved, remains dissolved, and is admitted inwardly unto the veins, with the liquors of the Cream, and so is transchanged into urine, or bloud, and performs as much as we promise.

I answer, That Nature hath no need of the salt of Tartar, to separate that powder from its dissolver: Because she is well instructed, as well in respect of the meats, as of a proper [unspec 11] digestion, to sequester this powder. For there are very many things among meats which produce this effect; such as are pot-herbs, and likewise vulnerary herbs, &c. wherein there is for the most part, a volatile lixivial salt: And also wines with the white of eggs, do not only separate such coagulated dissoluents from the powders dissolved, but they do also revive precipitated Mercury.

Again, the very digestion of the stomach it self doth ordinarily, substantially transchange the sharp spirits of vegetables, into the salt and volatile salt of urine; the which when it hath no longer the former faculties of dissolving, which it at first had in its sharpness, it presently utterly leaves (that is precipitates) a powder, which before it hid as dissolved in [unspec 12] its own sharpness; and therefore it precipitates of thrusts down, and puts off from it the aforesaid powder, before the doors of the meseraick veins. And so, let the Galenists know, [unspec 13] that the writers of the young Beginnings of Chymistry are as yet young beginners; they triumph, that they propose to others what they have tasted down with the tip of their lips; and so they have nor yet had access unto the inner Chambers of Phylosophy.

But again, the Galenists will urge, saying, that the stones of Bezoar, Crabs, Snails, &c. [unspec 14] being taken as well by way of a powder, as being dissolved in a sharp dissolving liquor, do notably profit in the Plague, Fevets, the disease of the Stone, wounded persons, and in those that are thrown down from an high place: wherefore that the same thing is block∣ishly denied by me in Pearls, Corals, &c. whereto I answer; That gems, small or flinty stones, and rockie stones, have much latitude, and that they differ very much among them∣selves.

For first of all, Gems, Flints, Marbles, and whatsoever things have a Christalline hard∣ness, [unspec 15] do not any thing act, or suffer on us, or from us, unless by way of a remedy hung on, and bound about the body, and that so long, as from the mouth they pass thorow the su∣perfluities of the Body: The virtue therefore of these is feeble, because it layes hid, as be∣ing shut up in a too thick body: But Pearls and Corals, and whatsoever stones have the rocky hardness of Shell-fishes, do indeed yield to Gems in hardness, yet they are not therefore concocted in the stomach of man, as they are well, in some birds: But the stones of Bezoar, Crabs, &c. being as yet less hard then Pearls, are not of a rocky nature, but they are made rather of a milky juice, half cheesed, and half stonified, and they have the na∣ture of a Tophus or sandy stone, being neutral between a gristle and a stone; even as the shells of stones in medlars, peaches, &c. do keep a neutral and middle kind between woods, and a sandy stone.

These things being for the truth of the matter, and the better understanding thereof, thus supposed, I say, That although the stone of Bezoar, of Crabs, &c. as to the solide matter [unspec 16] of their powder, are in no wise digested by mans stomach; yet there is in them a certain milkie and muscilaginous juice of great virtue, yet of small quantity: Such as also happens to be extracted out of the shaving of Harts-horn, by seething.

If therefore thou dost a good while boil the powder of the aforesaid stones in rain, or distilled water, if thou separatest the decoction from the powder by straining it [unspec 17] through a Filter, but dost in distilling this decoction by a bath, draw it forth, thou shalt at length find some small quantity of the aforesaid Muscilage: But the remaining powder as it is unconquered by boyling, so also it remains undi∣gested by our stomack: And so from the small quantity of the aforesaid liquor there dependeth a reason why one only dram of that stone being powdered, and taken in some liquor, effecteth more then otherwise one scruple of the same doth: when as in the mean time, the Wine, or Vinegar being drunk up at the same draught with the afore∣said powders, do not dissolve the sixth part of the powder; but the rest they forsake en∣tire,

not changed; which is manifest, if thou shalt drink the stone of crabs, being not beaten into powder, but into pieces, and after voiding them forth, shalt wash them clean, thou shalt find the same weight thereof which there was before, and so nothing thereof to be subdued by the stomack, nor any thing of those stones to be participated of by the digestion.

Come on then, I will also press the Galenists with their own weapon: for if the afore∣said Stones, or Pearls being taken by way of a powder, should melt in us, ye attempt [unspec 18] in vain to dissolve them: Therefore it is already manifest by handicraft operation, that the more tender Stones of living creatures do contain a Muscilage, which Pearls, Corals, and rocky Stones do want: yet the bodies of somethings remaining in their pouder, and [unspec 19] homogeneal and unseparable solidity, as they suffer in their dissolution an action from the dissolver; so also, in like manner, the dissolver suffers by the body dissolved, without any participation in the mean time, of the unchangeable body: for from the Chymical Max∣im, The dissolvent is by the same endeavour coagulated, whereby the body dissolved is dissolved: And therefore if the body dissolving be taken away from the body dissolved, no∣thing is ordinarily recovered from thence, besides a water without savour, being without actimony and sharpness: the which surely as they are the Clients of Salts, they are coa∣gulated in the thing dissolved, and stand by it as Companions. Thou shalt know the same [unspec 20] thing more clearly, if thou distillest the Oyl of Vitriol from running Mercury, the Oyl is coagulated with the Mercury, and they both remain in the bottom, in the form of snow. And whatsoever is distilled from thence, is meet water: but that snow, if it be washed, is made a citron coloured powder, which is easily reduced into the former running Mercury, being altogether of the same weight as it was before: but if thou shalt distil the water of the washing off, thou hast in the bottom a meer Alum, from the sharp salt of Vitriol. For so dissoluents are changed, although the bodies dissolved have not lost any thing of their own matter, or substance: And such dissolvers act on us, by way of an alteration attained in their own sufferingness; but not from a property partaked of from the dissolved bo∣dies being unchanged: Therefore to the argument proposed.

The salts of vinegar, wine, juice of Lemons, or of the Oak, and likewise of the sharp chyle of the stomach, as they are vegetables, and alterable by our digestion, by digesting in∣deed [unspec 21] are changed in us, into a urinary salt; notwithstanding, by reason of the diversity of the thing dissolved, those dissolutives suffer something from the aptness of their own con∣vertibility; yet they transfer not any thing on us of the thing dissolved that is not digesti∣ble, unless it contain the digestible part of it self; even as I have said concerning the milky muscilage of the stones of soulified creatures: But if indeed otherwise, such a dissol∣ved body should proceed inwards into the veins (which it never doth) that it might com∣municate its endowments unto us (to wit, pearls, or the aforesaid stones) very many an∣guishes [unspec 22] would follow from thence, instead of succours.

For first, since they are not digested in the stomach (even as I have already proved) neither in the next place, shall they be able to be cocted in the second digestion; because there is no passage unto the second, but through the first.

Secondly, therefore they shall never be converted into bloud, but into some other su∣perfluity of the veins.

Thirdly, powders shall be bred in the veins, and kidneys, and they shall be stopped up with the powder being a forreign guest, never to be drawn out by any remedy for the fu∣ture.

These things are spoken concerning thigs dissolved by a dissolving vegetable, and [unspec 23] therefore digestible in us. Notwithstanding, if things are dissolved by dissolvers that are not digestible, those shall either be ungrateful to the nature of the stomach; and there∣fore they stir up vomit and stools: So that only the incongruity, malignity, and ingratitude of things taken into the body, are the cause why they move vomiting and stool, and are forthwith expelled with those things which they threw down into their own Faction: Therefore they procure perplexities and troubles. But if the things dissolving are accep∣table to Nature, they are willingly admitted inwards; yet the composed body suffers not any thing thereby, as well in respect of the thing dissolving, as of that which is dissolved: For truly, both of them are undigestible: Therefore that composure remains safe as be∣fore, it passeth through all the shops of the veins, and at length (for truly, it cannot be changed; nor by consequence, pass over into the Family of Life) is expelled with the sweat, by transpiration.

In which journey, whatsoever of filths those famous Secrets do touch at, they dissolve [unspec 24] them, and snatch them away with themselves, and so they heal Fevers, and most Chroni∣cal

diseases. Whosoever therefore ye be, who in healing, have cordial charity towards [unspec 26] your neighbour, learn ye a certain Dissolver, which may be homogeneal or simple in kind, unchangeable, dissolving its Objects into their first liquid matter; and thou shalt obtain the innermost Essences of things, and shalt be able to look into the natural endowments of these.

But if ye cannot reach unto that Secret of the Fire, learn ye at leastwise to render the Salt of Tartar volatile, that by means hereof ye may perfect your dissolutions: The which although as being digested in us, it forsaketh its dissolved bodies that are safely or [unspec 25] unharmedly homogeneal; yet it hath borrowed some of their vertues which it conveighs inward as the subduers of most diseases: But for the obtainment of these things, it is not sufficient to rub over Books; but moreover it behooves you to buy coals and vessels, and to spend watching nights in order: So have I done, thus have I spoken, let the praise be unto God.

Because the Universities in their eighth Potion forbid, to wit the Cutting of a vein, except in the fulness of blood, but they admit of it only in this, because then the vice of Blood∣letting cannot be sufficiently manifest; and because in their tenth Position, they now im∣plicitely grant a Fever not to be a meer heat, but that it is to be cured by heating, and corroborating remedies, they being all hot things: Surely one of the two must of ne∣cessity be true; To wit, either that a Fever is not heat in its root; or that they must not heal by contraries any longer.

Out of the Positions of Lovaine, disputed at Lovaine, under the most discreet Sir D. Vopiscus Fortunatus Plempius, on the 26. of November, in the year 1641.