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These Flowers are the more sulphureous part of Antimony rarefied and exalted by fire.
Powder and mix well together four pounds of common glass with one pound of Antimony, put this mixture into an earthen, or glass Retort lu∣ted, whose half is empty; set it in a Reverbe∣ratory Furnace, and fit to it a large Receiver, lute the junctures lightly, and give a little fire at first to warm the Retort, then augment it by de∣grees,
and you'l see Red flowers come forth into the Receiver: continue the fire until no more can come, which you'l know as you unlute the junctures; and taking off the Receiver gather your Flowers, and keep them for use. They are more Vomitive than the former, and are given to the same intents: the dose is from two grains to four in a Lozenge, or some appropriate liquor.
That which makes these Flowers more Vomitive than the former, is the more terrestrious or fixt part of Antimony's being kept from rising by the glass, so that what is exalted by the fire is more Sulphureous, and consequently more Emetick.
The red colour of these Flowers doth proceed from the abundance of Sulphurs they are impregna∣ted with, and it may be said that glass, which is an alkali, acting on this Sulphur gives it this co∣lour after the same manner as Quick-lime, or the alkali Salt of Tartar makes common Sulphur turn red, when they are boiled together in water.
The time that you take these Flowers of Anti∣mony, you must often drink broth, both to facili∣tate the vomiting, and dull the great activity of this Remedy; for it is one of the strongest vomits that is in Physick. But because it sometimes hap∣pens that this Powder sticking in the membranes of the stomach, or some of its folds, doth cause a continual vomiting, notwithstanding the frequent use of broths, you must then add the Cream of Tartar, and dissolve it in the broth, and so take some
spoonful every quarter of an hour. This Cream of Tartar stops the vomiting, because it joyns with the Sulphurs of Antimony, and fixes them, so that they precipitate by stool.