A course of chemistry containing an easie method of preparing those chymical medicins which are used in physick : with curious remarks and useful discourses upon each preparation, for the benefit of such who desire to be instructed in the knowledge of this art / by Nicholas Lemery, M.D.

Magistery of Tartar, or Tartarum Vitriola∣tum.

This Operation is a Salt of Tartar impregnated with the acidity of Spirit of Vitriol.

Put into a glass body what quantity you please of Oil of Tartar made per Deliquium, pour upon it by little and little rectified Spirit of Vitriol, there will be a great effervescency: continue to drop more in, till there's no further Ebullition; then place your Cucurbite in Sand, and evapo∣rate the Spirit with a little fire, there will remain a very white salt, keep it in a Viol well stopt.

It is a good Aperitive, and is also a little Purga∣tive; it is given in hypochondriacal cases, in Quartans, Kings-evil, and all other diseases where∣in it is necessary to open Obstructions, and to work by Urine. The dose is from ten to thirty grains in some proper liquor.

Remarks.

Tartarum Vitriolatum may be made with the Salt of Tartar as well as with the Oil; the Ebulli∣tion

proceeds from this, that the acid of Vitriol piercing the Alkali Salt of Tartar, doth violently separate its parts, and gives vent to igneous Bo∣dies which were there imprisoned; and this Effer∣vescency comes to pass as often as an Alkali meets with an acid, and remains until the acid can find nothing more to encounter in the alkali salt. Then there follows a Coagulum at the bottom of the vessel, because the acid and alkali clasping toge∣ther, do lose their motion, and by their united weight do precipitate to the bottom. And this causes the liquor to be much less acrimonious than the Oil of Tartar was before, though at least an equal quantity of Spirit of Vitriol was mixed with it. You must evaporate it gently, and especially toward the end, for fear the acid should rise with∣al.

This Salt is whiter than common Salt of Tartar, as having been subtilized by Acids, after the same manner as we see several other white things en∣crease in their colour, as they are beaten into a fine powder.

If you do use two ounces of Salt of Tartar in this Operation, you'l draw two ounces and a half of Tartarum Vitriolatum. This Augmentation comes from the more heavy and strong part of the Vitriol, for that which is evaporated is very phlegmatick.

You may here use the Rectified Oil of Vitriol in∣stead of the Spirit, and then the less is requir'd, be∣cause it is a stronger acid, but the Tartarum Vi∣triolatum will not be so white, as when Spirit of Vitriol is used, by reason of some Tincture that al∣ways remains with the Oil of Vitriol, rectifie it as much as you please.

Though some have written, that if Tartarum Vitriolatum were put into a Retort, and distilled, one might draw Spirit of Vitriol as good as it was at first, nevertheless it is certain that it will not be so strong a Spirit; for it has lost the most subtile part of its acidity, by encountring with the alkali, which may be easily judged both by the taste, and the effects.

If by way of curiosity you would search a little narrowly into this Operation, and observe what happens during the ebullition of the acid and the alkali, you would find, that a great many little dashes of water do fly about, especially if the vessel is not placed too low, and you hold a lighted Candle near it, for they will be apt to put it out. This effect can have no other cause than the violent se∣paration of the parts of the alkali by the acid, which makes the watry part of this liquor to sparkle upwards, being on all sides violently driven.

If you use Oil of Vitriol, the ebullition is the greater, and the heat the more considerable, be∣cause its acid being stronger, it separates the parts of the alkali body more easily.

Now considering the ebullition which happens between acid and alkali, I have the less opinion of a method that some do follow, which is to bathe a little the bodies that are to be embalmed, with Spi∣rit of salt, and then to put Salt of Tartar into the embalming powder; for it is very likely, that this Spirit of Salt, which is an acid, by mixing with the alkali salt of Tartar, may produce a Fermen∣tation which may stir up the remaining humidity of the Carkass, and make it to mix with the In∣gredients

of the powder, and so instead of pre∣serving the dead body, we have reason to fear lest this Fermentation should rather hasten a dissolu∣tion of its parts.

Acids do sometimes dissolve and rarifie, and at other times coagulate and precipitate, as may be seen by the Operations which have been described. These different actions do seem very strange, for it is hard to conceive how one and the same liquor should produce contrary effects; but I'le give you an explication of this Phaenomenon, which because it is built upon experience, may perhaps meet with some Approbation.

An Acid proves always a dissolvent, when good store of it is poured upon the matter that is to be dissolved; but it makes a Coagulum as often, when being in too small a quantity its points are fixed in the pores of the matter, and have not power enough to get out; and this is plainly perceived, when Spirit of Vitriol is poured upon the liquor of Salt of Tartar; for if you should mix but so much as is requisite to penetrate the Salt, the acids do remain sheathed in it, and bear it down, whence a Coagulation and Precipitation happens; but if now so much more, or a greater quantity of Spirit of Vitriol, should be still added to the liquor, the Coagulum will disappear, by reason that the little bodies which being gathered together maintained their part against the acid, and hindred its motion, will be then scattered and dissolved by the acid, that is now grown the stronger.

The same thing may be remarked in all other bodies which can be dissolved by acids; for if you take a little of any of those, and pour a little acid

upon it, there is made a great effervescency, and after that a Coagulum, but if you add more acid, the matter will all dissolve.

An acid can likewise Precipitate what an alkali hath dissolved, as we see in the Operation of the Magistery of Sulphur, and this because the acid having dissolved and separated the parts of the alkali makes it let go its hold, and the body pre∣cipitates by its own weight.

When Milk coagulates by the means of an acid, it is because it contains a great deal of Cheese, into which the acid enters, and losing its motion weighs it down; whence it comes to pass that the Coagulum which is made with a weak acid, preci∣pitates much less than that which is made with a greater quantity of acid; but if you should in cu∣riosity pour a great deal of acid upon the precipi∣tated Coagulum, you would find it dissolve by de∣grees.

The fermentation of Dough, and other matters of the same nature does proceed from this, that the natural salts having been put into motion by trituration or some other cause do rarifie and dis∣solve, as much as they can, whatsoever resists their motion; but because these acid salts do exert their activity by little and little, and do meet with much resistance, the solution is made slowly, and the division of some parts is with difficulty enough. And this is that which causes the matter to swell as it does, and to take up greater room than it had before.

Leaven does encrease the fermentation in dough, because it self being a paste whereof the salts are become free to act by means of a long fermentation,

these salts do easily join with those of the other paste, or dough, and do help them to rarifie and dissolve the whole.

The same may be likewise said of other acid matters which cause a fermentation.

But when the acids have rarified the matter as much as they are able, they lose their motion in it, and then the matter coagulates, that is to say, returns into the same extension as before.

There is still one effect of acids, which seems different from those I have now spoken of, that they do preserve certain bodies which are put into them, as salt keeps or preserves meat. Thus when young Cucumbers, Samphire, or Capers are steeped in Vinegar, there is no fermentation with them, and consequently no corruption.

The reason of which is that the parts of Cucum∣bers and other like things being very viscuous and sluggish, the acids do insinuate to dissolve them, but they have not there their motion free enough to make their jostles, and to divide the parts mi∣nutely, so that the acids of the Vinegar do only fix in the pores of these matters and coagulate in them.

It is this coagulation which hinders the Cucum∣bers from corrupting, for these acids do shut their pores, and serve for so many little pegs, where∣with to sustain their parts firm and quiet. Sea-salt which is an acid does preserve meat, and many other matters, for the same reason. I have al∣ready spoken of that in my Remarks upon the Principles.

The Coagulation then which acids do cause may justly be said to be an imperfect dissolution of

bodies, and I could here relate a great many other Examples to prove what I have asserted. But I shall content my self with those already said. And now let us see whether this discourse can furnish us with any thing that illustrates the digestion of Aliments in the Stomach.

Most of our modern Philosophers have not spared the notion of acid, when they have endea∣voured to explicate digestion, they have conceived the Membranes of the Stomach to be all impreg∣nated with it, and many of them not contented with this liquor alone have brought some more of it from the Spleen and Pancreas: but if all these acids were really in the Stomach, the aliments would not escape coagulating, and consequently an Indigestion, as uses to happen, after taking too many acids at Meals; for conceive never so great a quantity of them, either there would not be enough to dissolve the Aliments, or else the Mem∣branes of the Stomach would be attenuated and concocted too, as well as that which they contain, which nevertheless doth not happen in the natural temper of the body.

There is no need of seeking after these imagi∣nary acids to cause digestion; the spittle which mixes with the Aliments as they receive their first Trituration between the Teeth, will furnish us with enough to actuate the Fermentation in the Stomach; there is but little acid requisite to set the parts in motion, but when once they are moved, they do contain enough Salts and Spirits of the same nature, which being quickned by the heat of this viscus will break all their Chains, and find a vent out, whence does infallibly follow

an attenuation of the Aliment into a Chylous sub∣stance.

It will be said, without doubt, that the irritation in the Stomach, which is called Hunger, cannot be produced by any thing but an acid, which find∣ing no more Aliments to work upon, uses to act up∣on the Membranes themselves. But I think I shall explicate this Irritation better, according to my own opinion, than that of these men; for I may with reason enough say, that the spittle finding the stomach empty of all nourishment, ferments alone, and creates this Irritation, seeing that spit∣tle, as every body must grant, is loaded with a Salt; but as for them, they must make an acid to come from the membranes, which nevertheless doth not irritate them, but only when it meets with nothing else in the Stomach to exercise upon, which is a thing hard enough to comprehend.

I know very well that some of them to avoid this difficulty will say, that the acid is generated in the stomach from the remainder of that which is eaten, which continuing some time in the stomach produces a Leaven after the same manner as Dough; but then they must explain to me what the Ferment did consist of, which served to digest the first Aliments that the Infant took.

Another Objection may be made to what I have said touching digestion; it is, that whereas I have maintained that acids do dissolve when they abound, and Coagulate when they are but few in a great deal of matter, it should happen that Spittle should then be apter to Coagulate the Ali∣ments in the stomach, and cause indigestion, than would a greater quantity of acids, for it seems,

according to my discourse, the more acids are found in a matter, the more liable it must be to dissolve.

To resolve this difficulty, which seems to be very considerable, we must observe, that the na∣tural acids of Aliments taken into the stomach, are sufficient to rarifie and dissolve those bodies which hinder their motion, when it has been be∣gun by Mastication, or by some salt of the spittle, which serves as a Leaven to them, much after the same manner as the salts of meal do rarifie the Paste, when they have been actuated before by Trituration and Leaven together; but now if there happens to be too much acid in the Aliments that are taken into the stomach, they will have the same effects as Cucumbers and those other things I mentioned, which are preserved in Vine∣gar. The acids will indeed endeavour to cut in pieces what stands in their way, but having to do with parts too viscous and heavy, they will soon lose all their activity, and fix by their quantity, and their gravity the natural salt of these Aliments, as Vinegar fixes that of Cucumbers; for when the acids do shut the pores of the matter, and keep them firm and quiet, the natural salt cannot exalt so as to cause any Fermentation or digestion.

The reason then why a small portion of acids will cause digestion in the stomach, and a greater quantity will hinder it, is that the small quantity will joyn with the natural salt of the Aliments, and have its operation without shutting the pores of the matter, whereas a great store of acids will quite fill the pores of this matter, and hinder the motion of the natural salt; for it is not enough

that there be a great many acids, to cause such a dissolution, these acids must have room to move in, and to make their jostles.

Thus these effects do make nothing against what I have asserted concerning acids, for a greater quantity of them will always have more disposition, and tendency to a dissolution; but if this great quantity does Coagulate divers things, it is only by accident, and through the disposition of the matter into which the acid points have entred.

What I have here established concerning acids may serve very much to explicate the nature of Feavers, and their principal symptoms.

First of all every body must grant, that when there are Obstructions in our bodies, the ob∣structed matter does ferment and sowr, as Dough, Wine, and several other things grow sowr by be∣ing stale.

This matter by Fermenting sends saline or acid vapours into the mass of bloud, which do cause divers alterations in it, according to their quanti∣ty, and quality, for these acids are commonly mixt with sulphurs, which are a kind of Vehicle to the acids, and are more or less corrupted, according as the matter whence they are derived has sojourn∣ed more or less in the obstructed part.

Now if these acid vapours are carried into the vessels, but only in such a quantity as is fit to make a kind of Leaven, they will then rarifie the bloud too much, and whereas they by consequence do encrease its motion and heat, they do cause that which we call a Feaver; this Feaver must remain as long as the Ferment continues in the bloud, and according as there comes a new supply of matter

in place of that which nature has thrown off.

But if a greater quantity of acids should rise all of a sudden from out of the Obstructions, then there must needs happen a kind of Coagulation, for these acids thus abounding, and fixing the grosser part of the bloud, do partly lose their motion, and quiet the Ebullition of the bloud by fixing its parts.

It is this kind of Congelation which causes those cold shiverings, which are felt, before the hot fit begins; for as the heat is derived from the motion of the Spirits, the cold is produced from the cessa∣tion of their motion.

The cold fit continues until the Spirits have by their activity rarified this Congelation; for the Spirits being continually supplied with additional forces do make violent assaults until they have made their way free.

The Coagulum being dissolved, the bloud should seem to Circulate as it did before, but because the matter of the Coagulum is converted into a Leaven, this Leaven makes the bloud to boil, and so causes a Feaver; this Feaver continues until the bloud is freed from all this Ferment, either by Transpira∣tion, or by Urine.

Now to conceive how this Coagulum may be con∣verted into a Leaven, we must consider that the Spirits of the bloud have lost most of their acidity in dissolving this Coagulum, and that there re∣mains but only acidity enough to produce a Fer∣mentation.

Nevertheless you must not think I mean by this Congelation now spoken of, a Coagulum altoge∣ther like to that in Milk, or to that which happens, when an acid liquor is syringed into the Veins of an

Animal, for these Congelations are too strong, and there would then happen the same thing, or very near the same as does to the Animal, who soon afterwards falls into Convulsions, and dies, be∣cause the course of the Spirits and bloud would be intirely stopt, and they would never be able to break through so great an obstacle: but I do understand here that the bloud is made thicker than it was, and has not so free a motion as it had before, which is enough to cause such cold fits.

Now it remains for me to explicate how it comes to pass that Feavers have their returns regularly by fits.

The matter that makes the Obstructions which I have laid down for the Fundamental cause of Feavers, begins not to send forth its vapours, nor to disperse its acid salt into the bloud in order to cause a Feaver, until it has got together a certain quantity in the obstructed vessels, and then it is probable that there is a new discharge of the matter.

This discharge or eruption of Feaverish matter must happen at set times, so long as the Obstruction lasts, because the humors which Circulate to the obstructed parts, and there stop, are always in an equal quickness and an equal quantity.

Now because in a Tertian, the vessels wherein the obstruction happens, do acquire in two days a sufficient repletion of matter to produce the Eruption and Fermentation I have spoken of, the Fits do come to operate every second day.

But because in a Quartan the humors are more tenacious and heavy, and flow with less expedition, the Fermentation and eruption must needs be

slower, and consequently the fits more distant the one from the other.

The Quotidian Ague is caused by a Saline Pitui∣ta which is naturally fluid enough to make the mat∣ter ferment in less time, wherefore it is that the fits do return every day.

We may reason concerning the other kinds of Feavers upon the same principle, and explicate all the accidents that happen, but I have no design to enlarge my self further upon this subject, I should think it would be too great a digression, and a book should rather be made on purpose, to express all the circumstances which might be deduced from it.