Thesaurus & armamentarium medico-chymicum, or, A treasury of physick with the most secret way of preparing remedies against all diseases : obtained by labour, confirmed by practice, and published out of good will to mankind : being a work of great use for the publick / written originally in Latine by ... Hadrianus à Mynsicht ...; and faithfully rendred into English by John Partridge ...

Catharticum Argenteum, or the Silver Cathartick.

TAke of pure Silver an ounce, Aqua fortis distil∣led from the Salt of Nitre and Vitriol, and in a Retort in Sand over a gentle fire first rectified, six ounces. Dissolve the Moon in this water, and to the solution add of fresh Aqua fortis four ounces, of purified Nitre half an ounce, mix them well, and distil it in an Alembick in Balneo Mariae, or in Sand three times, still pouring on again the distilled Liquor on the Faeces according to art; then put the Cucurbit into Sand, that is, higher than it is luted, that so all the Aqua fortis may be drawn off till it be throughly dry. Then break the Glass, and take out the coagulated Medicine in the bottom, which is black without-side, but white within: break this into small pieces, and then dissolve it in about four ounces of Aqua fortis before drawn off, till the Pow∣der grow black, and then you have the true Philo∣sophical Moon; take this clear Liquor, and put it into a cold place, and it will shoot into Crystals. Take these Crystals and dry them by the fire, not in the

Sun, if you do, they will grow black and unprofita∣ble: and when they are sufficiently dried, keep them for your use without edulcoration.

Virtue, Use, and Dose. 'Tis a most powerful Ca∣thartick, with which the most skilful Chymists purge in the Cachexy and Dropsie, &c. it also purges all serous and watry Humors, and cures external Tu∣mors of the Body in the strongest Constitutions; it expels the watrish humors in the sides, which cause various Symptoms and Diseases, and it relieves any parts of the body overprest with humors. The Dose is from four to five grains in a morning in a good draught of warm Wine: It is most proper to use it in the decrease of the Moon about her last Quarter, unless urgent occasion require otherwise.