A new method of physick: or, A short view of Paracelsus and Galen's practice; in 3. treatises. I. Opening the nature of physick and alchymy. II. Shewing what things are requisite to a physitian and alchymist. III. Containing an harmonical systeme of physick. Written in Latin by Simeon Partlicius, phylosopher, and physitian in Germany. Translated into English by Nicholas Culpeper, Gent. student in physick and astrologie, dwelling on the east-side of Spittle-fields, neer London.

LIB. IV.

The Signatures of Hermetical Phyloso∣phers, both Internal and External, by which they find out the Vertues of things.

1 A Signature is either Internal, or Exter∣nal.

2 External is that which shews the Efficacy of a thing, and somtimes the Temperature.

3 It contains

• 1 The Signatures of Men taken from other Living Creatures.
• 2 The Signatures of Plants, by their simili∣tude to some part of the Body of Man.
• 3 The Signatures of Diseases.
• 4 Medicines which help by similitude.

4 Internal Signature is the Principle, Cause, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and Foundation, shewing the Vertue and Efficacy of a thing; and it is called Vital Essen∣tial, and Formal 〈◊〉〈◊〉 or Anatomy.

5 These Internal Principles are three, Sal, Sulpher, and Mercury.

6 In these three constituting and vertual Prin∣ciples, the qualities, that is, Tast, Smel, and Color

are found; not by imagination and guess only, but in Reality and Truth: namely, The Tasts are most found in the Salt, the Smel in the Sulphur, and the Colors in the Mercury.

7 These three are found in every Elementary Body: These are the things that bring it forth, and preserve it being brought forth: By these it flourisheth, and is furnished with divers Opera∣tions.

8 None of these three Principles are found a∣lone, but doth partake of some of the other; for Salt by the benefit of these two Salts, Sal Nitre, and Sal Armoniack, contains in it self a certain Oyly substance, and Mercurial: The Sulphur re∣tains a certain Salt substance and Mercurial: And Mercury retains a certain Sulpurous, and Salt sub∣stance; but it retains the name of that which it partakes most of.

Now what Analogy there is of these three with our Body, I shal open (God willing) more plain∣ly when I come to our 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Harmony, which I promised before.

9 Thus you have the Remote Theorick of 〈◊〉〈◊〉: the Neer follows.