Medicina practica, or, Practical physick shewing the method of curing the most usual diseases happening to humane bodies ... : to which is added, the philosophick works of Hermes Trismegistus, Kalid Persicus, Geber Arabs, Artesius Longævus, Nicholas Flammel, Roger Bachon and George Ripley : all translated out of the best Latin editions into English ... : together with a singular comment upon the first book of Hermes, the most ancient of philosophers : the whole compleated in three books / by William Salmon ...

CHAP. XXIV. Of the latter two Operations, viz. Albification and Rubification.

I. SUppose that of two like quantities which are in solution and congela∣tion, the larger is the Soul, the lesser is the Body: Add afterwards to the quantity which is the Soul, that quan∣tity which is in the Body, and it shall participate with the first quantity in virtue only: Then working them as we have wrought them, you will have your desire, and understand Euclid his Line or Proportion.

II. Then take this quan∣tity, weigh it exactly, and add to it as much moisture as it will drink up, the weight of which we have not determined: Then

work them as before, with the same Operations of a first imbibing and sublim∣ing it: This Operation is called Albification, and they name it Yarit, that is, Silver or White Lead.

III. When you have made this Compound white, add to it so much of the Spirit, as will make half of the whole, and set it to working, till it grows red, and then it will be of the co∣lour of Al-〈◊〉〈◊〉 [Cinnabar] which is very red, and the Philosophers have likened it to Gold, whose effects lead to that which the Phi∣losopher said to his Scholar Arda.

IV. We call the Clay when it is white Yarit, that is Silver: But when it is red, we name it Temeynch, that is Gold: Whiteness is that which tinges Copper, and makes it Yarit: And it is redness which tinges Ya∣rit, i. e. Silver, and makes it Temeynch, or Gold.

V. He therefore that is able to dissolve these Bo∣dies, to subtilize them, and to make them white and red, as I have said; that is, to compound them by im∣bibing, and convert them to the same, shall without doubt perform the work, and attain to the perfection of the Magistery, of which I have spoken.

VI. Now to perform these things, you must know the Vessels for this purpose: The one is an 〈◊〉〈◊〉, in which the parts are separa∣ted and cleansed; in them the matter of the Magiste∣ry is depurated, and made compleat and perfect.

VII. Every one of these Aludels must have a Furnace fit for them, which must have a similitude and figure fit for the Work. Mezleme and some other Philoso∣phers, have named all these things in their Books, shew∣ing the manner and form thereof.

VIII. And herein the Phi∣losophers agree together in their Writings; concealing the matter under Symbols,

in many Books, but seting forth the necessary Instru∣ments for the said four O∣perations. The Instruments are chiefly two in number, one is a Cucurbit with its Alembick; the other is a well made Aludel, or subli∣matory.

IX. There are also four things necessary to these, viz. Bodies, Souls, Spirits, Waters; and of these four does the Mineral Work, and Magistery consist, all which are made plain in the Books of Philosophers.

X. I have therefore omit∣ted them in mine, only touching at them; and cre∣ated of those things which they over-passed with si∣lence; which what they are, by the sequel of the Discourse, you will easily discern; but these things write I, not for the Igno∣rant and Unlearned, but for the Wise and Prudent, that they may know them.