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. XXVI. Of Subtilization, Solution, Coagulation, and Commixion of the Stone.

I. NOW except you subtilize the Body till it becomes water, it will not corrupt and putrefie, nor can it congeal the Fu∣gitive Souls when the fire touches them; for the fire is that which by its force and spirit congeals and unites them.

II. In like manner the Philosophers commanded to dissolve the Bodies, to the end that the heat might en∣ter into their Bowels, or in∣ward parts: So we return to dissolve these Bodies, and congeal them after their so∣lution, with that thing which comes near to it, till all the things mixed together by an apt and fit commixtion, in proportional quantities, are firmly conjoyned toge∣ther.

III. Wherefore we joyn Fire and Water, Earth and Air together, mixing the thick with the thin, and the thin with the thick, so as they may abide together, and their Natures may be changed the one into the other, and made like, and one thing in the compound which before were sim∣ple.

IV. Because that part which generates or fer∣ments, bestows its virtue upon the subtil and thin, which is the Air; for like cleaves to its like, and is a part of the Generation, from whence it receives power to move and ascend upwards.

V. Cold has power over the thick matter, because it has lost its heat, and the wa∣ter is gone out of it; and the driness appears upon it.

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

This, moisture departs by ascending up; and the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 part of the Air has min∣gled 〈◊〉〈◊〉 self with it, for that it is like unto it, and of the same nature.

VI. Now when the thick body has lost its heat and moisture, and that the cold and dryness has power over it; and that their parts have mixed themselves, by being first divided, and that there is no moisture left to joyn the parts divided, the parts withdraw themselves.

VII. And then the part which is contrary to cold, by reason it has continued, and sent its heat and deco∣ction to the cold parts of the Earth, having power o∣ver them, and exercising such dominion over the coldness which was hidden in the said thick Body; that, by virtue of its gene∣rative power, changes the thick cold Body, and makes it become subtil and hot, and then strives to dry it up again by its heat.

VIII. But afterwards, the subtil part, (which causes the Natures to ascend) when it has lost its Occidental heat, and waxes cold, then the Natures are changed, and become thick, and de∣scend to the center, where the earthly Natures are joyn∣ed together, which were subtilized, and converted in their generation, and imbibed in them.

IX. And so the moisture joyneth together the parts divided: But the Earth la∣bours to dry up that moi∣sture, compassing it about, and hindering it for going out; by means whereof, that which before lay hid, does now appear; nor can the moisture be separated, but is held fast, and firmly retained by dryness.

X. In like manner we see, that whatsoever is in the World, is held or re∣tained by or with its con∣trary, as heat with cold, and dryness with moisture: thus when each of them has besieged its Companion, the thin is mixed with the thick, and those things are

made one substance, viz. their hot and moist Soul, and their cold and dry Bo∣dy, are united, and made one.

XI. Then it strives to dis∣solve and subtilize by its heat and moisture, which is the Soul; and the Body labours to enclose, and re∣tain the hot and moist Soul in its cold and dry sub∣stance. And in this man∣ner is their Virtues and Pro∣perties altered and changed from one thing to ano∣ther.

XII. I have told you the Truth, which I have seen, and my own self has done: And therefore I charge you to change or convert the Natures from their Substan∣ces and Subtilties, with heat and moisture, into their Substances and Colours. If you proceed aright in this Work, you must not pass the bounds I have set you in this Book.