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. LV. Of Coagulation, and its Causes.

I. COagulation is the Re∣duction of a thing Liquid, to a solid substance, by deprivation of its moi∣sture; for which there is a two-fold Cause; one is the Induration or hardening of Argent Vive (of which we have already treated, Chap. 48. Sect. 8. ad 23. The other is the freeing of Medicines dissolved from their Aquosity which is mixed or joyned with them, and so is varied according to the kinds of things to be Coagulated.

II. The way of Coagu∣lating things dissolved, is by a Glass placed in Ashes up to its Neck, and an e∣qual Fire not too hot put under it, and to be conti∣nued till the whole Aquosi∣ty is Vanished.

III. Now seeing it is not possible to remove the true Essence of any thing in na∣ture, the thing it self re∣maining, therefore it is said to be impossible to separate these corrupt things from them: for this cause some Philosophers have thought this Art not possible to be attained, and We, and in∣deed other Searchers in this Science have been brought to this very State of be∣lief.

IV. By reason of this, we as well as they were driven to Amazement, and

for a long space of time lay under the shade of Despa∣ration, yet returning to our selves, and being per∣plexed with the im∣mense trouble of dispai∣ring thoughts and medita∣tions, we considered Bodies diminished from Perfection, to be foul in the profundi∣ty of their Nature, and no∣thing pure or clean to be found in them, because it was not in them according to Nature; for that which is not in a thing cannot be found there.

V. Seeing then nothing of perfection is found in them, therefore necessarily also, in the same nothing superfluous remains to be found, in separation of the divers substances in them, and in the profundity of their Nature, therefore by this, we found somewhat to be diminished in them, which must necessarily be compleated, by matter fit for it, and repairing the de∣fect.

VI. Diminution in them is the Paucity of Argent Vi∣ve, and not right Spissation or Coagulation of the same, therefore to compleat them, you must sufficiently aug∣ment the Argent Vive: then rightly Inspissate or Coagu∣late; and lastly induce a permanent fixion (of which we shall speak in the next Chapter.

VII. But this is perform∣ed by a Medicine created of that: And this Medi∣cine when brought forth into being from Argent Vi∣ve, by the benefit of its brightness and splendor, it hides and covers their Clou∣diness, draws forth their Lucidity, and converts the same into Splendor, Bright∣ness and Glory.

VIII. For which Argent Vive is prepared into a Me∣dicine, and cleansed by our Artifice; it is reduced to a most pure and bright Substance, which being pro∣jected upon Bodies want∣ing of perfection, will il∣lustrate or Tinge them, and by its fixing power perfect them: which Medicine we declare in its due time and place.