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 ...

The Secret Book of Artephius.

CHAP. III. Of the Composition of our Antimonial Vine∣gar, or Secret Water.

I. ANtimonium est de par∣tibus Saturni, & in omnibus modis habet naturam ejus, & Antimonium Saturni∣num convenit Soli, & in eo

est argentum vivum in qu•• non submergitur aliquod me∣tallum nisi aurum; id est, Sol submergitur verè tantum in argento vivo Antimoniali Sa∣turniali.

II. Et sine illo Argento vivo aliquod metallum deal∣bari non potest: Dealbat er∣go latonem, id est aurum, & reducit corpus perfectum in su∣am primam materiam, id est, in sulphur & argentum vi∣vum albi coloris, & plus∣quam speculum splendentis.

III. Dissolvit (inquam) corpus perfectum quod est de sua natura. Nam illa aqua est amicabilis, & metallis pla∣cabilis, dealbans Solem, quia continet argentum vivum al∣bum.

IV. Et ex hoc utrique ma∣ximum elicias secretum, vi∣delicet quod aqua Antimonij Saturnini debet esse Mercuria∣lis & alba, ut dealbet aurum, non urens, sed dissolvens & postea se congelans in formam cremoris albi.

V. Ideo dicit Philosophus, quod aqua ista facit corpus volatile, propterea quod post∣quam in haec aqua dissolutum fuerit & infrigidatum, ascen∣dit superius in superficie a∣quae.

VI. Recipe (inquit) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 crudum foliatum, vel laminatum, vel calcinatum per Mercurium & ipsum po∣ne in aceto nostro Antimoniali, Saturniali, Mercuriali & sa∣lis armoniaci (ut dicitur) in vase vitreo, lato, & alto qua∣tuor digitorum, vel plus, & dimitte ibi in calore temperato, & videbis brevi tempore ele∣vari quasi liquorem olei de∣super natantem in modum pel∣liculae.

VII. Collige illud cum co∣cleari vel pennâ, intingendo, & sic pluribus vicibus in die collige, donec nihil amplius as∣cendat; & ad ignem facies e∣vaporare aquam, id est, super∣fluam humiditatem aceti, & remanebit tibi quinta essentia

auri, in modum olei albi incom∣bustibilis.

VIII. In quo oleo Philoso∣phi posuerunt maxima secreta, & hoc oleum habet dulcedi nem maximam, atque valet ad mitigandos dolores vul∣nerum.

I. ANtimony is a Mine∣ral participating of Saturnine parts, and has in all respects the nature there∣of: This Saturnine Anti∣mony

agrees with Sol, and contains in it self Argent vi∣ve, in which no Metal is swallowed up, except Gold; and Gold is truly swallowed up by this Antimonial Ar∣gent Vive.

II. Without this Argent Vive no Metal whatsoever can be whitened; it whitens Laton, i. e. Gold; and re∣duceth a perfect Body into its prima Materia, or first Matter, (viz. into Sulphur and Argent Vive,) of a white Colour, and out-shining a Looking-Glass

III. It dissolves (I say) the perfect Body, which is so in its own Nature; for this Water is friendly and agreeable with the Metals, whitening Sol, because it contains in it self white, or pure Argent Vive.

IV. And from both these you may draw a great Ar∣canum, viz. a Water of Sa∣turnine Antimony, mercu∣rial and white; to the end, that it may whiten Sol, not burning, but dissolving, and afterwards congealing to the

consistence or likeness of white Cream.

V. Therefore, saith the Philosopher, this Water makes the Body to be vola∣tile; because after it has been dissolved in it, and in∣frigidated, it ascends above, and swims upon the surface of the Water.

VI. Take (saith he) crude Leaf-Gold, or calcin'd with Mercury, and put it into our Vinegar, made of Satur∣nine Antimony, Mercurial, and Sal Armoniack, (as is said) in a broad Glass Ves∣sel, and four Inches high, or more; put it into a gen∣tle heat, and in a short time you will see elevated a Liquor, as it were Oyl, swimming a top, much like a Scum.

VII. Gather this with a Spoon, or a Feather, dipping it in; and so doing often∣times a day, till nothing more arise: Evapourate a∣way the Water with a gen∣tle heat, i. e. the superfluous humidity of the Vinegar,

and there will remain the Quintessence, Potestates, or Powers of Gold, in form of a white Oyl incombusti∣ble.

VIII. In this Oyl the the Philosophers have pla∣ced their greatest Secrets; it is exceeding sweet, and of great virtue for easing the pains of Wounds.