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. VIII. Of the Affinity of our Water, and other won∣derful things done by it.

I. Haec corpora sic soluta per aquam nostram dicun∣tur argentum vivum, quod non est sine sulphure, nec sulphur sine natura luminarium, quia luminaria sunt principalia me∣dia in forma, per quae natura transit perficiendo & complendo suam generationem.

II. Et istud argentum vi∣vum vocatur sal honoratum & animatum, & praegnans, & ignis, cum non sit nisi ignis; nec ignis, nisi sulphur; nec sul∣phur, nisi argentum vivum, extractum à Sole & Luna per aquam nostram, & reductum in lapidem alti pretii.

III. Id est, erit materia al∣terata luminarium & mutata de vilitate in nobilitatem.

IV. Nota, quod sulphur il∣lud album, est pater metallo∣rum, ac mater illorum; Mercu∣rius noster, & minera auri, & anima, & fermentum, & vir∣tus mineralis, & corpus vi∣vum, & medicina perfecta, & sulphur, & argentum vivum, nostrum; id est, sulphur de sulphure, & argentum vivum de argento vivo, & Mercurius de Mercurio.

V. Proprietas ergo aquae no∣strae est, quod liquefacit aurum & argentum; & augmentat in eis nativum colorem.

VI. Convertit enim corpora à corporalitate in spiritualita∣tem, & ipsa est quae immittit in corpus fumum album, qui est anima alba, subtilis, calida, multae igneitatis.

VII. Haec aqua dicitur eti∣am lapis sanguinaris, est etiam virtus spiritualis sanguinis sine quo nil fit, & subjectum omni∣um liquabilium, & liquefacti∣onis, quod multum Soli & Lu∣nae convenit & adhaeret, nec separatur ab eis semper.

VIII. Est ergo affinis Soli & Lunae, sed magis Soli quam Lunae; nota bene.

IX. Dicitur etiam medium conjungendi tincturas Solis & Lunae cum metallis imperfectis, nam aqua illa convertit corpora in veram tincturam ad tingen∣da reliqua imperfecta, & est aqua quae dealbat, ut est alba; quae vivifisat, ut est anima; & ideo citò corpus suum ingre∣ditur, ait Philosophus.

X. Nam est aqua viva quae venit suam irrigare terram ut germinet, & fructum producat in tempore 〈◊〉〈◊〉, nam ex roratu omnia generantur ex terra na∣scentia:

XI. Terra ergo non germi∣nat absque irrigatione & humi∣ditate, aqua roris Maij ipsa abluit corpora, tanquam plu∣viali penetrat, & dealbat, ac facit corpus novum ex duobus corporibus.

XII. Aqua illa. vitae gu∣bernata cum corpore, ipsum de∣albat, convertens ipsum in suum colorem album.

XIII. Illa namque aqua, fumus albus est, ideo cum illa dealbatur corpus.

XIV. Oportet ergo dealbare corpus, & rumpere libros, & inter illa duo, id est, inter cor∣pus

& aquam est libido & so∣cietas ut Maris & Foeminae, propter natura similis propin∣quitatem.

XV. Nam Aqua nostra viva secunda, dicitur Azot abluens Latonem, id est, Cor∣pus, compositum ex Sole & Luna per Aquam nostram primam, dicitur etiam Anima corporum solutorum qusrum a∣nimas jam simul ligavimus, ut serviant Sapientibus Phi∣losophis.

XVI. Quantum ergo pre∣tiosa est & magnifica haec A∣qua? Namque absque illa O∣pus non posset perfici. Dicitur etiam vas naturae, uterus, matrix, receptaculum tincturae, terra, & nutrix.

XVII. Et est Fons in quo se lavant Rex, & Regina, & Mater quam oportet ponere & sigillare in ventre sui infantis, qui est Sol qui ab ea processit

& ipsum parturiit ideo sese mutuo amant & diligunt ut Mater & Filius, & conjun∣guntur simul, quoniam ab u∣na & eadem radice venerunt, & ejusdem substantiae & na∣turae.

XVIII. Et quoniam Aqua ista, est Aqua vitae Vegetabi∣lis, ideo ipsa dat vitam, & facit vegetare, crescere & pul∣lulare ipsum Corpus mortuum, & ipsum resuscitare de morte ad vitam solutione & subli matione.

XIX. Et in tali operatione vertitur Corpus in Spiritum, & Spiritus in Corpus, & tunc facta est amicitia, pax, con∣cordia, & unio contrariorum, id est, Corporis & Spiritus, qui mutant invicem naturas suas quas recipiunt, & sibi communicant per minima.

XX. Sic quod calidum mi∣scetur frigido, & siccum humi∣do, & durum molli, & hoc modo fit mixtio naturarum contrararum, frigidi scilicet cum calido, & humidi cum sicco, at que admirabilis inter inimi∣cos connexio.

I. THese Bodies thus dis∣solved by our water are called Argent Vive, which is not without its Sulphur, nor the Sulphur without the fixedness of Sol and Luna; because Gold and Silver are the particular means, or medium in the form through which Nature passes in the perfecting and compleating thereof.

II. And this Argent Vive is called our esteemed and valuable Salt, being anima∣ted and pregnant, and our fire, for that it is nothing but Fire: yet not fire, but Sulphur; and not Sulphur only, but also Quicksilver drawn from Sol and Luna by our water, and 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 to a Stone of Great price.

III. That is to say, it is the matter or substance of Sol and Luna, or Silver and Gold, altered from Vileness to Nobility.

IV. Now you must note that this white Sulphur is the Father and Mother of the Metals; it is our Mercury, and the Mineral of Gold; also the Soul, and the fer∣ment; yea, the Mineral Virtue, and the living Body; our Sulphur, and our Quick∣silver; that is, Sulphur of Sulphur; Quicksilver of Quicksilver, and Mercury of Mercury.

V. The Property there∣fore of our Water is, that it melts or dissolves Gold and Silver, and encreases their native Tincture or Color.

VI. For it changes their Bodies from being Corpo∣real, into a Spirituality: and it is this water which turns the Bodies, or corporeal sub∣stance into a white vapour, which is a Soul that is white∣ness it self, subtile, hot, and full of fire.

VII. This water is also called the tinging or blood∣colour-making stone, being the virtue of the Spiritual Tincture, without which nothing can be done: and it is the subject of all things that may be melted, and of liquefaction it selt, which agrees perfectly, and unites closely with Sol and Luna, from which it can never be separated.

VIII. For it is joyned in affinity to the Gold and Sil∣ver, but more immediately to the Gold than to the Sil∣ver: which you are to take special notice of.

IX. It is also called the medium of conjoyning the Tinctures of Sol and Luna with the inferior or imper∣fect Metals; for it turns the Bodies into the true Tin∣cture, to tinge the said other imperfect Metals: also it is the water which whiteneth, as it is whiteness it self; which quickeneth as it is a Soul; and therefore (as the Philosopher saith) quickly entreth into its Body.

X. For it is a living wa∣ter which comes to moi∣sten the Earth, that it may spring out, and in its due season bring forth much fruit; for all things spring∣ing from the Earth, are e∣duced through Dew or Moi∣sture.

XI. The Earth therefore springeth not forth without watering and moisture: It is the water proceeding from May Dew, that cleanseth the Body; and like Rain it penetrates them, and makes one new Body of two Bo∣dies.

XII. This Aqua Vitae, or Water of Life, being rightly ordered and disposed with the body, it whitens it, and converts or changes it into its white colour.

XIII. For this water is a white vapour, and there∣fore the Body is whitened with it.

XIV. It behoves you therefore to whiten the Bo∣dy, and open its infoldings:

for between these two, that is, between the Body and the Water, there is a desire and friendship, like as be∣tween the Male and Fe∣male, because of the pro∣pinquity and likeness of their Natures.

XV. Now this our second and living water is called Azoth, the Water washing the Laten, viz. the Body compounded of Sol and Luna by our first Water: It is also called the Soul of the dissolved Bodies, which Souls we have even now tied together, for the use of the wise Philosopher.

XVI. How precious then, and how great a thing is this Water! For without it the Work could never be done or perfected: It is al∣so called the Vas Naturae, the Belly, the Womb, the Re∣ceptacle of the Tincture, the Earth, the Nurse.

XVII. It is the Royal Fountain in which the King and Queen bathe them∣selves; and the Mother which must be put into, and

sealed up within the belly of her Infant; and that is Sol himself, who proceeded from her, and whom she brought forth; and there∣fore they have loved one a∣nother as Mother and Son, and are conjoyned together, because they come from one and the same Root, and are of the same Substance and Nature.

XVIII. And because this Water is the Water of the Vegetable Life, it causes the dead Body to vegetate, in∣crease, and spring forth, and to rise from Death to Life, by being dissolved first, and then sublimed.

XIX. And in doing this, the Body is converted into a Spirit, and the Spirit (af∣terwards) into a Body; and then is made the Amity, the Peace, the Concord, and the Union of the Contra∣ries, to wit, between the Body and the Spirit, which reciprocally, or mutually change their Natures which they receive, and communi∣cate one to another through their most minute parts.

XX. So that that which is hot, is mixed with that which is cold, the dry with the moist, and the hard with the soft; by which means there is a mixture made of contrary Natures, viz. of cold with hot, and moist with dry, even a most ad∣mirable Unity between E∣nemies.