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. XLV. Of the Eduction of the Whiteness out of the Blackness or Black Matter.

I. NOw let us revolve to the Black matter in its Vessel, [not so much as once opened, but] con∣tinually closed: Let this Vessel I say, stand conti∣nually in the moist fire, till such time as the White Co∣lour appears, like to a white moist Salt.

II. The Colour is cal∣led by the Philosophers Arsenick, and Sal Armoni∣ack; and some others call it, The thing without which no profit is to be had in the Work.

III. But inward white∣ness appearing in the Work, then is there a perfect Con∣junction, and Copulation, of the Bodies in this Stone, which is indissoluble: And then is fulfilled that saying of Hermes, The thing which is above, is as that which is beneath; and that which is beneath, is as that which is above, to perform the My∣stery of this matter.

IV. Phares saith, Seeing the Whiteness appearing above in the Vessel, you may be cer∣tain, that in that Whiteness, the Redness lies hid; but be∣fore it becomes White, you will find many Colours to appear.

V. Therefore saith Dio∣medes, Decoct the Male and the [Female or] Vapour toge∣ther, until such time as they shall become one dry Body; for except they be dry, the divers or various Colours will not ap∣pear.

VI. For it will ever be black, whilst that humidity

or moisture has the domi∣nion; but if that be once wasted, then it emits divers Colours, after many and several ways.

VII. And many times it shall be changed from Co∣lour to Colour, till such time as it comes to the fixed Whiteness.

VIII. Synon saith, All the Colours of the World will ap∣pear in it when the Black hu∣midity is dryed up.

IX. But value none of these Colours, for they be not the true Tincture: yea many times it becomes Ci∣trine and Redish; and ma∣ny times it is dryed, and be∣comes liquid again, before the Whiteness will appear.

X. Now all this while the Spirit is not perfectly joyned with the Body, nor will it be joyned or fixed but in the White Colour: Astanus saith, Between the White and the Red appear all Colours, even to the utmost i∣magination.

XI. For the varieties of which the Philosophers have given various Names, and almost innumerable; some for obscuring it, and some for envy sake.

XII. The cause of the ap∣pearance of such variety of Colours in the Operation of your Medicine, is from the extension of the black∣ness; for as much as Black∣ness and Whiteness be the extream Colours, all the o∣ther Colours are but means between them.

XIII. Therefore as of∣ten as any degree or portion of Blackness descends, so often another and another Colour appears, until it comes to Whiteness.

XIV. Now concerning the Ascending and Discen∣ding of the Medicine, Hermes saith, It ascends from the Earth into Heaven, and again descends from Heaven to the Earth, whereby it may receive both the superiour strength, and the inferiour.

XV. Moreover this you are to observe, that if be∣tween the Blackness and the Whiteness, there should appear the Red or Citrine Colour, you are not to look upon it or esteem it, for it is not fixt but will vanish a∣way.

XVI. There cannot in∣deed be any perfect and fixt Redness, without it be first White: Wherefore saith Rhasis, no Man can come from the first to the third, but by the second.

XVII. From whence it is evident, that Whiteness must always be first lookt for, [after the Blackness, and before the Redness,] for as much as it is the Comple∣ment of the whole Work.

XVIII. Then after this Whiteness appears, it shall not be changed into any true or stable Colour, but into the Red: Thus have we taught you to make the White; it remains now that we elucidate the Red.