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. LXVI. Another way of Elixirating Gold by the Fire against Nature.

I. ANother way, by which the Body of Gold is Elixirated by the power of the Fire against Nature, through the help of the Operation of the Fire of Nature; which is thus. Dissolve the Body of pure Gold in the Fire against Na∣ture, the same fire being well rectified Arsenick [Mer∣cury sublimate] as the man∣ner is; from which Gold being so dissolved into a Citrine, clear and shining Water, without any Hete∣rogenity, or Sand remain∣ing, let the water be abstra∣cted, till the Body does re∣main in the bottom of the Glass, like a fixt Oyl.

II. Upon this Oyl, affuse the said Water, or Fire against

Nature again, and abstract again, and this work so of∣ten repeat till the water or fire against Nature, have no more sharpness upon the Tongue than common Well-Water.

III. This done, draw such another new water or fire against Nature, which Affuse upon the former Oyl, and abstract in all respects as before is taught: then Affuse upon this Oyl the water or fire of Nature well rectified, and let it be dou∣ble in quantity or propor∣tion of the said Oyl of the Body so dissolved, and put it into a Vessel, which stop well, and set it in Balneo for seven days; so will the water or fire of Nature be∣come a Citrine Color.

IV. This water or fire of Nature by its attractive Vir∣tue, will draw away the Tincture from the fire against Nature, as Raymundus saith in his practical Alphabet. And altho' it is somewhat opposite to Nature, to dis∣solve the Bodies with the fire against Nature; yet if you know how to com∣fort the matter with the fire of Nature, and by Balnea∣tion in 15 days, to draw it from the blackness of the water, or fire against Nature, (the which may be done, as I have proved, in 6 days) you shall perfect the work, and attain the desired end.

V. Let the aforesaid Na∣tural Water or fire of Na∣ture, so tinged with a Yel∣low Color, be always wa∣rily emptied, and poured off from the aforesaid dis∣solved Bodies, into another Vessel, with a narrow Mouth, that may be firm∣ly stopped: and then with more of the said fire, let there be made in Balnco, in the space of time aforesaid, another quantity of the said Oyl.

VI. And so the same wa∣ter being tinged with Sol or Gold, let it be warily emp∣tied, and poured off as be∣fore: and when the water of Nature will be tinged no more, then it is a sign, that the Tincture is all drawn forth from the dissolved

Body by the Fire against Nature.

VII. Put the Tinctures thus decanted off into a Glass Stillatory, and with a soft or easie Fire abstract the Water or Fire of Na∣ture from the same, so long till you see in the bottom an Oyl; to which you must put New Fire of Nature again, well rectified: and after the Matter has stood in Balneo for the space of 6 days, then abstract the said water or fire of Nature by distillation.

VIII. And let the work with the same water be re∣peated upon and from the said Oyl, after the same manner so long till you have brought your Oyl of Gold to be most subtil and pure, without any Foeculent grossness, wherein let no∣thing of the water or fire of Nature be left behind, but the substance of Gold only, turned to Oyl.

IX. This subtil and pure Oyl of Gold, being put in Kemia, or its proper Vessel, and firmly sealed up, may by the aforesaid Regiments be changed into the great Elixir, as it is shewed be∣fore with the other simple Oyl, made with the Com∣pounded Water, in the for∣mer practice, at Sect. 8. Chap. 65. aforegoing.

X. But to proceed: sub∣lime Quick-Silver with Ro∣man Vitriol and prepared or Calcined Salt; and after that sublime it by it self alone three times from its Foeculent substance. This done, and the same made into Pouder, put this subli∣mate Pouder into a fixato∣ry Vessel, and put thereto a certain quantity of your aforesaid Oyl of Gold, but so much only, as may scarcely cover the subli∣mate: firmly close the Ves∣sel, and set it in a soft Fire, till the Natures are perfectly joyned together.

XI. This done, grind it upon a Marble, and In∣cerate it again with your said Oyl of Gold, and af∣ter put it again into its Fix∣atory Vessel, under a Fire

of the first Degree as before, and let the same Vessel stand twice as long as it did before, to the Intent that the Natures may be firmly Compact and United together.

XII. Now this Rule is generally to be Observed, that the Vessel with the Matter in it to be fixed, ought always to be set over the fire from time to time to be augmented: and this In∣ceration to be continued still upon the Argent Vive sub∣limed, until the same is per∣fectly fixed with the said Oyl or substance of Gold.

XIII. The which must be proved upon a Plate of Silver Red Hot: And if it be found fixed, let it have for the greater cer∣tainty, one Inceration more of the said Oyl, which set under a strong fire for the space of three days: then grind it with your Oyl up∣on the same Stone, till it be as thick as an Oyntment; which make perfectly dry with an easie fire, and then let it be Calcined with a strong fire for the space of eight hours.

XIV. Which done, then Incerate it, and dry it again with a soft or gentle fire oftentimes, till it stands in the fire like melted Wax. This Medicine will trans∣mute Silver substantially and perfectly into fine and pure Alchymick Gold, per∣fect to all the works of Goldsmiths, but not to Me∣dicine for Man.