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. LIII. Of the Natural Principles and Generation of Metals and Minerals.

I. THe Natural Princi∣ples, and first Ge∣neration of Metals and Mi∣nerals. I shall compleatly

declare: where is first to be Noted, that the Mine∣ral beginnings, or Princi∣ples in Minerals are Argent Vive, and Sulphur: From these all Metals, are produ∣ced, and all Minerals, how manifold soever, their di∣versities or kinds may be.

II. But I say, that Na∣ture always proposes, and contends, to bring them to the perfection of Gold; but by several Supervenient accidents, the said Metals are transformed or embased, as you may plainly see in the Books of the Philoso∣phers.

III. For according to the Purity or Impurity of the said two, to wit, of Argent Vive, and Sulphur, pure and impure Metals are genera∣ted, to wit, Gold, Silver, Tin, Lead, Copper, Iron. concerning the Natures of which, viz. of their puri∣ties and impurities, or Su∣perfluous corruption and defects, we have a few true things to say.

IV. Of Gold. It is indeed a Body perfect, made of pure Silver, fixed, clean, Red; and of a clean Sul∣phur, fixed, Red, not burn∣ing, and free from defects.

V. Of Silver. It is a Bo∣dy, clean, pure, and al∣most reaching to perfection; generated of Argent Vive, pure, clear, white, and al∣most fixed; and of a Sul∣phur, like it in all respects; wanting only a little infixa∣tion, Colour and Weight.

VI. Of Tin. It is a clean Body but imperfect, generated of Argent Vive, fixed, and not fixed, clear, white in out∣ward appearance, but red in its occult or inward parts; and of a little pure, fixed, and not fixed Sulphur: and is only wanting in a suffici∣ent decoction or digestion.

VII. Of Lead. It is im∣pure and imperfect, gene∣rated of Argent Vive, im∣pure, not fixed, terrene, faeculent, a little White out∣wardly, but Red inwardly, and of such a like Sulphur, adustible in some parts: it is deficient in purity, fix∣ation,

Colour, and Igniti∣on.

VIII. Of Copper. It is a Body impure and imper∣fect, generated from an Argent Vive, impure, not fixed, Earthy, Burning, Red, not clear, and from such a like Sulphur: but is wanting in fixation, purity and weight; having also too much impure Colour, and terrestreities not burning.

IX. Of Iron. It is a Body impure and imperfect, ge∣nerated from impure Quick-Silver, too much fixed, Ear∣thy, burning White and Red, not clear, and of a like Sulphur: it is wanting in fusion, purity and weight; and has too much of an im∣pure fixed Sulphur, with a burning terrestreity. All which things you are dili∣gently to Note.