Dr. Willis's practice of physick being the whole works of that renowned and famous physician wherein most of the diseases belonging to the body of man are treated of, with excellent methods and receipts for the cure of the same : fitted to the meanest capacity by an index for the explaining of all the hard and unusual words and terms of art derived from the Greek, Latine, or other languages for the benefit of the English reader : with forty copper plates.

The Reasons of some Preparations.

1. Sal Prunellae, or Chrystal Mineral, which is nothing else but purified Nitre.

Take of choice Nitre a convenient quantity, and dissolve it in Spring or Rain water; * 1.1 boyl it a little, and lay it up in a deep glassen Vessel, to chrystallize, in a cold place: then pick out the whitest and most clear chrystals onely, which you must again by often dissolutions and chrystallizations, reduce to the highest degree of purity; and they after that, being melted in a crucible and poured out into a silver Vessel, will harden into very white stone. Of this, when pulverized, the Dose is from ℈ j. to ʒ ss. or ℈ ij. which cools the boyling of the Bloud, and provokes Urin.

This Preparation is so ordered, that the nitrous particles, as much as is possible, * 1.2 may be separated quite and clean from the fixed Salt, and harden into Chrystals di∣stinct by themselves: for when the Nitre is first made out of the Earth, and drawn forth by a Lie, the particles thereof are so unapt to grow together, or chrystallize, that

it is necessary for the nitrous Lie to be again elixiviated with ashes, and impregnated with fixed Salt, to the end that the nitrous particles, being partly united to the Leyish ones, and partly, by the intervening of them, thrust out of the pores of the Water, may gain a kind of concretion or hardness: wherefore seeing the Body or Salt of Nitre is for∣med in that manner, see that the particles of fixed Salt be, by frequent dissolutions and chrystallizations, purged away, as much as possible, to make it the purer for Phy∣sical uses.

2. Spirit of Nitre.

Take of the purest Nitre lb j. of Powder of Bricks lb ij. which when you have well poun∣ded and mixed, put them into a glassen Retort, luted or into an earthen one, and distil * 1.3 them in a reverberating Oven with a fire gradually augmented. The red Fumes will make the Receiver glitter with a kind of flame colour, and when they are condensed will make a distilled liquor which is acid and exceeding corrosive. The Dose is iv. to vj. in a convenient vehicle.

Although Nitre, mixed with Sulphur, is soon set on fire by the least particle of ig∣neous matter, and breaks out into flames; yet, being destitute of that, it may be mel∣ted * 1.4 in a crucible, or distilled in a Retort, without any bruning at all. The Powder of Bricks is added to it, that when the Salts are melted by the fire, they may not mutually get hold of, and chain together each other, but being divided and separated from one another, may, by the force of the fire, be driven forth from their subject.

Nitre, when melted, retaineth its inflamable quality; but the distilled liquor will sooner put fire out than kindle it. For if at any time you put it among sulphur, that mixture can very hardly, and not so soon as sulphur, be kindled by it self; the reason of which is, because the nitrous Salt, having undergone a dissolution, is quite altered from its natural state, and gaineth much such another sowre temper, as other Salts that have suffered the like mutation; yea out of Sulphur there is drawn an acid stag∣ma or liquor, that rather destroys than augments inflammations.

3. Spirit of Sea Salt.

Take of Sea Salt, dissolved and powdered, lb j. of Bricks coarsly pulverized lb iij. pound them together, and mix them: then put to them some good big Brick-bats to the quan∣tity * 1.5 of lb ss. when they are well mixt and put into a strong Retort, distil them with a fierce reverberating fire for 24. hours; rectifie the distilled liquor with the heat of Sand in a glassen Cucurbit, drawing off the phlegm or waterish part; and there will remain in the bottom a Spirit, of an yellow or greenish colour, that hath a smell and taste very grateful.

This Salt is very difficult to be driven or forced into a sharp liquor, because the par∣ticles thereof, more than any other saline ones that are in Minerals, to wit, in Vitriol, * 1.6 Nitre, Alum, &c. being most strictly united, cannot easily be parted from each other, or separated from the embraces of the Earth; wherefore when they are loosened by the fire, mingle with them the Powder of Bricks, in a threefold quantity, to keep them from running together; and besides that, I thought fit to put between them good big pieces of Bricks, that the mass that is to be distilled, being hollowed as it were with holes through it, might be every where penetrated or pierced by the fire. Yet notwithstand∣ing, as you distil them, the Salts being dissolved by the fire, will very often run toge∣ther, in so much that afterward that cannot be driven forth with any force of fire.

That it is so, is very plain, because if by Art this union of the Salts among themseves * 1.7 and with the Earth be broken off, they are easily forced into an acid stagma, or di∣stilled liquor. For example;

Take of the Spirit of Vitriol not rectified one pint, and in a glassen Retort, pour it into Sea Salt calcined and pulverized, and immediately distil it in Sand, the spirit of the Salt being expelled as it were by the other, will easily ascend, whilest the spirit of Vitriol stays in its room; that is, this spirit of Vitriol being more ponderous and stronger, and likewise bereft and covetous of an earthy habitation, drives the other out of its possessions, and at the same time invades them it self.

4. Spirit of Piss.

Take of the Piss of a sound man that drinks Wine, what quantity you think fit, and when

you have put it into a Cucurbit with a blind Still, let it rot in dung for a moneth; then distil it in Sand. The liquor distilled from it being rectified in a deep Cucurbit, affords a spirit and a volatile Salt.

This operation may be performed more compendiously, if you evaporate fresh Urin to a fourth part of what you first took, to wit, that when the phlegm is exhaled, the saline particles may mor•…•… closely incorporate with the sulphureous and earthy ones. To this thick composition (after you have put it into the Cucurbit) pour either a Lie made of Ashes or Salt of Tartar, or the dissolution of slacked Lime; and then putting on the Still, distil it in an Oven of Sand; and you will easily gain a Spirit, and a vo∣latile Salt, which by rectification are purified and separated.

The reason of these proceedings is, because in that the Urin consists of a double * 1.8 kind ef Salt, that is to say, a nitrous and a volatile, together with a great deal of Sul∣phur and Earth, the particles of volatile Salt (whilest the mixture remains entire) are so detained and strictly compacted by the other saline ones, together with the rest of the thicker elements, that the spirits cannot break forth, or be divided and separated by the force of fire; but when by long rotting [in the dung] the mixtion of the li∣quor is loosened, the saline volatile particles, which at length do extricate or disen∣tangle themselves from the rest, ascend first in the distillation. Moreover the same effect also doth easily ensue, when a fixed Salt that is different from the nitrous, is poured in; for whilest the particles of the nitrous Salt are laid hold on by those of the other Salt that is infused, the volatile Salt escaping out of its restraint, doth easily make its way and is gone. Hither you may refer what I shall hereafter say of the di∣stillation of Sal Armoniack.

5. Tincture of Salt of Tartar.

Take of the purest Salt of Tartar ℥ vj. melt it and let it remain in the crucible till it gain a blew, or almost a green colour; then, having pulverized it whilest it grows hot, and * 1.9 put it into a strong Matrace or Glass Still with a long neck, pour to it rectified spirit of Wine the depth of three or four fingers, and let it digest in an Oven of Sand upon a quick fire for several days, till the tincture be extracted. For by long digestion the spirit of Wine gains a ruddy colour, in as much as the particles of fixed Salt, being in some measure exalted, are united to the vinous sulphur. In the mean while the remain∣ing salt of Tartar, which is diluted with the phlegm of the Wine, sinking down into Deliquium or Oil, and floating by it self will separate below; which is much better than the common Oil of Tartar, in that it participates of the vinous sulphur; and in some cases, where there is a necessity for a lixivial Diuretick, it is a very good Medicin. The Dose is ℈ j. to ℈ ij. or ʒ j. The Tincture is given from ʒ j. to ʒ j. ss. or ʒ ij.

The tincture of Salt of Tartar, by reason of the union of the vinous salt and sulphur, hath a very grateful smell and taste. If you distil the liquor to an half, the remaining * 1.10 part will retain in it more salt and sulphur, but little of the vinous spirit; and the spi∣rit which is drawn off and poured to fresh salt of Tartar, if it be digested, will hardly gain a Tincture, in as much as it is void of sulphur to unite with the salt.

Now indeed, that in the spirit of Wine, the sulphureous part is distinct from the pirituous, I learned from this Experiment.

Take of the sharpest spirit of Vitriol half a pint, of spirit of Wine rectified, one pint; mingle them in a glassen Retort and distil them in an Oven of sand, till the liquor (which * 1.11 at first seems homogeneous or of one nature) being drawn off, a deal of thick sediment remains in the bottom: pour this spirit again to the caput mortuum, and so repeat the distillation with fresh matter two or three times; at last you shall have two distinct, unmingleable liquors; to wit, one acid-spiritous that sinks downward, and the other very clear and oily that swims on the top; which, without doubt is the pure and mere sul∣phureous part of the Wine, separated by it self, whilest the spirituo•…•…s part joins with the acid salt.

6. Salt of Amber.

Take of the whitest Amber, pulverized lb ss. distil it in a glassen Retort either with a very strong heat of sand, or a weak heat of a reverberating Oven; first there will * 1.12 arise a phlegm and an yellow Oil with some quantity of spirit; then a volatile salt

will ascend into the neck of the Retort and sides of the Receiver; and last of all a black Oil will come forth before it ascends: this must be taken out and the Receiver changed, lest the Salt should be polluted by it.

This Salt being at first white, and of a very grateful smell and taste, unless it be * 1.13 kept in a vessel very fast stopped, becomes in a short time yellow, and then grows red and stinks. The cause of which is, because this Medicin contains in it much sulphur; the particles whereof, as long as the salt predominates, being subdued and clogged with others, are altogether obscured; yet afterward, when the composition of the mixed body is loosened, they get out, and shewing themselves above the rest, demon∣strate their excellency to several of our senses. The Dose of it is from ℈ss. to ℈j. The best way of keeping or giving this Salt of Amber is, if it be mingled with a dou∣ble quantity of the purest Nitre.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sal Prunellae.
• * 1.2

  The reason of it.
• * 1.3

  Spirit of Nitre.
• * 1.4

  The reason of it.
• * 1.5

  Spirit of Sea Salt.
• * 1.6

  The reason of it▪
• * 1.7

  A more compe•…•…∣dious way.
• * 1.8

  The reason of it.
• * 1.9

  Tincture of Tartar.
• * 1.10

  The reason of it
• * 1.11

  Sul•…•…hur or Oil of wine.
• * 1.12

  Salt of Am be
• * 1.13

  The reason of it.