A description of new philosophical furnaces, or A new art of distilling, divided into five parts. Whereunto is added a description of the tincture of gold, or the true aurum potabile; also, the first part of the mineral work. Set forth and published for the sakes of them that are studious of the truth. / By John Rudolph Glauber. Set forth in English, by J.F. D.M.

The way to make a faire blew Vitrioll out of Luna (that is, silver.)

DIssolve the shavings or filings of silver with rectified oyle of Vitrioll, adding water thereunto, but not so much as to Iron and Copper: Or else, which is better, dissolve cal∣cined silver, which hath been precipitated out of Aqua fortis either with Copper or salt water; the solution being ended powre it off and filtre it, and drop into it of spirit of urine or of Sal armoniac, as long as it doth hiss, and almost all the silver will precipitate again out of the oyle, and so there will fall a white powder to the bottome; This precipitated silver together with the liquor poure into a phiall-glass, set it to boyle in sand for twenty four hours, and the liquor will dissolve again almost all the precipitated silver-calx and be∣come blew thereby. Then poure off the solution (or liquor) and filtre it through brown paper, and abstract the moi∣sture till a skin arise at the top; then in a cold place let it shoote to Vitriol. With the remaining liquor proceed fur∣ther, as above in the preparation of the Vitriol of Iron and Copper hath been taught.

By this way you will get an excellent Vitrioll out of silver,

which from 4. 5. 6. to 10. grains used onely of it self, will be a good purge, especially in diseases of the braine.

If you have a good quantity of it, that you may distill a spirit thereof, you will get not only an acide (or sowre) but also a volatile spirit, which in the infirmities of the braine is most excellent; that which in the distilling remains be∣hinde, may be reduced againe into a body, so that you lose nothing of the silver, save onely that which is turned into spirit.

Moreover, the acide (or sowre) oyle of common Vitriol, doth precipitate all metals and stones of beasts or fishes; also pearles and corals, they being first dissolved in spirit of salt or of Nitre, and maketh faire light powders of them (which by the Apothecaries are called Magisteries) much fairer then by precipitation with salt of Tartar is done, especially of corals and pearles, such a faire glistering and delicate powder is made; and likewise also of mother of pearle, and other shels of snailes, that it giveth as fair a gloss to them, as the fairest oriental pearles have; which way hath not been made com∣mon hitherto, but being known only to few, hath been kept very secret by them, as a singular Art. Such magisteries com∣monly were precipitated out of vinegar onely by salt of Tar∣tar, which for lightness, whiteness and fair gloss are not com∣parable at all to ours: But if in stead of the oyle of Vitriol you take oyle of sulphur, then these powders will be fairer then when they are done by the oyle of Vitriol, in so much, that they may be used for painting for a black skin.

Having made mention of Magisteries, I cannot forbear to discover the great abuse and error, which is committed in the preparing of them.

Paracelsus in his Archidoxes teacheth to make Magisteries, which he calleth extracted Magisteries: but some of his di∣sciples teach to make precipitated Magisteries, which are quite different from the former. Paracelsus is clean of another opinion in the preparing of his Magisteries, then others in the making of theirs: doubtless Paracelsus his Magisteries were

good cordiall living medicines, whereas the other were but dead carkases, and although they be never so faire, white and glistering, yet in effect they prove but a gross earthy sub∣stance, destitute of vertue.

I do not deny, but that good medicines may be extracted out of pearles and corals, for I my self also do describe the preparations of some of them; but not at all after such a way as theirs is. For what good or exalting can be expected by such a preparation, where a stony matter is dissolved in corrosive waters, and then precipitated into stone again? Can its vertue be increased thereby? surely no, but rather it is diminished, and made much the worse thereby. For it is well known, that the corrosive spirits (no less then fire) do burn some certain things; for not all things are made better by fire or corrosives, but most of them are absolutely spoyled by them. Some perchance will say, that such pre∣parations of Magisteries are onely for to be reduced into a finer powder, that so much the sooner they may perform their operation. To which I answer, that pearles, corals, and other of the like nature, if they be once dissolved by corrosive wa∣ters, and then precipitated and edulcorated, never or hardly can be dissolved againe by acid spirits. Whence it is evident that by such preparations they are not opened or made better, but rather closed or made worse. And we see also by daily experience that those Magisteries do not those effects; which are ascribed unto them. By which it appeareth cleerly, that to the Archeus of the stomach they are much less grateful then the crude unprepared corals and pearles; whose tender essence being not burnt up by corrosives, do oftentimes produce good effects. For our Ancestors have ascribed unto corals and pearles, that they purifie the impure and corrupt blood in the whole body, that they expel Melancholy and sadness, comforting the heart of man, and making it merry, which also they effectually perform: whereas the Magisteries do not. And this is the reason, why unprepared corals, pearles and stones of fishes have more effect, then the burnt Magisteries. For it is manifest and well known, that the abovesaid diseases

for the most part do proceed from obstructions of the spleen, which obstructions are nothing else, but a tartarous juice or a sowre flegme which hath possessed and filled up the entrals, and coagulated it self within them. By which obstruction not only head-ach, giddiness, panting of the heart, trembling of the limbs, a spontaneous lassitude, vomits, unnatural hunger; also, loathing of victuals; then cold, then hot flushing fits, and many more strange symptomes are caused; but also a most hurtful rottenness and corruption is introduced into the whole mass of blood, from whence the leprosie, scurvy, and other loathsome or abominable scabs do spring.

Of which evil the onely cause (as hath been said) is a crude acide Tartar, from which so many great diseases do rise.

This to be so may easily be proved; for it is notorious, that melancholik folks, hypocondriaques, and others do often cast up a great quantity of acid humor, which is so sharpe that no vinegar is comparable to it, and doth set their teeth on such an edge, as if they had eaten unripe fruit.

What remedy now? take away the cause and the disease is taken away. If you could take away the peccant matter by purgings, it would be well, but it remaineth obstinate and will not yeeld to them. By vomit it may be diminished in some measure. But because that not every one can abide vomiting, it is therefore no wisdome to turn evil into worse. Shall then this tartar be killed and destroyed by contraries, which in∣deed in some sort may be effected; as when you use vegetables or animals, whose vertue consisteth in a volatile salt: such are all species or sorts of cresses, Mustard-seed, horse-radish, scurvy grass, also the spirit of Tartar, of Hartshorn, and of urine and the like, which by reason of their penetrating fa∣culty pass through all the body, finding out the Tartar thereof, destroying the same, as being contrary unto it; and in this combat two contrary natures is kindled, a great burn∣ing heat, whereby the whole body is throughly heated and brought to sweating; and whensoever by these contraries a

sweating is caused, there is alwayes mortified some of this hurtful Tartar. But because that of that acid humor but a little at a time can be mortified and edulcorated by contrary volatile spirits, and that therefore it would be required to use them often, for to kill and expell all the Tartar; and be∣cause also (as hath been mentioned before) a strong sweat al∣wayes is caused by every such operation, whereby the natu∣ral spirits are much weakened, so that the patient would not be able to hold out long thereby, but by taking away of one evil, another and greater one would be occasioned.

And therefore such things must be offered to that hungry acid humor, by which the corrosive nature thereof, may be mortified and grow sweet, with that proviso nevertheless, that those things be such as are not contrary or hurtful to the na∣ture of man, but grateful and friendly, as are corals, pearles and crabs eyes, &c.

For amongst all stones none are more▪ easily to be dissol∣ved then Pearles, Corals, Crabbs-eyes, and other stones of fishes.

But the truth of this, viz. that every corrosive is killed by feeding upon pearles and corals, and thereby can be made sweet; and besides, how a sowre coagulated Tartar, by the help of corals or pearles may be reduced to a sweet liquor (a pleasant and acceptacle medicine to the nature of man) which never can be coagulated again by any means, shall be after∣wards proved and taught when I shall come to treate of Tartar.

Now in tartareous coagulations and obstructions of the internals proceeding from the predominancy of an acid hu∣mor there is no better remedy, then to give the patient every morning fasting from ℈ss. to ʒ i. (more or less, according to the condition of the patient) of red corals and pearles made into powder, and to let him fast two or three hours upon it, and so to continue daily untill you see amendment: By this means the hurtful acid humor is mortified, and dulcified by the corals and pearles so that afterwards it may be overcome by nature, whereby the obstructions are removed, and the body freed from the disease.

This my opinion of the abuse of Magisteries and the good use of Corals I could not conceale although I do know for certain, that it will take but with few, in regard that it will seem very strange to most. However, happily there may be some yet, that will not be unwilling to search into the truth and to consider further of it, and at last will finde this not to be so strange, as it seemed to them at the first: but he that can∣not believe or comprehend it, may keep to his Magisteries.

And if it seem so strange unto any, that corals or pearles made into powder shall be concocted in the stomach, and so put forth their vertue, what will you say then, if I do prove, that even whole pearles, crabs-eyes, and corals being swal∣lowed, are totally consumed by the Melancholy humor, so that nothing cometh forth again among the excrements? and which is more, even the like may be said of hard and corrup∣ted metals, as Iron, and speaucer or Zinck: But this must be understood only of those that are of a Malancholick constitu∣tion but uot so in others, viz, those that are of a sanguine, and those that are of a phlegmatick constitution, to whom such like things are seldome prescribed. For I have seen many times, that against obstructions to strong bodies there hath been given at once from ℈ss. to ʒ i. of the shavings or filings of iron, and they found much good by it, yea more help then by other costly medicines of the Apothecaries, whereof they had used many before, but to no purpose, by reason whereof their excrements came from them black, just as it useth to fall out with those that make use of medicinal sowre waters, which run through iron mines, and thereby borrow a spiritu∣al mineral vertue.

Now if those filings of iron had not been consumed in the stomach, how come it that the excrements are turned black? so then it is sufficiently proved, that even a hard unprepared metal can be consumed in the stomach: and i•• so, why not as well soft pearles and corals?

Which is also to be seen by children, that are troubled with worms, if there be given unto them 4. 6▪ 8. to 12. or 16. grains of the finest filings of steel or iron, that all the worms in the

body are killed thereby, their stomach and guts scowred very clean, and their stools also turned black. But this must be observed by children, when the worms are killed, and yet remaine in the guts (because that the iron in a small quantity is not strong enough for to expell them, but only make the body soluble) that a purge must be used after, for to carry them out; for else if they do remaine there, others will grow out of their substance. But to those that are more in yeers, you may give the Dose so much the stronger, as from ℈ i. to ʒ i. that the worms also may be carryed out, they beeing bet∣ter able to endure it then little children, and although some∣times a vomit doth come, yet it doth no hurt, but they will be but so much the healthier afterward.

And thus Iron may be used, not only against worms, but also against all stomach-agues, head-ach, and obstructions of the whole body, without any danger and very successefully, as a grateful or very acceptable medicine to Nature; for after a powerful magnetical way it doth attract all the ill humors in the body, and carrieth them forth along with it. Of whose wonderful vertue and nature, there is spoken more at large in my treatise of the Sympathy and Antipathy of things. Which some Physitians perceiving and supposing by Art to make it better, they spoiled it, and made it voyd of all vertue: for they taking a peece of steel, made it red-hot, and held it against a peece of common Sulphur, whereby the steel grew subtle, so they did let it drop into a vessel filled with water; then they took it out, and dryed it, and made it into powder, and used it against obstructions, but to no effect almost; for the Iron was so altered by the sulphur and redu∣ced to an insoluble substance (which ought not to have been so) that it could perform no considerable operation: But if they had made the steel more soluble (whereas they made it more insoluble) then it was of it self before, then they had done a good work: for he that knoweth sulphur, doth know well enough, that by no Aquafortis or Aqua Regis it can be dis∣solved; and how could it then be consumed by an animal humor?

Hitherto it hath been proved sufficiently, that in some men, especially in those that are of a Melancholick constituti∣on there is an acid humor, which can sufficiently dissolve all easily soluble metals and stones: and that therefore it is need∣less to torture, and dissolve pearles, corals and the like with corrosive waters before they be administred to patients: but that the Archeus of the stomach is strong enough by the help of the said humors to consume those easily soluble things, and to accept of that which serveth his turn, and to reject the rest.

But it is not my intent here, that this should be understood of all metals and stones; for I know well, that other metals and stones (some excepted) before they are duly prepared, are not fit for physick, but must be fitted first, before they be ad∣ministred or given unto patients.

For this relation I made only for to shew, how sometimes good things (though with intent to make them better) are made worse and supplyed by those that do not make an exact search into nature and her power.

I hope this my admonition will not be taken ill, because my aime was not vaine-glory, but only the good of my neighbor.

Now let us return again to Vitriol.