Hermetical physick: or, The right way to preserve, and to restore health. By that famous and faithfull chymist, Henry Nollius. Englished by Henry Uaughan, Gent.

CHAP. I.

Medicine or Physick is an Art, laying down in certain Rules or Precepts, the right way of preserving and restoring the health of Man-kind.

THe word Medicine, hath a manifold sense. First, It is taken for some re∣ceipt or medicament. So the Philosophicall Stone is termed a Medicine. The

Lord hath created Medicines out of the Earth, and the wise man will not abhor them. Secondly, It is ta∣ken for the habit, or profession of the Physitian, and then it signifies the faculty of curing existent in some learned and expert Professor. This habit or faculty is delineated, or methodically described and laid down in the Dogmaticall Books of Physicians, that others may learne and practise thereby. Thirdly, It is taken for, and signifies a Physicall System or Treatise, and in this latter sence it is to be understood in this place.

The Object of Medicine or Phy∣sick in this latter sence is, Man, not in general, but that man onely who desires to learn the Art of Physick, and is to be informed or instructed by this present Treatise: but the Object of Physick, as it is an habit in the mind of the Physician, is man in general, either for the pre∣serving

or the restoring of his health. The operation, use, and end of Phy∣sick, is health; as the work and end of Physical books, is a rightly principled and instructed Physitian; so far as instruction goes: It is termed Hermetical Physicke, because it is grounded upon Principles of true Philosophy, as the Physick of Her∣mes was. And for this very reason the true Philosophers applyed them∣selves wholly to the Hermetic sci∣ence, that they might thereby lay a true foundation of Physick, for the Hermetic Phylosophy layes o∣pen the most private and abstruse closets of nature, it doth most ex∣quisitely search and find out the na∣tures of health and sickness, it pro∣vides most elaborate and effectuall Medicines, teacheth the just Dose of them, and surpasseth by many degrees the vulgar Philosophy, and that faculty which is grounded up∣on the principles of the common,

supposititious knowledge, that is to say, it doth much exceed and out do the Galenical Physick. This ap∣pears most evidently, because the Hermetical Phisicians both can and frequently doe cure those diseases, which the Galenists adjudge to be incurable, as the Leprosie, the falling sickness, the Gout, &c. That the Principles of the Hermetists, are more certain then those of Galen, is sufficiently verified by their perfor∣mances; besides, it is a truth which cannot be denyed, that the Certain∣ty and proof of the principles of all Arts, can by no other meanes be known and tryed but by practise, as Paracelsus doth rightly urge In Praef••t. D fensionum, page 252. Now all the knowledge of the Herme∣tists, proceeds from a laborious ma∣nual disquisition and search into na∣ture, but the Galenists insist wholly upon a bare received Theorie and prescribed Receits, giving all at

adventure and will not be perswa∣ded to inquire further then the mouth of their leader. I call not those Hermetists, who know onely to distil a little water from this or that Herb; nor those, who seeke to extract from other things by their sophistical operations a great trea∣sure of Gold, which onely nature can supply us with: for the most ig∣norant amongst the people, may make a very useful Distiller, and the other attempt is most commonly the task of Sophisters and Impostors: but I call them Hermetists, who observe nature in her workes who imitate her, and use the same me∣thod that she doth, that out of na∣ture, by the mediation of nature, and the assistance of their owne judgements, they may produce and bring to light such rare effectual me∣dicines, as will safely, speedily, and pleasantly cure, and utterly expell the most deplorable diseases. These

are the true Hermetists: As there∣fore I doe not approve of all those that would be called Hermetists, So neither doe I condemn all those, who diligently and conscientiously practise the Galenicall Physick: for some of them are precize and petu∣lant, others are sober & modest: and these latter sort acknowledge the imperfection of their medicines, and therefore they endeavour and take delight to adome, inlarge, and ac∣complish their profession with the se∣crets of Hermetical Physick: but the other sort ascribe supreme per∣fection to that Ethnic, Antichristi∣an writer, and his medicines, and will not for meer envy, or out of a childish depraved ignorance▪ looke upon the eminency of Hermetic Philosophy, nor inquire into the se∣crets of it, but seek rather by repre∣hending and carping those things they doe not understand, to magni∣fie their own way, and with peevish

and virulent language, raile at the Hermetic professors. Now as I pre∣ferre the Hermetical science to the medicines of these men: so (their Errours being first laid aside,) I u∣nite it with the Physick of the more sober Galenists, that theirs by con∣soclation with ours, may become perfect and irreprehensible:

This Joseph Quercetar, a most expert Physician, and a learned Phi∣losopher, whom as my master in this science I worthily honour, (for I must confess, that by his instructi∣ons (God assisting me,) I benefited very much,) did most happily per∣forme. And many learned men even in this Age design the same thing, especially the professors of Physick in Marburg, who by an express and memorable decree of the most il∣lustrious and mighty Prince William Lantgrave of Hassia, proceed in that very course. And who then can justly blame me, for walking in the

same path with such eminent men? I shall conclude, and give my judge∣ment with learned Crollius (a man who for the advancement of the true Physick, was most worthy of a longer life) that whosoever desires to be eminent in the Art of Physick, (and none can be so, that will stu∣dy onely the Placets of one man) must (above all things) be unbias∣sed and addicted to no Sect, nor a∣any one Author whatsoever, but passe through them all in pursuit of the sincere truth, and subscribe on∣ly unto that, being mindful ever to preserve the same freedome for him∣self, which Horace did.

Quo me cun{que} rapit tempestas, defe∣ror hospe••, Nullius addictus jurare in verba Magistri.

Where-e'r my fancy calls, there I goe still, Not sworne a slave to any Masters will.

II.

Health is an incorrupt integrity, and soundnesse of the body pre∣served by, and depending upon the strength and virtue of the radical Balsame.

WHence followes this Conse∣quence, that the more strong and virtual the Balsame is, so much the more vegetous and healthful is the body.

III.

The strength and virtue of the Bal∣same, depends upon the equal and mutual conspiration of the Hypo∣statical Principles, that by their e∣ven and peaceful consistency, the Balsame also may legitimately per∣form his functions, by which he may advantage and strengthen himself with the received aliment or food which is taken in, and may also (when separation is perform∣ed

by the stomack,) cast out through his proper Emunctories what is not nutritive, and may further provide that the seeds of diseases (if any lurk in the flesh, or in the blood, in the disguise of that tincture,) break not out, and bring suddain destruction to the body, or else may cause that those ••ll seeds may by the balsames strength and vigour, be cast out of the bo∣dy as superfluous impurities, which cannot consist with the health of man.

IT is truth therefore which the most noble and learned Crollius speaks in his preface to his Basilica Chymica: In what body soever (saith he) the Hypostatical principles con∣sist by union, that body may be judged to be truly sound.

IV.

Medicine or Physick, treats either of the preservation, or of the restora∣tion of health.