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. 5.

Of Tartar.

I.

Tartar is an acrimonious, pricking and corroding, or an aluminous, acid and styptic mucilage, which is bred in the body, and being se∣parated from its proper juyce, is by the supervenient spirit of Salt, ac∣cording to the various inclination of nature, at a set time, and in those places which are most apt to receive it, collected together, and coagulated; or if that juyce be not separated from it, it putrifies: from whence come worms and other in∣numerable symptoms.

QUercetanus in his advice against the Joynt-gout, and the Stone, describes it thus. Salsugirous sub∣stances, because they have alwayes

mixt in them some portion of earth (though the predominant part in them be Liquefactive,) are in the body of man termed Tartar; a most apt (in truth) and most significant terme, which was first given them from the Analogy, or similitude that was found betwixt the humours in mans body, yea betwixt his very blood and the substance of wine: which of all the fruits of vegetables, doth most abound with Tartar. I doe not meane by Tartar in this place that substance which is dis∣solved, and flowes in new Wines, while they are thick and turbid, which being afterwards separated, or (as the common phrase is) settled, doth as the grosser, earthy, and more impure part subside into a feculent substance, found alwaies in the bot∣tome, and called Dregs. Neither doe I mean that Tartar onely, whose se∣paration is performed by a long Tract of time, and sticks to the

Dregs or Lees of old Wine-pipes. But I meane that Tartar also, which is in perpetual liquefaction and com∣mixture with the most refined wines, and which gives them their tincture either red or any other. This true Tartar, either by Evaporation, or simple distillation, or a Balneum Maris, is easily discerned to be mo∣derately hot, for the more liquid part of the humour (which was the Vehiculum, in which the Tartar in its dissolution was contained) being separated from it, the Tartar alone remaine in the bottom. This liquid humour, though of red wine, distills all bright and limpid, but the hea∣vler red substance, which I call Tar∣tar, stayes all behind: a solid sub∣stance, and the more you fetch out of the substantifical humour, it be∣comes by so much the more hard and the dryer. Nor is this Tartar onely in red, or white Wines, but in any other though decocted and al∣so

in the humours of mans body. Nor is it there onely in the Chylus, or nutriment, which answers in pro∣portion to wine newly made (for from the Chylus, as from new win••, divers impure and tartareous dregs are separated,) but also in the very blood, yea in the most pure, and af∣ter the very same manner, as we de∣scribed it to be in wine. And as the Art of distilling (even that which is performed by the most gentle fire) discovers and manifests unto us this kind of Tartar: so nature also by her naturall fury both ranne and daily doth performe such separati∣ons of Tartar, by a consumption of the humoural parts of our bodies▪ out of which the Dogmatical Wri∣ters of Physick, suppose the stone to be generated. And it is wonderfull to consider, how many sorts of Di∣seases by the intervening of obstructi∣ons or ••ppilations, arise out of this meere separation, particularly the

joynt-gout, and the stone: which diseases according to the sentiment of these Dogmatists themselves, happen most frequently to those, who have the hottest Livers▪ and consequently the coldest stomacks: Who ingenerate much crudities and mucous matters, which for want of a through-digestion, may be com∣pared to raw fruits, that failing of their due and perfect maturity, (which is performed by a contempe∣rate heat that is all concocting and digesting,) remaine acid, bitter, sowre and green. These being mixt with, and in the whole Masse of blood, are there by the natural heate againe concocted, and a separation is made of the more crude and tarta∣reous portion, which sticks after∣wards to the inward parts, and cau∣sing divers obstructions, is at length forcibly carried into the joynts, where it stayes and lodgeth. For e∣very part of the body of man doth

naturally delight in, and attract to it, that which is most like to it selfe: the fleshie parts are nourished by that portion of the blood, which is most thinly moist, and mercuriall: the fat and marrowish parts, by that which is most oily, or sulphureous, but the joynts which are parts that be naturally glutinous and mucila∣ginous, love that portion which hath most likenesse and affinity with their nature; whence it comes to passe, that this Salsuginous and Tar∣tareous matter is taken in by them. Now, when it happens that these parts in some bodyes, either for their weakness, or an innate hereditary disposition, or some such cause can∣not by a proper and particular di∣gestion, inoffensively digest, nor ex∣pell this crude and indigested Tarta∣reous matter, then is this matter, be∣ing of a saltish, viscous nature coa∣gulated in them, and the ligaments of the joynts come to be stuffed up

and stiffened with it, whence pro∣ceed those acute intolerable paines which attend this Disease. And this is the true and genuine conjoyn'd cause of the paines and knottines of the Joynt-gout. The same cause is sometimes lesse acute, sometimes more, according to the nature and condition of the Tartar. For as we see that there is in the greater world, a great diversity of Salts, for the Earth yeelds first Salt-gemme, which answers in proportion to Sea-salt, that is onely saltish in tast; then Salt-nitre which is bitter in tast, and Salt-alum which is austere and Astringent: afterwards Salt of Vi∣triol, and Salt Armoniac which are acid and hot: and lastly▪ those corrosive sharp Salts which are ter∣med Alkal••, with others that are sweet and pleasant as Sugar: so in the lesser world, that is in the body of man, there is generated a Tartar or Salt, which being dissolved, cau∣seth

onely a saltish humour, which the Dogmatical Physicians term sal∣tish phegme, in plaine termes, a salt water or humour. There is also ge∣nerated, a nitrous or bitter Salt, which mixeth with the Urine, and causeth bitter Choler; and a vitrio∣lated acid salt which predominates in acid phlegme and melancholy. In like manner there be also alumi∣nous and austere kinds of Tartar, and other sorts which resemble the acrimonie of Salt, as it is manifestly seen by the various affections of con∣tractures and astrictions of the si∣news, and the many perilous trou∣bles of acrimonious humours in Dy∣senteries and, divers Ulcers as well inward as outward, all which are caused by the many and dif∣ferent kindes of Salts, which are generated in the body. For why should not this be done by those things which are most like to doe it and most significant, and which do

most properly and fully expresse the natures and diversities of Causes, having their derivation and apposi∣tenes from the very fountains of na∣ture, who is the best Interpretress of her own concernments. These Salts (believe me) doe better expresse and discover unto us the essences and di∣stinctions of Tartareous or saltish di∣seases, then those four humours which are commonly termed the Sanguine, the Phlegmatic, the Bili∣ous, and the Melancholy, both be∣cause that these latter termes, signi∣fie nothing unto us of the essence or matter of the Disease, and also be∣cause that those Dogmatists them∣selves, Hallucinate and stagger very much both in the formation or apt∣nesse, and in the application of their said termes.

II.

Tartar is two-fold, Adventitious and Innate.

III.

Adventitious Tartar, proceeds from meat and drinke, and the Impres∣sions of the Firmament.

EVery thing that we eat and drinke, hath in it a Mucilagi∣nous, reddish and sandy Tartar, ve∣ry noxious to the health of man. Nature receives nothing for her own use, but what is pure. The stomack, which is an instrument of the Ar∣chaeus of man, or an internall, in∣nate Chymist, and implanted there by God, presently upon the recepti∣on of that which is chew'd and swallowed down separates the im∣pure▪ Tartareous part from the pure nutriment: If the stomack be vigo∣rous, especially in its faculty of se∣paration, the pure portion passeth presently into all the members to nourish and preserve the body, and the impure goes forth into the

Draught: if the stomack be weake, the impure portion is through the M••saraic veines conveyd to the Li∣ver, where a second digestion or se∣paration is made. Here the Liver se∣parates againe the pure from the im∣pure, the Rubie from the Chrystall, that is to say, the Red from the White: The Red is the nutriment of all the members the heart, the brain, &c. The white ••or that which is no nutriment, is driven by the Liver to the Reyns and it is Urine, which is nothing else but Salt, which being exprest from the Mercuriall portions, by the violence of the separation, is forced to a dissolution: It is dissol∣ved into water by the Liven & so cast forth. If the Liver, by reason of its debility, makes no perfect separati∣on, it casts that Mucilaginous and Calculous impurity upon the Reyns, where for want of a ••ight and through separation it is (accord∣ing to the concurrency and Method

of nature) by the mediation of the spirit of Salt coagulated into Sand, or Tartar, either Massie and Solid, or Mucilaginous. This Tartar there∣fore is the Excretion of meat and drinke, which is coagulated in all mens bodies by the spirit of Salt, un∣less the expulsive faculty by its owne peculiar vigour or virtue, can com∣mand it into the Excrements, and so cast it out by dejection.

IV.

There are four kinds of this Adven∣titiousTartar, which proceed ori∣ginally from the four distinct fruits or Cibations which we receive from the four Elements.

THe first kind proceeds from the use of those things that grow out of the Earth, as from all sorts of Pulse, Grains, Fruits, Herbs and Roots, upon which we feed.

The second proceeds from those

nutriments which we take out of the Element of Water, as from fish, shel∣fish, &c.

The third is from the flesh of Birds and beasts, &c.

The fourth comes from the Fir∣mament, which the spirit of Wine, in respect of its subtilty, doth most resemble. This kind of Tartar is of a most forcible impression, while the Air being primarily infected with the vapours of the Earth, the wa∣ter and the firmament doth after∣wards annoy us: as wee frequently see in those acute and pernitious A∣stral Diseases, the Pleurisie, the Plague, the Prunella, &c.

V.

Tartar innate, is that which is coge∣nerated with man in his mothers wombe.

VI.

Besides these impure Tinctures and Meteors, there is another sub∣stantial Extrarious cause, which cannot be reduced to a certa••ne kind.

TO this must be referred, those Insecta's or quick Creatures which sometimes (though rarely) are generated in the body, as Snakes, divers worms, &c.

Secondly, those things must be re∣ferred hither, which by inchant∣ment and the mediation of evill spi∣rits, are invisibly and insensibly con∣veyed into the bodies of men and Women.

Thirdly, We are to reduce to this Aphorisme or Canon all Splinters, Bullets, or other weapons, which being violently thrust or shot into the body, lie deeply in the flesh, or under the skin.

VII.

We have now done with the Substan∣tial Extrarious Cause. To the Ac∣cidental, I shall referre all dispro∣portions of Limbs, Gibbosities, Luxations, Wounds, and fractures of bones.