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Bate.] It is drawn forth out of the Caput Mortuum of double AF. dissolved in warm Water, filtred and evaporated S. A. It is of egregious use in melancholy affects, all sorts of Fevers, Stone, Scurvy, &c. Dose à ℈j. ad ℈ij.
Salmon.] § 1. What the single Aquafortis is, you may see in our Pharm. Lond. lib. 3. cap. 10. sect. 48. the Double here intended is described in cap. 1. sect. 27. of this Book aforegoing.
§ 2. It is drawn forth with warm Water, because by reason of the heat, it melts the Salt, and so both more easily and sooner makes the Extraction.
§ 3. Mynsicht seems to be the Author hereof, and calls it Arcanum Duplicatum, but he calcines the elicited Sal, (being first ground into Pou∣der on a Marble) in a Glass Cucurbit, well luted, by a good gradual encrease of the Fire for 12 hours, so that at length the bottom of the Cu∣curbit becomes red hot, which Work of poudering and cal∣cining he repeats to the third time.
§ 4. And from Mynsicht Rolfincius assumed it, who makes the Calcination in a Glass Retort, affirming Geor∣gius Bussius to be the first In∣ventor. He saith it opens and incides and cures Ob∣structions of the Hypochon∣ders, having also a diuretick force.
§ 5. Mynsicht saith it is a Secret against Melancholy, Madness, alienation of the Mind, Fevers, Plague, and Epidemick Diseases; and it works variously, by Sweat, Stool, and sometimes induces Sleep.
§ 6. Marggrave calls it Nitrum Vitriolatum, or Sal Ducis Holsatiae, and prepares it only by a simple solution and digestion for 24 hours, then fil∣tration, evaporation, ad cuti∣culam, or to dryness, by which you have a very white Salt en∣clining to greenness: This Salt he well dries upon Paper in hot Sand, till it becomes hard and white, and so keeps it for use without any farther calcination, as the other Authors advise.
§ 7 He ascribes also the same Vertues to it, and withal says, it is very acute and pe∣netrating, conducing to the cure of acute Diseases, the Scurvy, and Hypocondriack Distempers: It is to be given in Broth, in the morning fa∣sting.
§ 8. Schroder depurates the Salt by many Solutions and Coagulations, till it is white, then pouders it, and puts it in∣to a luted Cucurbit or Still, calcines and melts, and for the better melting, adds some Sal Nitre, to make it melt the ea∣sier, which work he repeats four times, but after the second or third time depurates the mat∣ter again from the feces,
by solution and coagulation.
§ 9. Others, to make it melt, instead of Sal Nitre, take Sal Prunellae p. j. to the Salt of the Caput Mort. p. ij.
§ 10. Joel Langelot says, he has proved it by a thousand Experiences, in Fevers, Agues, Melancholy, Stone, Scurvy, &c. And Schroder says, he has often observ'd it to cause Sleep chiefly in melancholy Persons; also that it cost his Prince five hundred Dolars or Crowns, and that they spent some pounds of it every day.
§ 11. Some add to the Salt p. vij. Calx of Gold right∣ly prepared p. j. then mixing and grinding them together upon a Crucible, keep the mix∣ture as a great Treasure.
§ 12. Le Febure puts the Caput Mort, to digest in boi∣ling distilled Rain-water, and stirs it often the better to ex∣tract the Salt; then filters and slowly evaporates in Ashes, in an earthen Pan or glass vessel, and when the Cuticula appears, puts it to crystallize, and after that, evaporates to dryness, that he may have all the Salt, which he often dissolves, filtrates, eva∣porates, and crystalizes, till it is very clear and pure.
§ 13. Then he takes of this Salt p. v. of Crystal Mineral p. j. mixes them in fine pou∣der, puts them into a luted Cu∣curbit, and calcines them in an open gradual Fire, in this Cu∣curbit, till all be melted into a Mass. This Work he repeats a second time, then dissolves a∣gain, filtrates and evaporates in B. M. to dryness; of this Salt he takes p. vij. Calx of Sol p. j. mixes and gives them together, and in a new-luted Cucurbit calcines it in a well-graduated fire, till it melts, which then he takes and keeps as a great Remedy.
§ 14, He ascribes to it all the Vertues before enumera∣ted, and says, that its manner of operating cannot sufficient∣ly enough be praised, for that it sweetly provokes Sleep, and settles the Archaeus of the Ventricle in its ordinary state and calmness when it is out of order.
§ 15. Briefly, says he, there is a certain hidden Mystery in it, whereof it is very diffi∣cult to render any reason, un∣less it be, that this Salt has re∣ceived the Eradiations of the Anodyn Sulphur of Vitriol, by the mighty power and force of the Fire, or sufficient∣ly opening the Gold, makes it yield and communicate its salutiferary Influences and Vertues, &c.