Pharmacopœia Bateana, or, Bate's dispensatory translated from the second edition of the Latin copy, published by Mr. James Shipton : containing his choice and select recipe's, their names, compositions, preparations, vertues, uses, and doses, as they are applicable to the whole practice of physick and chyrurgery : the Arcana Goddardiana, and their recipe's intersperst in their proper places, which are almost all wanting in the Latin copy : compleated with above five hundred chymical processes, and their explications at large, various observations thereon, and a rationale upon each process : to which are added in this English edition, Goddard's drops, Russel's pouder [sic], and the Emplastrum febrifugum, those so much fam'd in the world : as also several other preparations from the Collectanea chymica, and other good authors / by William Salmon ...

XXXIX. Spiritus Viperarum, Spirit of Vipers.

Bate.] It is distilled from dried Vipers in the same man∣ner as you distil Spirit of Harts-horn, reserving the vo∣latile Salt. It penetrates in the highest degree, resists putrefaction, and opens Ob∣structions through the whole Body; it overcomes Feavers, chiefly Quartan Agues. Dose gut. iv. ad. x.

Salmon.] § 1. ℞ Vipers Flesh dried and shred small, q. v. put it into an earthen Retort, or a glass one coated, place it in a close Reverberato∣ry with a large Receiver, lute the Juncture well, and distil first with a very gentle Fire to warm the Retort, driving out the Flegm drop by drop; when no more drops fall, in∣crease the Fire by little and little, so will the Spirit come forth, filling the Receiver with white Clouds, and afterwards a black Oyl, and the volatile Salt sticking to the sides of the Receiver. Continue the Fire till no more comes, then cool and unlute, shaking about the Receiver a little, to loosen the volatile Salt from the sides: Put all into a Bolt-head, with its Alembick, and a small Receiver, luting the Joynts with a wet Bladder, then di∣stil in Sand with a gentle Fire, so will the volatile Salt sublime to the top of the Bolt-head, which separate and keep in a Glass well stopt, for use. § 2. What remains in the Bolt-head filter through brown Paper, so will the Flegm and Spirit pass through, leaving the Oyl be∣hind. This Spirit and Flegm put into an Alembick, and draw off about half the Liquor (which is the subtil Spirit) in a Vaporous Bath, which keep close stopt for use, casting a∣way the Flegm. § 3. Rol∣fincius advises to take the dryed Flesh, with the dried Hearts, Livers, Heads, and Tails, and to distil as afore∣said,

with degrees of Fire; so will you have Spirit, Oyl, and volatile Salt, the Salt sticking to the neck and sides of the Receiver. The Spirit you must separate from the Oyl, by filtration, as before, through double brown Paper. Then you may mix the Salt with the Spirit, and in a Glass Body & Alembick rectifie the Salt, making it to ascend with a very gentle Fire to the head of the Alembick white and pure. This head is then immediately to be taken off, and another put on, and the distillation to be continued till the Spirit is drawn off, as before directed. See my Phar∣macopoeia Londinensis, lib. 2. cap. 5. sect. 24. § 12. and Do∣ron Medicum, lib. 1. cap. 25. §. 138. § 4. The farther preparation of the volatile Salt, with its several Virtues and Uses, we shall pretermit here, and refer you to its proper place in the Chapter of Salts following. The black Oyl here, is so fetid and stink∣ing, that it is not to be used either outwardly or inward∣ly, except only in the case of Hysterick Fits, to be smelt to. § 5. But if you prepare it with Spirit of Nitre after this manner following, it will be a most excellent Medicine, and not much inferiour to the Salt. ℞ Of the black fetid Oyl of Vipers ℥iv. Spirit of Nitre ℥viij. mix and digest two days: then add thereto of the best rectified Spirit of Wine ℥xij. filter through brown Pa∣per, and keep it for use. § 6. Thus have you a most excel∣lent Medicine, and one of the most abominable scents upon Earth, made one of the greatest Fragrancies in the whole World: it may be gi∣ven from gut. xij. ad xxx. in Wine, or any other proper Liquor against fainting of the Spirits, Weakness, Consum∣ptions, Epilepsies, Apople∣xies, and in a word, against all Diseases the volatile Spirit or volatile Salt are prevalent against. § 7. Now in the distillation of Vipers this is to be noted, that the Recei∣ver must be large, that the Spirits may circulate with the greater ease, and the Fire gentle and gradual, least the too hasty rushing forth of the Spirit should break the Ves∣sels. § 8. And whereas in the first distillation the Flegm comes first, before the Spirit, Oyl, and Salt; yet in the se∣cond distillation or rectifica∣tion the Volatile Salt rises first, and the Flegm remains last: in performing of which operations, the neck of the Vesica or Bolt-head must be

very high, that the volatile Salt may ascend pure; for if any Flegm should rise with it, it would liquifie it, and turn it into Spirit. § 9. In rectification of the Spirit of Vipers, to clear it from its Flegm; if you should let the Liquor continue distilling never so little longer than it should do, the Flegm will rise after the Spirit, and make the Spirit look whitish; but being kept together for about a Month, or somewhat lon∣ger, they will mix perfectly together, and become clear: the reason of this whiteness is from a small quantity of Oyl ascending with the Spirit, which coming to be mixt with never so small a quanti∣ty of Flegm, always gives a white colour. § 10. This Spirit is one of the best Me∣dicines in the whole Art of Physick; it is prevalent a∣gainst Plague or Pestilence, and all sorts of malignant Fevers and Agues the French-Pox, Consumptions of all sorts, Poyson, Bitings of Vi∣pers, Serpents, mad Dogs, or any other venemous Crea∣ture: It is a stupendious Re∣medy against the Epilepsie, Apoplexy, Palsie, Numbness, Tremblings, Lethargy, and Hysterick Fits. It is good against all Stoppages of the Head and Brain, and cures Asthma's, Pleurisies, Obstru∣ctions of the Lungs, as also all old and new Coughs, and other Diseases of the Breast and Lungs. It strengthens the Stomach, helps Digestion, opens all Obstructions of the Liver, Spleen, and Bowels, dissolves the Congelation, or Stagnation of the Blood, and is one of the greatest Sudori∣ficks in the World. Dose à gut. xx. ad xl. in Carduus, or Angelica-water, or Spirit of Saffron, or Cinamon-water § 11. Lemery makes a Sudo∣rifick-water of Vipers thus: ℞ Live Vipers cut them into pieces, and put them alive into a large Earthen, or Glass Body, with its Head and Receiver, lute well the Joynts, and distil in B. M. to dryness. This Water (containing some part of the volatile Salt) is Sudo∣rifick, and may be given à ʒj. ad ℥ss. in any sit Liquor. The dried pieces of Vipers may be distilled as before, from whence you will have Spirit, Oyl, and volatile Salt in like manner. § 12. Le Febure's Spirituous Essence of Vipers: ℞ Dried Harts and Livers of Vipers ℥iij. Alcohol of S. V. so much as to over-top them six inches; put them in∣to a double Glass, lute it and digest in B. V. with a very gen∣tle

heat for four days: then in B. M. distil with a slow Fire to driness; cohobating three times: to every ℥x. of this Spi∣rit put ℥i. of the volatile Salt of Vipers; Ambergrise essenti∣ficated ʒj. Oyl of Cinnamon, Oyl of Lemon-peel, A. ʒss. mix all, and circulate in a Pellican for eight days, and keep it close stopt for use. § 13. This essentificated Spirit of Vipers has all the Virtues of the vola∣tile Salt, and this advantage over and above, that it may better be preserved, being one of the best and noblest Anti∣dotes in the World, worthy the Closets of the greatest of Princes. Dose à ℈j. ad ℈ij. in a little Wine. § 14. Spi∣ritus Viperarum acovisticus▪ ℞ Vipers Flesh dried, cut it into bits, and bruise it well, q. v. affuse thereon so much rectified S. V. as may over-top it six inches. Digest in a very gentle heat, till all, or most of the substance is turned into an oily or spirituous Liquor, which keep close stopt for use. It wonderfully helps in deaf∣ness, curing those that have been deaf a long time: this was the Secret of a Noble∣man of Germany, and his chiefest Medicine, by which (it is reported) he cured such as are born deaf: It is used by dropping it warm into the Ears.