An exact collection of the choicest and more rare experiments and secrets in physick and chyrurgery (both cymick and Galenick) viz. of Leonard Phioravant, Knight and doctour in physick and chyrurgery, his Rational secrets and chyrurgery &c. : whereunto is annexed Paracelsus's One hundred and fourteen experiments : with certain excellent works of G.B. áa ortu Aquitano ; also Isaac Holandus, his secrets concerning his vegetal and animal work : with Quercetanus his Spagyrick antidotary for gun-shot : also certain collections out of some manuscripts of Dr. Edwards and other physitians of note ...

Here beginneth a manuall or handy work, how the Quintessence may be drawn out of Honey.

NOw will I open unto you a great Secret in the Vegetall work of honie, to wit, a marvellous nature, for it is drawn out of the most noble and pure part of the floures. The na∣ture of Bees is such, that they draw out the best of every thing, as in the Animall work is more at large described, wherein there is taught how to extract the nature of all beasts, and speciallly in the 84. Chapter. Wherefore (my son) know this, that all that God hath created good in the upper part of the world, are perfect and uncorruptible, as the heaven: but whatsoever in these lower parts, whether it be in beasts, fishes, and all manner of sensible creatures, hearbs or plants, it is indued with a double nature, that is to say, perfect, and unperfect; the perfect nature is called the Quintessence, the unperfect the Peces or dreggs, on the venemous or combu∣stible oile. Therefore you shall separate the dregs and com∣bustible oyle, and then that which remaineth is perfect, and is called the Quintessence, which will endure continually, even as the heaven, neither can it be dissolved with fire or any other thing. For when God had created all things, and looked upon them, they were all perfect good, there was no∣thing lacking to any; and therefore for loves sake I say un∣to thee, that God hath put a secret nature or influence in eve∣ry creature, and that to every nature of one sort or kind he hath given one common influence, and to every one of se∣verall kinds their severall influence and vertue, whether it bee on Physick, or other secret works, which partly are found out by naturall workmanship. And yet more things are un∣known then are apparant to our senses: What! doe you not think that an hearb that is appointed for one disease, which it will cure, doth not contain in it many more vertues then are known unto us? Yes truly many more. This also I adde, that if the Feces and combustible oyle be taken away from this thing or hearb, which in all things is the poison that should be taken away, that brings death unto us, and the

Elements should be purified, and so burned together by Art, that they shall passe together by a Limbeck, and be joyned together, as it were coupled in marriage, that it may root out all manner of disease from every thing, be it hearb or living thing, or be drawn from his venome, as in the 14. Chapter of the Prologue of this Book is declared, and also in the Prologue of the Animall work, whereas the manner of draw∣ing the Quintessence out of all venemous beasts, birds, worms, and flies, is plainly declared, that it may help all the griefs of man, but that specially is drawn out of the bloud of man, and there is likewise declared, that there is no need of things without man or beast to help such as are infected. For eve∣ry creature contains in himselfe the remedy of his disease, which remedie may be drawn without the hurt of man or beast, that the disease may be miraculously cured, as is there most excellently taught in the Theorick and in the Practick. There∣fore I would write this, that thou soon mightest understand what marvellous force is in Honey, which is taken out of all floures, and gathered into one Masse, which truly is indued with sundry Vertues. For if God hath given unto other things the gift of healing, what then is there not in Honey, which is gathered out of so many floures, and every hearb indued with his own proper Vertue? Truly if it be brought to his height and excellencie, it will work marvellously. Now consider what lieth hidden in this Quintessence, and esteem it not lightly, but keep it secret as the most excellent thing of all the Animal work, the which being obtained, you shall need no other Medicines to put away all the accidents of the bodie.

CHAP. II.

NOw I will set in hand with the practise. Take twelve quarts of the best Virgin Honey, and put it in a great earthen Vessel with a Limbeck well luted, and set it in Bal∣neo, and lute a Recipient to the neck of it, and distill that which will distill of it in your Balneo boyling. My son, know this, that there is no common water in Honey, but onely

Philosophicall and Elementall, for the element of Aire doth first passe with the element of fire, in the which the aire is con∣tained, and the aire when it riseth, resembleth the savour of Aqua vitae distilled, and at the first can not be known from Aqua vitae, neither by sight, neither by savour: distill it untill there will no more arise, then leave the vessell in Balneo five daies with a Limbeck and receiver, let it boyl night and day, that the matter may be dried, then let it cool, and take it out, and take away the receiver and Limbeck, and that which is in the receiver pour into the vessel again upon the dry matter, and set it in Balneo, and cover the mouth of the vessel with a clean dish well luted, and let your Balneum be onely luke warm. My son, understand that it may thus be done, for it is good that the fire be drawn with his proper aire, so as a man would stay so long, for it would be of the greater force. The ancient Philosophers wrought in this sort, but the danger is, when the vessels shall be opened least the water fly away, for it is as sub∣till as wine. For every time the aire is to be drawn away, and againe to be poured on, making putrifaction in a warm Balneo, but first it must be well luted, and a Limbeck being set on with a receiver, you must reiterate the work, untill the fire rise like unto red bloud. There is another methode or rule of work∣ing found out in these our daies, which is in this sort.

CHAP. III.

THey are thus drawn out, and the matter dried, as is afore∣said, then take common water, twice distilled in Balneo, and pour on as much as is sufficient, and set it in Balneo, cover the mouth of the vessell: but let not the Balneum boyle, and so let it stand three daies and three nights, moving it day and night with a spattle of wood: let it coole, and be poured out and strained. Then take a clean vessell and pour out that which is clear, and pour upon the feces fresh distilled water, as you did before, and set the vessell in Balneo, and do as you did before: let it be cleared and put aside with the first water, and put on againe fresh water distilled, and set it in Balneo as

aforesaid, and do this so often untill the water be no more coloured, for then have you the fire separated from the earth, but reserve the earth or feces untill I tell you further what you shall do with it, for there is yet a combustible oyle in it.

CHAP. IIII.

TAke the vessel wherein is the coloured water, and set it in Balneo with a Limbeck, and receiver well luted, and distill all the water with a boyling Balneo, and let the matter be well dried and coole, then take away the Alimbeck, and let the ves∣sell remaine in Balneo, and pour on the water again upon the matter, and make a fire, and set a dish upon the mouth of the vessell, and let it stand so in Balneo three daies, every day mo∣ving it with a spattle of wood three or four times, then let it coole, and be taken out and be strained. Then take a clean vessel, and softly pour out that which is clear into it, and up∣on the feces straightwaies pour on fresh distilled water, stir∣ring it about with a woodden ladle, and let it stand to clear one day, and the feces which remain put unto the first feces. Then take a vessell, and set it in a boyling Balmeo untill it be dry, and reiterate this work untill there remaine no feces in the bottome of the vessell, so shall you have the pure element of Fire: and the element of the Aire also must be so often distilled, untill there remain nothing in the bottome: and in this sort you shall have the pure Element. Separate then the water from the fire, and let it dry, so shall you have a clear shi∣ning matter like to Camphore: keep the fire well in a glasse, and the aire with the water in another glasse well closed, untill you have your earth prepared.

CHAP. V.

TAke all the earth with the feces, and draw out the combusti∣ble oyle by a discensorie, that is, with two vessels joyned to∣gether and luted, untill the combustible oyle do passe, which is profitable for all cold diseases, and other passions, which were too long to rehearse: if you desire not the combustible oyle,

suffer it to fly away. Then take your earth, and calcine it in a furnace of reverberation gently, untill it be all white as snow, then take a great earthen or stone vessell, and put your white calcined earth into it, and pour out a good quantity of com∣mon water distilled, and stir it with a wooden ladle, and set it three daies in a boyling bath, and cover it with a dish, and stir it every day ten or twelve times. Let it coole, and the vessell take out, and let it clear one whole day: then take another clean vessel, and softly pour out that which is clear, and upon the feces pour againe fresh distilled water, and set it in Balneo, and do as you did before. Take it out againe, and let it clear one day and night, and that which is uppermost clear, pour out to the first water: Then put to fresh distilled water the third time unto the Feces, and set it in Balneo, and do as you did before, and pour out the clear the third time unto the first wa∣ter, then cast away the Feces of the third water, for they are of no value. Then take the vessell into which the water was put, and set it in Balneo, with a Limbeck and a receiver: and with a boyling Balneo, draw out the water untill the matter be made dry. Let it coole, take away the Limbick, and pour in the water againe upon the Earth, or salt, and set it one day in boyling Balneo. Let it dissolve, and clear, and take out that which is clear; and put in a little distilled water upon the Feces, and let it stand two or three hours in a warm bath: take it out, let it clear by the space of one hour or two, and pour out the upper part to the first water, and cast away the Feces, for there is nothing in them. Let the vessel be set againe in Balneo with the earth or salt, and distill away the wa∣ter untill all be dry, and do as afore, reiterating the work, un∣till that no Feces remain in the bottom, then drein away the the water from the earth, and you shall find a faire earth like Cristal: and so you shall have pure elements.

CHAP. VI.

TAke a great glasse that will bear the fire, and put into it your earth and your fire, and pour your aire upon it, and set it to distill in a furnace, in pot or with sand or ashes, with a Limbeck well luted, having a hole in the uppermost knottie

part, that a Funnell may be put in when there shall bee need of Infusion: when as the humiditie that it hath received be half consumed, then fortifie your fire by little and little in∣creasing it, untill you see the water boyl, and keep the fire in that state still, untill it be consumed even to a pint. Take away the fire, let it cool, take away your Receiver, and open the hole of the Limbeck, and put in your glasse Funnell, and pour in all the distilled water in the Recipient upon the Earth, and stop the hole of the Limbeck, and set the Recei∣ver unto the neck thereof well luted, and distill again, and observe the manner aforesaid of drawing and making infu∣sion, and do thus ten times. The tenth Distillation finish∣ed, let all passe together; for then the earth is made flying. So the aire, the water, the fire, and the earth will ascend together by the Limbeck, and be brought into one substance which were in four. One together in nature, and now simple as the incorruptible heaven, yet are they not fixed: but notwithstanding they are so coupled together between themselves, that by no means they can be separated, but will continue one simple bodie for ever; even as the Christal∣line and uncorruptible heaven, which notwithstanding is com∣pounded of the four Elements. What thinke you of this my Son? Cannot this Quintessence help every disease that doth infect man through his most excellent temperature, whether it be in heat, cold, moist, or drie, for all are in it that he may distribute unto every one that which is necessary, even as the heaven, when need requireth, giveth unto the earth all things, as coldnesse, heat, or moisture: And yet it is neither hot, cold, moist, nor drie, but of one simple essence, and that in∣dued with such a nature, that it giveth unto every thing that which is necessary: In like manner doth this Quintes∣sence. Therefore my Son rejoyce, and give the Almightie God thanks which hath opened these things unto the Phi∣losophers.

CHAP. VII.

NOw my Son, if thou wilt bring this Quintessence yet to a greater perfection: Take a great Circulatory, or Pelli∣can,

that is, a glasse that hath a great head like to a Limbeck, and in the top of the head a hole, by the which the matter may be poured in by a Funnell; let the hole be stopped; out of the head cometh forth two armes bending round unto the belly, by the which that which doth ascend up may fall down again by those armes of glasse into the belly of the Pellican: This is the form of the Vessels that distill one into another, or Pellican. 1. Take then your Quintessence, and put it in a Pellican in ashes, but better in salt prepared and dried, and make your fire like unto the extream heat in Summer, and the Quintessence will rise like unto a red Oil, and fall down again by the armes of the Pellican; and by often ascension, the Quintessence will wax thick, that it will tarry in the bottom and rise no more; then fortifie the fire that it may ascend and descend again; then keep the fire in that heat untill it ascend no more, but rest in the bottom; then make your fire stronger, that it may ascend and descend again, and keep the heat in the same degree untill it rise no more. 2. Observe this manner in augmenting your fire untill the water be fixed, and the glasse be red hot four and twenty houres together; if the Quintessence doe not then ascend, it is fixed, and brought unto his highest vertue; and take it out of the glass, being yet hot, for if it be cold, it will wax hard, so that you must break the glasse; for at the fire it doth wax liquid, and being set open in the air, it doth congeal, and peirceth every hard thing, as Oil doth any dry leather, and in colour is like unto a Rubie, and through shining like a Christall, it giveth light in the dark, sufficient to read by. What doest thou think of this my Son? are there not many strange bodies created of God? Truly he hath in∣dued the Philosophers with no lesse gifts; for they that can look into the secrets of nature, shall see it to be of an incre∣dible operation, for this is gathered by the Bees of the sub∣tilest part of all Plants, Trees, Floures, and Fruits, and at that time, when Floures break out and Trees bud. It is worthily called the Philosophers stone, for it is fixed and liquable as Wax, and as the minerall stone transmuteth the impure metall, so doth this alter diseases. Hereby it doth appear, that this doth bear the bell amongst all vegetals; whereas it being yet

in his grosenesse and impute, it is but of small value for any use in Physick, by what means so ever it be boiled or scummed, but doth alwayes retain his nature; for it consisteth of all the fruits of the earth, plants, and trees: Whereof one hearb is hot, ano∣ther cold, another dry, another moist, one astringent, another laxative, some corrosive, others venomous; and so divers hearbs have their divers qualities. 3. It cometh to passe, if it help one disease, by and by it hindereth another; for every thing worketh according to his property, when as there is se∣paration made in the body; and of this separation it ingen∣dereth bloud and other humours: And they are likened unto Gunpowder, which so long as it lieth still there cometh no hurt of it, but if it be brought unto the fire, it strait uttereth his secret nature, and is kindled with a venomous fire, which cannot be quenched with water; for the cold and dry, hot and moist, doe strive amongst themselves, a wind is stirred up, that breaketh all things that is near unto it. The like happen∣eth unto Honey, that when it cometh to the region of the Li∣ver, that it should be there separated, then it sheweth his nature to passe up, and swell with wind, that it is no marvell, if that through contention the veins of the Liver be broken, as often∣times it happeneth, whereupon Imposthumes are caused in divers places, and bringeth forth such inflammations, that the veines are easily broken; although many doe greatly com∣mend Honey, but they are not the children of Philosophy, neither doe they understand the nature of it: But when it is brought to a simple, fixed as Wine, then is it the cheifest Me∣dicine amongst all the vegetables, neither is the like unto this found in all the world. Give God thanks, and be liberall unto the poor. The dose of this is one grain, and it must be taken every morning with an empty stomack, likewise in the evening, untill the end of the disease. For every disease will be cured in short time, even after the same manner, as the Minerall stone maketh his projection upon metals: Praise God, and labour diligently.