The workes of that famous chirurgion Ambrose Parey translated out of Latin and compared with the French. by Tho: Johnson. Whereunto are added three tractates our of Adrianus Spigelius of the veines, arteries, & nerves, with large figures. Also a table of the bookes and chapters.

CHAP. XXXVIII. Of Quick silver.

QUick-silver is so called because it resembleth silver in the colour, and is in perpetual mo∣tion, as if it had a spirit or living soul. There is a great controversie amongst authors concerning it. For most of them affirm it hot, among whom is Galen, Halyabas, Rha∣sis, Aristotle, Constantine, Isaac, Plattarius, Nicholas Massa: they maintain their opinion by an argument drawn from things helping and hurting; besides from this, that it is of such subtill parts, that it penetrates, dissolves and performeth all the actions of heat upon dense and hard me∣talls; to wit, it attenuateth, incideth, drieth, causeth salivation by the mouth, purgeth by the stool, moveth urine and sweat over all the body; neither doth it stir up the thinner humors only, but in like sort the gross, tough and viscous, as those which have the Lues Venerea find by experi∣ence, using it either in ointments or Plasters.

Others affirm it very cold and moist, for that put into emplasters and so applied, it asswageth pain by stupefaction, hindering the acrimony of pustles and cholerick inflammations. But by its humidity it softneth scirrhous tumors, dissolveth and dissipateth knots and tophous knobs, besides, it causeth the breath of such as are annointed therewith to stink, by no other reason, then that it putrefies the obvious humor by its great humidity. Avicens experiment confirms this opinion, who affirmeth, that the blood of an Ape that drunk Quick-silver, was found concrete about the heart, the carcass being opened. Matthiolus moved by these reasons, writes that Quick-silver killeth men by the excessive cold and humid quality, if taken in a large quantity, because it congeals the blood and vital spirits, and at length the very substance of the heart, as may be understood by the history of a certain Apothecary, set down by Conciliator; who, for to quench his severish heat, in stead of water, drunk of a glass of Quick-silver, (for that came first to his hands;) he died with∣in a few hours after, but first he evacuated a good quantity of the Quick-silver by stool, the residue was found in his stomach being opened, and that to the weight of one pound; besides, the blood was found concrete about his heart. Others use another argument to prove it cold, and that is drawn from the composition thereof, because it consists of Lead and other cold metals. But this argument is very weak. For unquencht Lime is made of flints and stony matter, which is cold, yet nevertheless it exceeds in heat. Paracelsus affirmeth, that Quick-silver is hot in the interior substance, but cold in the exterior, that is, cold as it comes forth of the Mine. But that coldness to be lost as it is prepared by art, and heat only to appear and be left therein, so that it may serve in∣stead of a tincture in the trans-mutation of metals. And verily it is taken for a Rule amongst Chy∣mists, that all metals are outwardly cold, by reason of the watery substance that is predominant in them, but that inwardly they are very hot, which then appears when as the coldness toge∣ther with the moisture is segregated; for by calcination they become caustick. Moreover many ac∣count quick-silver poison, yet experience denies it. For Marianus Sanctus Boralitanus tells that he saw a woman, who for certain causes and effects, would at several times drink one pound and a half of quicksilver, which came from her again by stool without any harm. Moreover he affirmeth that he hath known sundry who in a desperate Colick (which they commonly call miserere mei) have been freed from imminent death, by drinking three pounds of quick-silver with water only: For by the weight it opens and unfolds the twined or bound up gut, nnd thrusts forth the hard and stopping excrements; he addeth that others have found this medicine effectual against the colick, drunk in the quantity of three ounces. Antonius Musa writes, that he usually giueth Quick-silver to children ready to die of the worms. Avicen confirmeth this, averring that many have drunk Quick-silver without any harm, wherefore he mixeth it in his ointments against scales and scabs in little children; whence came that common medicine amongst country people to kill lice by an∣nointing the head with Quick-silver mixed with butter or axungia. Matthiolus affirmeth that many think it the last and chiefest remedy to give to women in travel that cannot be delivered. I protest to satisfie my self concerning this matter, I gave to a whelp a pound of Quick-silver, which being drunk down, it voided without any harm by the belly. Whereby you may understand that it is wholly without any venomous quality. Verily it is the only and true Antidote of the Lues Vene∣rea, and also a very fit medicine for all malign ulcers, as that which more powerfully impugns their malignity then any other medicines that work only by their first qualities. Besides, against that con∣tumacious scab, which is vulgarly called Malum sancti manis, there is not any more speedy or cer∣tain remedy. Moreover Guido writes, that if a plate of lead be besmeared or rubbed there with, and then for some space laid upon an ulcer, and conveniently fastned, that it will soften the callous hardness of the lips thereof, and bring it to cicatrization, which thing I my self have often times found true by experience.

Certainly before Guido, Galen much commended Quick-silver against malign ulcers and cancers: Neither doth Galen affirm that lead is poisonous (which many affirm poisonous, becaus it consists of much Quick-silver) but he only saith thus much, that water too long kept in leaden pipes & cisterns

by reason of the drossiness that it useth to gather in lead, causeth bloody fluxes, which also is fa∣miliar to brass and copper. Otherwise many could not without danger bear in their bodies leaden bullets during the space of so many years, as usually they do. It is reported. It is declared by Theodoret Herey in the following histories, how powerful Quick-silver is to resolve and asswage pain and inflamations. Not long since, (saith he) a certain Doctor of Physick his boy was troubled with parotides, with great swelling, heat, pain and beating; to him by the common consent of the Physicians there present, I applied an Anodine medicine, whose force was so great, that the tumor manifestly subsided at the first dressing, and the pain was much asswaged. At the second dressing all the symptoms were more mitigated. At the third dressing, I wondring, at the so great effect of an Anodine Cataplasm, observed that there was Quick-silver mixed therewith, and this hap∣pened through the negligence of the Apothecary, who mixed the simple Anodine medicine pre∣scribed by us, in a mortar wherein but a while before he had mixed an ointment whereinto Quick-silver entred, whose reliques, and some part thereof yet remained therein. This which once by chance succeeded well, I afterwards wittingly and willingly used to a certain Gentle∣woman troubled with the like disease, possessing all the region behind the ears, much of the throat, and a great part of the cheek, when as nature helped by common remedies, could not eva∣cuate neither by resolution nor suppuration, the contained matter greatly vexing her with pain and pulsation; I to the medicine formerly used, by the consent of the Physicians, put some Quick-silver, so within a few daies, the tumor was digested and resolved. But some will say, it resolves the strength of the nerves and limbs, as you may see by such as have been anointed therewith for the Lues Venerea, who tremble in all their limbs during the rest of their lives. This is true, if any use it too intemperately without measure, and a disease that may require so great a remedy; for thus we see the Gilders, Plumbers and such as dig in mines, by the continual ascent of the vapors of Quick-silver to the brain, the fountain of the nerves, by resolving the spirits, and dissipating the radicall and substantifick moisture, maketh them subject to the trembling of their joints. Verily, if it be killed and incorporate with hogs-grease, and a list be smeared therewith, which may encom∣pass the body like a girdle, it will drive away lice, sleas and cimices; and anointed about the na∣vel, it kills the worms in the guts. There are two sorts of Quick-silver, the one natural, the other artificial. The natural is found running or flowing in the veins and bowels of the earth, and amongst metals, and in the fornaces of silver-mines. The Artificial is made of minium (as it is in Vitruvius) and of the powder of Ivory. Also it is probable that by art it may be extracted out of all metals, but chiefly out of Lead and Cinnabaris. You may easily distinguish these kinds by the dull and blackish colour, tough and gross substance, which as it runs, leaves an impression like melted grease, being as it were the excrement of lead. The best Quick-silver of all is pure, clear, thin, and very white: it may be cleansed with the dross of lead, and becomes more then being boiled in sharp vinegar, with sage, rosemary, time, lavender. Or else give it by a pound at a time to a whelp to drink down, and being cast forth by it, boil it again in vinegar, for thus it hath wondrous faculties, and fitly given produceth marvellous effects; nothing is more contrary thereto then fire. For Quick-silver, though of its own nature ponderous, flieth upwards by the force of the fire, and for∣saketh gold by that means, then which nothing is more friendly to it.

Notes

• The reason why it is so cal∣led.
• Lib 4. simp. in. 2 practic. c. 148. 3 ad alman. 4. Meteor.
• In l. 6 Dios. c. 28
• An history.
• Lib. 4. de nat. rerum.
• Tract. de casu & offen.
• Quick-silver good for wo∣men in travel.
• For the disease called Malum sancti manis.
• Lib. de comp. med socurd. loc. Against ma∣lign ulcers.
• Against the Parotides.
• Against lice and flies, &c. The kinds thereof.
• How to purifie it.