Ars chirurgica a compendium of the theory and practice of chirurgery in seven books ... shewing the names, causes, signs, differences, prognosticks, and various intentions of curing all kinds of chirurgick diseases ... : to which is added Pharmacopoeia chirurgica, or, The medical store, Latin and English ... / by William Salmon ...

8. Red Praecipitate.

℞ Quick-silver dissolved in Aqua fortis, as above, q.v. which, if you put it into a Retort, distil; but if into an Evaporating-glass, evaporate away the Aqua fortis to driness, so will you have a calx, or white matter, very cor∣rosive; which pouder, and put into a Crucible upon live coals, and gently reverberate, that it may have a shining red colour, often∣times stirring it with an iron Rod: (but let it not be too long in the Fire, nor in too strong a Fire, lest the whole flies upwards; for if it should sublime, it would lose its crystalline and shining form, because thereby it would be robbed of all acid Spirits:) so will you have a red praecipitate Mercury, which in the Shops is simply cal∣led Praecipitate. On this Prae∣cipitate affuse Rain-water, and by manifold ablutions, edulcorate

or sweeten it. Afterwards burn off from it rectified S.V. five or six times; for by that means the cor∣rosive quality of the Praecipitate will be diminished, and may be given inwardly with so much the less danger: now if the Burn∣ing should be continued any lon∣ger, the corrosive would be wholly destroyed, and a part of the Mer∣cury revived; whereby the red colour, and shining brightness would be lost.

Outwardly, it is of use for ta∣king away of Caruncles or fleshy Excrescencies, which it admira∣bly consumes, with little or no pain; it removes the thick filth and callus of Ulcers; and it is of exceeding good use for filthy, putrid, running, callous, and creeping Ulcers, and indeed for all other kinds of old Sores, which vulgar Remedies have no force upon, and which are rebel∣lious, and not easy to heal; whe∣ther used alone, or mixed with other things which have a power to cleanse and dry, without biting. Inwardly, it is sometimes given in the French-Pox, Dropsy, Leprosy, Scabbiness, virulent Go∣norrhoea, nocturnal Pains, (for which it is a specifick) the Scur∣vy, Gout in the Feet, Knees, and Hands; in a Rheumatism, quartan-Ague, and other inveterate and deplorable Diseases. It is given in small quantity (tho' it is seldom used internally) against the French-Pox; in which case it carries of the Venereal venom, either by Salivation, or by Vo∣mit, or by Stool, and by several it is used as a Panacaea. Dose, à gr. j, ad iv, vel v. in Treacle, or

some proper Extract, at bed∣time; but if with any congruous Cathartick, in the morning fasting.