Doron medicum, or, A supplement to the new London dispensatory in III books : containing a supplement I. to the materia medica, II. to the internal compound medicaments, III. to the external compound medicaments : compleated with the art of compounding medicines ... / by William Salmon ...

III. Observations on Minerals.

140. The calcination of Gold by the Inquart. The name of Inquart is given to this Immersive calcination of Gold, for that there is mixed therewith three times as much in weight of tryed Silver. Thus, ℞ Gold ℥j: fine Silver ℥iij: melt them together in a Crucible: being melted, pour them by degrees in a large Copper Vessel fil∣l'd with Water to cause Gra∣nulation, so will they fall in small grains to the bottom of the Vessel: Dry them well, put them into a Matrass, and affuse thereon three times its weight of Aqua fortis, and keep the Matrass over a mo∣derate Sand-beat till the Sil∣ver is dissolved by degrees, and the Gold precipitates to the bottom in a black Pou∣der. Then decant the clear Liquor by Inclination into an Earthen Pot full of Water: put upon the Gold again a little more Aqua fortis to compleat the dissolution of the little remaining Silver, and

decant again, as before, into the former Pot of Water: The Calx of Gold remaining wash with Common Water till it is sweet; dry it, and make it red hot in a Crucible, so will it be very high colored, and may be either so kept, or melted in the same Crucible by adding a little Borax, and so cast into an Ingot, which is then the most fine Gold: This is the highest and best purification of Gold that can be, and the best seperation of Gold from Silver.

141. The dissolved Silver may be precipitated by put∣ting into the Water a flat Bar of Copper, for by this means the Aqua fortis quits the Silver and seizes upon the Copper, so that the Silver precipitates to the bottom in a Calx or Lime, which you may dry, and either keep it so, or melt it with a little Salt of Tartar in a Crucible into an Ingot, which will be most fine Silver.

142. The purification of Gold by Antimony. ℞ Gold ℥j: melt it in a Crucible, and then add to it Antimony in pouder ℥iv: continue a strong fire till the matter be∣gins to sparkle, or sparks fly out, by which you may be sure that the Antimony has consu∣med all the foreign matter or impurities of the Gold: then take the Crucible out of the fire and cast the melted matter into an Iron Cornute well heated & greased within, knocking the Cornute to make the Gold descend to the bot∣tom: being cold separate the Regulus from the Scoria: melt the Regulus again in a Crucible over a strong fire, and cast in by little and little three times its weight of Salt∣peter, continue a good strong fire, that the matter may re∣main in fusion, till all the Fumes are gone, and the Gold appears clear and clean, then cast it again into the said Iron Cornute, well heated and greased, knocking it as before, so will the Golden Regulus remain at bottom perfectly pure.

143. In Our Pharmaco∣poeia lib. 3. cap. 1. sect. 4. we have shewn how to make a fine Calx of Gold by Amal∣gamation. If you take that subtil Calx well washed with

fair Water and dryed, and mix it with three times its weight of flowers of Sal Ar∣moniack, well prepared and pulveriz'd, then put them into a fit blind Alembick, and sublime them together in a Sand-heat with a moderate fire, and lastly, wash away the said Flowers with fair warm Water several times, till the Calx of Gold is sweet, you will have the most subtil and well prepared Calx of Gold (or rather flowers) that can be, and the most fit to make Tinctures with, Aurum po∣tabile, &c. See Sect. 17. of the place aforecited.

144. To refine Silver by the Coppel or Cupel, that is, with Lead. ℞ a Cupel made of Ashes, or Bones or Horns, cover it and heat it gently with Coals, till it grows red hot, cast into it four or five times as much Lead as you have Silver to purify. Let the Lead melt, and fill the sides of the Coppel, which is quickly done, then put in the Silver into the middle, and it will suddenly melt: lay Wood round about the Cop∣pel, and blow it, that the flame may reverberate on the mat∣ter; the Impurities will mix with the Lead, and the Sil∣ver remain pure in the midst of the Coppel, the Lead being filled with the drossy parts, lying on the sides like Skum, which may be gathered up with a spoon, and is called Li∣tharge. According to the degree of Calcination it has endured it becomes of divers Colours; and accordingly is called Litharge of Silver, or Litharge of Gold. The Cup∣pel being full of Pores, you must cast your Silver into an Ingot, else it will suck it up. But if Gold is mixt with your Silver, this Work will have no Operation upon that, and therefore you must have re∣course to the Inquart for se∣paration.

145. They who have not all these conveniencies for refining of Gold or Silver, do no more but place a Cru∣cible upon a Culot in the middle of a Hearth-place in a Wind Furnace, and having lighted round about it a good Coal fire, they melt in the red hot Crucible about ℥jv. of Lead, and then cast up∣on

it ℥j of Silver, which pre∣sently melts among the Lead: Then they keep a good fire about the Crucible, till the Lead and all the other Im∣perfect Metals mixed with the Silver, are exhaled into Smoak, or converted into Scum, on the top of the Sil∣ver, which at the bottom of the Crucible will be solid, white and very pure.

146. Crystals of Luna. ℞ filings of Luna ℥j: spirit of Niter ℥iij: make a disso∣lution over a gentle Sand∣heat: put this dissolution into a glass Cucurbit, and in a Sand-heat (a Head and Receiver being luted to it) draw off ¾ of the Spirit of Niter, then in a cool place, set the rest to Crystalize. The Liquor not Crystaliz'd decant, and evaporate again to a thin Skin, and then set it to Crystalize again: or you may totally evaporate it, and have a Calx or Lime of Sil∣ver at bottom, which you may edulcorate by manifold ablu∣tions in fair Water. The Crystals being gathred and dryed keep in a Glass close stopt. They are of wonderful use in all inveterate Head∣achs, Megrims, Vertigo's, Epilepsies, Apoplexies, Le∣thargies, Catarrhs, &c. Dose from half a grain to ij grains. 'Tis an admirable Medicine.

147. The Silver Tree of the Philosophers, commonly called Diana's Tree.

℞ filings of Silver ℥i: spirit of Niter ℥iij: make a dissolution: put this into a Matrass, wherein is put fair Water ℥xviij or xx: and Quick-silver ℥ij: let the Matrass be no bigger, but that these quantities may fill it up to the Neck; set it upon a Wreath, or rowl of Straw, or Rushes for forty days in some convenient place; and in that space of time (for less will scarcely do) you will find a Tree, grow, and spread forth its branches, with little Balls at their ends representing its Fruit.

148. Tincture of Luna. ℞ the most subtil Calx or Lime of Luna, Volatile Salt of Tartar, Volatile Salt of Ʋrine, A. ℥ j: highest re∣ctified S. V. ℥ xij: put them into a Matrass, which cover

with another lesser Matrass in stead of a blind head: lute or close the joint with wet bla∣ders: digest in a very gentle Sand-head for 20 or 30 days, shaking the Vessel 2 or 3 times a day, till the S.V. or Menstruum looks of a glori∣ous coelestial azure or blew Colour: then unlute the Ves∣sels, and decant the Tin∣cture into a strong glass, which keep close stopt for use. This Tincture is only a dissoluti∣on of some particles, which the Volatile sulphurous parts of the menstruum have volatilized. With the remain∣ing Calk of the Silver you may continually make new Tincture, till it is all dissol∣ved or wasted. This Tin∣cture has all the Virtues of the Crystals of Luna afore∣said, at Sect. 131. and may be given à gut. vj ad xvj. in Cin∣namonw ater or choice Ca∣nary, or black Cherry-wine.

149. The Calx of Silver (if you are not minded to keep it) you may thus revive. ℞ Tartar, flints in pouder A. ℥ j: good Niter ℥ iv: Charcole in pouder ʒ ij: mix these, and melt toge∣ther, put them into a mor∣tar warmed, and when cold, mix thereof with the calx of Silver an equal quantity, put all into a crucible and with a fire of Fusion, or a melting heat, you may reduce the said Lime into Silver again.

150. From the said Lunar Calx, you may also extract a Tincture with oyl of Vitriol or Salt, dulcified with rectifi∣ed S.V. which is no mean Me∣dicine.

151. Salt of Steel. ℞ Oyl of Vitriol or Sulphur, re∣ctified S. V. A. ℥viij: put all into a new iron pan, smooth within, mingle them well; Cover it with a sheet of Pa∣per, and let it stand for fifteen or twenty days, or till a whi∣tish grey Salt stick to the sides and bottom of the Pan, and becomes dry; which se∣parate, gather and reduce into a fine Pouder. It is an admirable thing to open all Obstruction of the Viscera, and may be given from ℈ss ad ʒss: in any Specifick Liquor. It is one of the best Preparations of Mars.

152. Aurum fulminans, has a force vastly stronger

than Gun-pouder, viz. as 1. to 200. for one scruple of this fulminant Gold put into a Silver Spoon, and held over the fire, will give a louder bounce and do more mischief than two hundre I scruples of the sinest and best Gun-pouder, which is above half a pound. 'Tis doubt∣less a good Medicine taken inwardly, and by some thought to be the best Medi∣cine in the World, to expel, by Sweat, Mercury out of the Body, having been given by unskilful Hands.

153. Tin may be sublimed thus: mix Calx of Tin with four times its weight of Sal Armoniack, in very fine Pouder: put them into an good Alludel upon a fit Furnace, covered with three or four Pots one upon ano∣ther, luting well the Joynes, covering the uppermost only with a little Head: kindle a gentle fire under the Allu∣del, which increase by de∣grees, till the Alludel is red hot in all the lower parts: then cast in at the hole ℥ss of the Pouder, cl••sing it im∣mediately, so will the Tin and Salt sublime in Vapors, and condense in Flowers within the Sides of the Pots. After cast in ℥ss. more of the Pou∣der, stop the hole again, till the Vapours ascending, con∣dence into Flowers: and thus continue the operation till all the Pouder is spent; keeping all the while a good fire under the Alludel, by which means all the Tin will be sublimed: if you put e∣qual parts of Tin and Salt, the greatest part of the Tin will remain at bottom. The Sublimation ended, and the Vessels cold, gather the Flowers from the Pots; and put them in an Earthen Ves∣sel full of clear Water, let them rest twenty four hour, then pour off the Water so will the Calx of Tin be at bot∣tom in form of a Magistery, which you may edulcorate by many Washings; dry it in the Shade, and then keep it in a glass close stopt. It may be given alone, or mixt with other things in Hysterick Cases. You may sublime it in like manner, by subliming it with Sal Niter: And these Flowers may be * 1.1

made into Salt of Tin, by dis∣solution in Spirit of Vinegar.

154. Artificial Bismuth, scarcely possible to be discern∣ed from the true. ℞ pure Tin Plates lbj, cut them in∣to little pieces, lay a layer of cement and a layer of Tin in a good Crucible, till the Cruci∣ble is nearly full: set it over a naked fire in a proper Furnace with a moderate fire for an hour; then in∣crease it by degrees to the strongest heat for four hours: after fusion cast the matter into a Mold heated and grea∣sed within, and make an In∣got: so will you find the weight augmented four oun∣ces above the weight of the Tin. The Cement is thus made: ℞ Arsnick lbjss: White Tartar ℥jv: Salt pe∣ter ℥ij: beat the whole, and mix them together. After the same manner is made Zink, of the same Substan∣ces, in the same Proportion, and with the same Instru∣ments, save there Lead is us∣ed instead of Tin.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Place here [v] [x] [y] [z.] Beginning folio 289.