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 ...

X. An Explication of the former Work by the Author.

52. First, The Seed of Gold is lodged in all Metals.

This is apparent from their generation in the Womb of Nature, whose Origination is Mercury, which is indeed immaturate Gold: and so remains im∣maturate in the baser Me∣tals, till a ripening and me∣liorating Spirit quickens that Seminal property, lodged in the Womb of impurity: moreover it has been proved by the experience of many Operators and Alchymists, and made visible to the Sen∣ses, what quantity of Gold a proportional quantity of e∣very one of the Metals have yielded; which although it has been a Work of no pro∣fit, yet has given that satis∣faction to prove the Truth of this proposition.

53. Secondly, This Seed of Gold, both may and ought to be quickned, or made to Live.

This is done through the Death of the first matter, and disposition of the second to a refuscitation or resur∣rection of that innate, ener∣getical, and seminal Life, and that only by the universal Spirit of the World, which is one thing in the Fire; ano∣ther thing in the Air; ano∣ther thing in the Water; and lastly, another thing in the Earth.

54. Thirdly, This Semen being quickned dilates it self into other Bodies, and trans∣mutes

them into its own pro∣perty.

That is, just as the Semi∣nal Life of Vegetables trans∣mutes or changes that Suc∣cus or humidity of the Earth proper to themselves, into their own Forms and Na∣tures; and so of a little Seed there becomes a great Tree. So that the Earth is the Womb, out of which so small a Seed becomes a great Tree, by the transmuting property of the innate Seminal Life in the Seed. And so all the Base Metals are the Wombs unto that Seminal purity? in which Womb, if the Seed be disposed rightly, there will be as certain a generati∣on and encrease: And the purity of the base Metals will be transmuted into that Seminal property to a vast augmentation.

55. Fourthly, That this may be rightly done, the Bo∣dies of the base M••tals must be opened and prepared.

That is, they must be brought unto a mortifica∣tion, that that strong band which has hitherto chained the Seminal Life may be broken, and so the energetick Vi••tue may be set at liberty. This is performed by the fie∣ry flying Dragon, who de∣v••urs all that he comes near. This being done, the Semen must be cast into and con∣joyned with this mortified Body (impregnated with the universal Spirit of the World,) that it may there generate, transmute and mix. Now this Spirit is fourfold, accor∣ding to a fourfold property, as we have said at Sect. 53. aforegoing.

56. Fifthly, This may be done in any of the base Me∣tals: but they (like the Earth) yield an increase, according to their Degrees in purity; so that more of the Body of a pure Metal is transmuted, than of an im∣pure.

As Barren Earth cannot yield so great an Encrease as a fertile Soil; so neither can a Base Metal yield so great an augmentation, as a more fine: there must be somthing in the Matrix into which the Seed is cast, which must be in its own Root, homogene with it, else no Fruit can be

expected; and according to the quantity of the Homo∣gene matter in the prepared Body, such is the encrease. If you should cast this Seed upon Chalk, Lime, or such like Hetorogene matter, you may look till your Eyes fall out, before you see a Meta∣line Transmutation: if you cast it upon a Philosophick Calx of Tin or Lead, &c. you will see a transmutation, but only in part, according to the quantity of the Meta∣line or Homogene root in the said Metals: but if it be cast upon a Philosophical Calx of Luna, it transmutes the whole Body into most pure Sol; so that you may see, that according to the degree of the Metaline perfection, such will be your augmenta∣tion or encrease.

57. Sixthly, The Bodies of the baser Metals being fitted, the Semen must be cast into the same to gene∣rate,

That is, there must be a conjunction of the Semen or true Golden Essence, with the prepared Body to be transmuted. Now you must be careful you use not the Simple Body of any Metal for this Semen, for then you will be deceived. The mat∣ter in which the generative Spirit is lodged is another thing. If you bury a whole Tree or Plant in the Earth, it will not generate, and bring forth another Tree, but Perish and Rot; the Se∣minal or Generative Virtue and Life is clog'd and loaded, and so is ineffective. But if you bury the Seed of the same Tree, you may have another or more, according to the quantity of the Seed sown. The same you must understand in the generation of Metals, and of the Golden Work. It is not Gold which will generate Gold, but the Seed of Gold.

58. Seventhly, This Semen must be Volatile.

Otherwise it cannot trans∣mute, for nothing but a Vo∣latile Spirit or Essence can dilate and spread it self. A fixed matter cannot operate at all; for all fixed things are Dead, and their Life remains in a Centeral State, not sit for Co-action. This is evi∣dent

in the Volatile Salts of Vinegar and Quick-lime, which (by reason of their Volatility) surpass the Art of Man to attain Simple; but if you mix a Lixivium of Quick-lime with Vinegar, you may have a large quan∣tity of Salt, and that fixed, which was before unattaina∣ble. Thus you see out of two Volatile things a third abso∣lutely fixed is produced; and this is the Condition of the great Work. But be∣fore this can be accomplish∣ed, you must make fixed things become Volatile, which is done by the oppo∣site Ration, for while the matter is fixed, it cannot act in the least measure either to any natural Generation, or Phylosophical Transmu∣tation.

59. Eightly, It must be of an unchangeable deep blood red colour.

Otherwise it could not ••inge; for was it only yellow, it would only create a fain∣tish kind of Green. But this Our Philosophick Tin∣cture does generate Gold of the highest and purest Na∣ture, and having the deepest yellow; perfectly and throughly in every part and particle thereof imbibed with the Golden Spirit, and having all the Virtues, Pow∣ers and Operations of Gold, in the highest and largest measure.

60. Ninthly, This Se∣men is made Volatile by destruction of its external form.

That is, the matter out of which the Semen is drawn, must be opened by a Philo∣sophick Calcination, and se∣parated by the beams of the Sun, by which the Solar property will make an im∣pression on the fixt matter to render it Volatile. Nature must be brought to Action, and suffer a Revolution, that the Dead or inactive Body may let fall its Semen, out of which the Golden Tree of the Philosophers is produced.

61. Tenthly, This Semen is made Blood-red by impreg∣nating of it with the spirit of the World, and Blood of the Dragon.

It is necessary, That there be a common Band to con∣joyn

the Bodies which are to be united. As the Bodies of the Base Metals, (which are the Womb for this Seed) are to be Mortified; so must that Body be, out of which you extract the Semen: and as that mortified and prepared Body is to be impregnated by the said universal Spirit and Blood of the Dragon; so also must this Semen, that there may be as well a Sym∣pathy and likeness in Na∣ture, as a Unity in Body.

62. Eleventhly, The mat∣ter out of which this Semen is to be extracted, is Mercury, or Gold, or both.

We mean simply, and with∣out Metaphor Quick silver and Gold: for if there be an innate Life, Virtue and Pow∣er in the Base Metals, why not in these? If Lead, Tin, Iron, Copper, and Silver, contain in themselves the Se∣minal Life of Gold, and its Metaline root, why should Mercury or Sol be excluded, which are the things them∣selves?

63. Twelfthly, This Se∣men being cast into the Body prepared for it, is there to be digested, till both be perfectly united; whose simple conjun∣ction is the product of the Golden Kingdom.

This Digestion is perfect∣ed only by force of an exter∣nal Fire, conjoyned with the inward Seminal Life.

Here you have the sum of all the Philosophers opinions couch'd in a few Words; which none will be able to under∣stand, but such to whom it shall please God to reveal the same.

As to the first process of this Chapter, which is an Idea of the universal Medicine of Paracelsus, and an clucidation of the Alltahest, the Artist is desired to take notice, That we were not permitted to publish it naked to the World, as it was in the Original Ger∣man Manuscript; but Aenig∣matically, it being unlawful to cast Pearls before Swine: the Aenigma is couched un∣der those Words Printed in Old English Letter, and for the same I have fitted a Key, by which the riddle may be easily unfolded. It was com∣municated to me, by 2 sever∣al person unknown to one a∣nother.