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 ...

IV. The precess of the Grand Elixir of Paracelsns.

38. Out of the Corporeal Life, viz. vulgar Mercury, extract the first liquid Ens, (as being a Celestial fire) the Quintessence of Sol, and a sharp Metaline Acctum, by a solution with its own Mo∣ther; that is, he must per∣mix it with the Arcanum of Salt, and with the stomach of Anthion; that is, with the Spirit of Vitriol, and must therein dissolve the co∣agulated Mercury of Anti∣mony, digest it, and after∣wards reduce it in Crystals, that it may be like to a yel∣lowish Crystal.

39. Or thus. Take the Mineral Electrum in filings, put it into its own Sperm, that its defilements may be washed away, and purge it to the utmost, as much as you can with Stibium, after a Chymical manner, lest that otherwise thou shouldst suf∣fer loss, by reason of its im∣purity. Then resolve in it the Stomach of the Ostritch,

which is born in the Earth, and is comforted and strengthned in its virtue, by the sharpness of the Eagle. When the Electrum is consu∣med, and hath, after its solu∣tion, gotten a Marigold co∣lor, be not unmindful of re∣ducing it, into a Spirituous transparent Essence, re••em∣bling the colour of true Am∣ber. Add to it, half so much only, of the extended Eagle, as the corporeal Electrum (afore its preparation) weighed; and oft-times ab∣stract thencefrom the Sto∣mach of the Ostrich, for so thy Electrum will be still more and more spirituous. But when the Stomach of the Ostrich is wearied, or spent with labor, it is fit that thou refreshest or renewest it, and from time to time abstractest it. Then lastly, when it hath again lost its sharpness, add the Tartariz'd Quintessence, but in such a proportion, as to over-top it four inches in height, that so it may be de∣prived of its redness, and may pass or distil over toge∣ther therewithal; this do so long and so often until it be∣comes white of it self. Then when it is enough, (for thou wilt see with thine Eyes how it will sit it self for sublima∣tion) and thou perceivest that sign, sublime it; and so the Electrum will be conver∣ted into the Whiteness of the exalted Eagle; and 'tis brought thus to pass, and is transmuted by a little labor: Now this is that we seek for, for our use in Medicine, with the which thou mayest make a safe progress in many Di∣seases, which will not yield to vulgar Medicines. Thou mayest likewise convert the same into a Water, an Oyl, or a red Pouder, and use it in all such Medicinal Cases as need requires: and here∣in lyes so great a Vertue in Curing Men, that there can∣not be found out a more certain, and more excellent Medicine in the whole World. The Electrum being destroy∣ed, as aforesaid, if thou wouldst make a farther pro∣gress, and arrive to thy wish∣ed end; Take the destroyed and flying made, or Vola∣tilized Electrum, as much as thou hast a desire to perfect,

and put it in a philosophical Egg, sealing it excellently well, that nothing may eva∣porate. Let it stand so long in an Athanor until it doth of it self, without any addi∣tion begin to be resolved from above; in such-wise, that there be an appearance of, as it were, an Island in the midst of the Sea, the which doth day by day grow less and less, till at last it be chan∣ged into the deepest black. This black, is the Bird which flyes without Wings in the Night, the which even the first Coelestial Dew, hath by a perpetual Coction, and a∣scension and descension transmuted into the black∣ness of the Head of a Crow, the which doth afterwards assume the Peacocks Tail, and then gets the Feathers of the Swan, and last of all, re∣ceiveth the highest redness of the whole World; the which is a sign of its fiery Nature; by the which fire it expelleth all the accidents of the Body, and cherisheth the old and decayed Members. This Preparation is done (accord∣ing as all Philosophers af∣firm) in one only Vessel, one Furnace, one Fire; the va∣porous Fire never ceasing. By this Coelestial and perfect Medicine, may all the defile∣ments of Metals be washed away; and their hidden parts be made manifest: For this same more than perfect Me∣dicine can do all things; it penetrates all things, and in∣fuses or pours in Health, in that very self same time when it expels the Evil and the Disease. Give heed to this Preparation, for 'tis the cause of Solution; and to the glorified, destroyed, and spi∣ritualized Electrum, use the Tartarized Arcanum, to wash off the superfluities which happen in the prepa∣ration, least you labour in Vain: however nothing of the Arcanum of Tartar will remain, but you are to pro∣ceed with it only Circularly; for so it easily becomes of it self in the Philosophical Egg, and vapor of the Fire, a Phi∣losophical Water, the which Philosophers call a viscou•• Water, it will also coagulate it self, and represent it self in all colors, and at last be ador∣ned

with the highest redness. Of this Mystery I am prohi∣bited to write more plain, because it is at the dispose of the Divine Power.

40. Or thus. In the Name of God, Take Mercury, or else the Element of Mercu∣ry, and separate the pure from the impure: after∣wards let it be reverberated even to a whiteness, the which sublime with Sal Armoniack so long until it be resolved: let it be calcined, and again dissolved, and be digested in a Pellican a month; then at length let it be coagulated into a Body. This Body is no more combustible, nor consumable by any manner of means, but abides in the same State. Those Bodies which it penetrates are per∣manent in the Cineritium or Cupel, and cannot in the least be reduced into nothing, or be altered; but this Stone takes away every superfluous quality from sensible and in∣sensible things, as we have a∣fore declared. And albeit we have set down a short way, yet it requires labour, and needs such an operator as is not ignorant, or will be weary, but such an one as is highly dilligent and ex∣pert.

41. Or thus. Take the first matter, digest it in a Flacco, a flat, or flattish Ves∣sel, in a Resolutive digestion for a month: then let the addition of a Monarchy be added thereunto in an equal weight, and let them be again digested for a Month or two; then distil this matter over by a Retort, and that which shall ascend shall be the Ar∣canum of the first matter, of which we here Write. None can have a reason to admire at this so short away and process, for multitudes of Words bring much er∣ror.