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 ...

V. Processus Elixiris Tutonicus.

42. In the Name of God Amen. Take pure Gold well purged by Antimony p.ij: Mercury of Luna p.vj: Vulgar Mercury well purg'd and cleansed from all filth

p.xij: put them into a glass Matrass, with a glass cover, and work according to Art; These three following Ope∣rations.

43. The first Operation. Hang the Matrass three In∣ches distance from a very gentle fire, moving some∣times by little and little the Matrass, until you see the matter dissolved, and of va∣rious colours. But first you shall see the Peacocks Tail, which presently vanishes a∣way: and immediately upon it, after the dissolution, you shall see the Crows-head: then follows Saturn, which is blackness: after that Jupiter of an Ash colour, which does immediately vanish: After that comes the Pearls in the Circumference, then pre∣sently take away the matter from the fire, which will congeal in a black somwhat whitish; much like the Wrin∣kles in an old Womans Face: this Operation is commonly performed in the space of an hour.

44. The second Operation. This being done, conjoyn the matters together before the Vessel is cold, and hang it up∣on the fire; following this second operation with a very soft fire, as is aforesaid; and you shall see a little Skin like a Spiders Webb, swimming over it, which vanishes away, and is a fore token of white∣ness, and this is Narcissus Fountain. Leave now, until you see the matter boyl of it self, which is a sign of its Birth and hour of its Nativi∣ty; and the matter will be sublimed, but not so much as it did before, because it is more fixt. Now shall you see the matter to wax all white, the which is called the foliate Earth, and the matter will open in two parts, and move of its Self, which is properly the hour of its Na∣tivity or Birth, which must at all times be observed. This done, you shall see Pearls in the Circumference, then shall you take it off from the fire, and the mat∣ter will congeal very White; the which is done also, in the space of one hour or little more. You must note, That you are to take great heed of the drops which are subli∣med,

that they do not fall by too much heat: and for that lest you should not see so perfectly, the hour of the Nativity, because the matter doth move principal∣ly when the drops do fall.

45. The third Operation. Hang it over a very gentle fire, and there let it sublime a little; and you shall see Mars and Venus, before the separation of the Elements; proceed with a very gentle fire, until you see the matter to turn it self into Pouder like fine flower. But take heed that the drops do not fall, if possible it may be, be∣cause the Work will be so much the longer; and you may the better see the se∣paration of the Elements in the bottom of the Glass. That is to say, the special form of the Gold separated from its Mercury Philoso∣phical, which was made in the same hour of the Nati∣vity, the which is then Re∣bis, because it is inseparable from its Solar Sulphur; for then is made the Copulation of the Male with the Female, by means of Vulgar Mercu∣ry. This done, and that you have seen the pure separati∣on of the Elements, take it from the Fire, that it may cool a little, and conjoyn the matters together, and dis∣solve it as you know, and as Nature requires.

46. This Work is done in the space of two Months, wherein the matter will be black like Pitch; and in form of a Pultise or Pap, and will be a natural black, the which by little and little vanishes away; but this is a true sign of a perfect dissolu∣tion, viz the Ash-colour, and coming a little after to the White, which will be in the space of two Months. Then shall you see the Work to be true; for it will congeal and fix Mercury into Luna; but is not yet fixed; but continuing the fire in the same degree unto the se∣venth Month, then shall you make your Projection upon Vulgar Mercury purged; with five parts of Silver, which will be frangible or brittle, and a Medicine up∣on the aforesaid Mercury: one part upon fifty parts

of common Mercury pur∣ged.

47. But if you intend for the Red; you must increase your fire to the third degree; so will the matter by de∣grees become yellowish; (geelachtich, a Dutch word;) continue the same degree, and by little and little it will become Red; and in the space of two Months, a most perfect Red; then take it off from the Furnace, and in a naked Fire calcine it; then is it a general Medicine for the Body of Man-kind, the which if you so please, you may augment both in quantity and quality. Thus putting its equal weight of the same Mercury, (of which you began the Work) made per∣fect, as aforesaid (which is a work of three days,) and so you may continue until you have enough, or as much as you please, and all this shall be true Medicine for Hu∣mane Bodies; till the proje∣ction or fermentation be made upon the Body of Sol; then it will serve only for the Metals. And first you shall make the brittle Sol, as be∣fore you made the brittle Luna; so will it be a Medi∣cine for Sol: you may pro∣ject one part of this Medi∣cine, upon fifty parts of fine Luna; and it will be all fine Sol: but you may multiply it to Infinity: I my self have only seen it to fifty: the which I attest to be true, un∣der the Silence Philosophical, the which I have here freely given Thee by the Faith of a Christian.