Four books of Johannes Segerus Weidenfeld concerning the secrets of the adepts, or, of the use of Lully's spirit of wine : a practical work, with very great study collected out of the ancient as well as modern fathers of adept philosophy : reconciled together by comparing them one with another, otherwise disagreeing, and in the newest method so aptly digested, that even young practitioners may be able to discern the counterfeit or sophistical preparations of animals, vegetables and minerals, whether for medicines or metals, from true, and so avoid vagabound imposters, and imaginary processes, together with the ruine of estates.

38. The Circulatum majus of Guido. Pag. 4. Thesauri Chym.

TAke of the Spirit of (Philosophical) Wine six Ounces, of the Salt of (the same) Wine four Ounces, the Vessel be∣ing well stopp'd, distil the Spirit in Balneo, which pour back upon the Salt of Wine, and again distil, and this ought to be done twelve times: then distil for a Month in Balneo roxido: Putrefaction being done, take out the matter and distil in a Cu∣curbit, with an Alembick of two Heads or Beaks, in Balneo, and the Spirit of Wine will ascend through the upper Beak into its Receiver, but the Phlegm through the lower into its Vessel: Take out the Salt of Wine, pour one half of the Spirit of Wine to it, and distil with a Retort into the other part of the Wine, distil yet once upon the remainder, and all the Salt will ascend into a strong Menstruum: But if you desire a weaker, add six (other) Ounces of the Spirit of Wine, and if you would have it very weak, pour to it a greater quantity of Spirit, but accord∣ing to the aforesaid weight, it is made our great Vegetable Men∣struum, or Circulatum majus.

Annotations.

HItherto of Simple Vegetable Menstruums; now follow those which are said to be compounded, not as if they are compound∣ed of more Ingredients, but because they are stronger than the Sim∣ple, as well in their qualities of dissolving, as tinging: The Menstru∣ums

of this Kind differ not from the former in matter, nor in the method of preparing, but in weight only; for the more aridity you add to the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine, the stronger are the Menstruums made. Guido made his less Circulatum of one part of the Salt of Wine, and four parts of the Spirit of Wine; but the greater Circulatum he makes of two parts of the Salt of Wine, and three parts of the Spirit of Wine. The greater quantity of the Salt, the stronger is the Circulatum. The less Circulatums do extract the Essences, or Tinctures of things, but the greater Circulatums do dissolve the whole Body into a Magistery, as will appear in the second Book.

Vegetable Menstruums compounded are made also, if the simple Vegetable Menstruums be taken instead of the Spirit of Philosophi∣cal Wine, in the Descriptions of them all; as thus: