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.

The Sixteenth KIND. Simple Mineral Menstruums made of Philosophical Vinegar, and Vola∣tile Salts, as Common Sal Armo∣niack, Urine, &c. (Book 16)

80. The Oyl of Sal Armoniack of Guido. Pag. 11. Thesaur. Chymiatr.

TAke of the Oyl of Salt (the Menstruum described in Numb. 71.) half a pound, of (Common) Sal Armoniack four ounces. Dissolve the Salt in the Oyl, cohobate the Dissolution three times through an Alembick.

Annotations.

IN the attecedent Kind, the Spirit of Philosophical Wine was dissolved in Acids: Now to make these Oyley-acid Menstru∣ums stronger, the Adepts added to them Salts, that is, Arids dissolved in Acids, and Cristallized. In this present Kind they took Volatile Salts, as being of easier preparation, in the following: fixed Salts, because of stronger virtue. In the Receipt of Guido, there is nothing either difficult or dark, unless you will object against the Ingredients, which cannot be both common, because Guido sub∣limes Gold Philosophically with this Menstruum. Whatsoever also you read in the Books of Practical Chymy, understand always according to the Letter (we need not admonish you to except the Terms of Art) if so, that which is promised in the Preparation

and use may be performed; if not, seek an Analogical sense not in the method and use of preparation, but in the ingredients; according to which Rule either the Oyl of Salt, or Sal Armoniack, or both ought to be Philosophical, because Gold cannot be Philosophically sublimed with Common Menstruums. The Oyl of Salt of Paracelsus, as also the Spirit or Oyl of Salt of Basilius, wherewith he extracts the Sulphur of Sol, do prove the Oyl of Salt to be a Philosophical Menstruum, Cap. 6. de Rebus nat. & supernat.

Probable it is that Guido meant the same Oyl, for otherwise the Name of Oyl had been improperly attributed by a Philosopher to the thin and common Spirit of Salt. But if you think rather that Gui∣do meant the common Spirit of Salt by the Oyl of Salt, you must by Sal Armoniack understand not the common, but Vegetable Sal Har∣moniack (the Spirit of Philosophical Wine dryed with some Salt, and then sublimed) for so you might also make a Menstruum of the same if not of stronger Virtue, a species of the following Eighteenth Kind: But if both the Oyl of Salt and Sal Armoniack be Philoso∣phical, a Menstruum will be from thence produced yet stronger than both the precedent: Here you may deviate from the true and genuine sense of the Receipt, but never from Chymical Truth, so long as you are guided by the Spirit of Philosophical Wine, but here you must have a great care that you do not transmute (as sometimes through inadvertence you may) the false Receipts of deceitful Distillers into true ones; an impossible into a possible; a lye into truth; and a wick∣ed Man into a Philosopher.

Sometimes they impregnated common Sal Armoniack with a Tincture, to make a Menstruum higher, thus:

81. The Water of Sal Armoniack of Isaacus. Cap. 47.2. Oper min. pag. 460. Vol. 3. Theat. Chym.

TAke Sal Armoniack, sublime it with Roman Vitriol, one Pound of Sal Armoniack, to two Pounds of Vitriol, then grind upon a Stone the Faeces, and sublime again, then throw away the Faeces, and sublime again with two Pounds of new Vitriol, do as before, repeating nine times: pulverize the Sal Ar∣moniack, and put the Powder into a Glass, pour upon it distilled Vinegar (Philosophical, or some Menstruum of the Fifteenth Kind)

so as only to be dissolved, and no more, than that the Sal Ar∣moniack may be turned only into Water as yellow as Sol, be∣cause the Sal Armoniack was sublimed by Vitriol, and that pro∣duced the Tincture: And this is that Water of Sal Armoniack, which I promised before to teach you how to make.

From the Receipts we observe:

1. That the Oyl or Essence of Salt becomes a stronger Menstruum by the addition of Volatile Salts.

2. That this ought to be understood also of the Menstruums of the fifteenth precedent Kind.

3. That these Menstruums are the same with the Vegetable Men∣struums of the fourth Kind, excepting only that they have an Acid ad∣ded over and above.

4. That these Menstruums are of most easy preparation, being made by three cohobations only.

5. That it is very difficult for a Man to err, being experienced in the more secret Chymy, for he that understands the practice of this Art, will easily explain the Receipt of every Adept, be it never so ob∣scure, either by the use, or title, or way of preparing; for it is in a manner impossible, not to draw some Light from one or other of the said three, or direction enough to find the same Receipt more clear in the Writings either of the same or some other Adept: And indeed though we sometimes meet with Receipts, which in title, way of pre∣paration, and use, seem to be like the Receipts of vulgar Chymistry, yet a Desciple of our Art will easily determine either for the approbati∣on or reprobation of these Receipts: For there are infallible Signs to distinguish a true from a false Menstruum; this one following shall here suffice: The quality of a good Menstruum is to dissolve Bodies either gently or violently, and make them not only Volatile, but fat also, yea reduce them into a true Oyl either swimming upon, or sinking under watery Liquors. This Attribute of a Menstruum is inconsistent to any common dissolvent, but proper to the Philosophical, and to them alone, being made of the unctuous Spirit of Philosophical Wine, which Spirit alone doth by its permanence make the dry Sulphur of a Metal both thinner and fatter: That Menstruum therefore in the use of which are promised such things, as cannot be performed by com∣mon

Menstruums, may be truly called Philosophical, with a caution or two to be observed.

1. That the Receipt must be of some known and not suspected Au∣thor, not of every smoak-seller, promising great and many things with∣out a Foundation, wherefore every Receipt wanting its Authority, though it may seem like a true one, yet we think ought to be rejected as suspicious.

2. That the Receipt must not be alone, described not in one but di∣vers places by the same Author, or at least most clear in its ingredi∣ents: For the same Names have one signification with one, but ano∣ther with another Adept; so long therefore as it is not known by col∣lateral places, what an Author means by his Matters, such a Man's Receipts we declare uncertain.

3. That the Receipt must import a competent Rule in operating, that is, declare whether Matters are to be volatilized in part or in the whole, but whatsoever are more obscure and concise we lay aside as imperfect.