To prepare the Tincture of Tartar.

℞ lb j. of salt ☿, very pure, and having placed it in a Ger∣man Crucible, which best resists the fire of a violent melting heat, put your Crucible in a Wind-furnace upon an earthen foot or brick; cover it with a cover made for the purpose, and fill up all over the Furnace with coals, and the fire being kindled, open the doors of the Wind-furnace successfully one after another, and place the Pipes or wind-drawers above the roof or vault of the Furnace, that the fire may be concentrated to melt the better this Salt, which requires a more violent and stronger heat then Gold: and when you shall perceive that the salt is fully melted, and flows as water amidst the flames, take away the cover and continue the fire until it has got a blewish colour, and begins also to grow red and greenish: for then is it a true sign that the internal sulphur of this admirable Salt is opened, and as it were drawn from its center by the extremity of the fires action; and therefere must you often take a tryal with an Iron Spatula or Slice well cleansed and dry, of the colour of the Salt; because if there did remain the least moisture in it, it would cause the salt to flye and break the Crucible, you must then be very careful to heat the slice before you put it in the melted salt; Then assoon as the Artist shall perceive by the colour, that the salt is sufficiently opened, let him throw it in a brazen Morter both warm and clean; otherwise the extream heat of the melted salt would crack it, and being coagulated beat the Masse into Pouder with a hot Pestle; and put the Pouder also in a heated and dry Matraff, and pour upon by little and little Al∣kohol of Wine, until it has attained to the height of four fingers above the Salt, and cover the Matraff with another smaller, the neck whereof may be inserted in the biggest about three inches: well lute the Joynts with a Swines bladder dipt in white of Eggs, and place your Matraff in his capsula upon sand already heated, and raise the fire gradually until the spirit of Wine begins to boyl; con∣tinue the fire in the same pitch three or four dayes, and the spirit of Wine shall come forth with an oriental Ruby-colour and yield Page  30a pleasant and fragrant smell, like unto that of the flowred Vine: filtrate the Liquor and put in other in the room, and so continue till the Alkohol of Wine colours no longer; put all the filtrated Tinctures into a Cucurbit, and draw off again three parts of the Menstruum, and the remainder shall be a real and true tincture of the first salt of Tartar; the colour whereof proceeds from the internal sulphur of the said Salt, which doth communicate unto it very great and efficacious Vertues against several obstinate and as it were desperate Diseases: For this Tincture strengtheneth all the natural faculties, and sets them again in the just and true exe∣cution of their functions, whereof the malignitie & length of the disease had made them swerve: for it keeps the body soluble, provokes urine and sweat in great abundance; therefore its con∣tinued use doth wonderfully operate in all melancholick affecti∣ons, hydocondrical and scorbutical diseases, Dropsies, and gene∣rally all obstructions of the Liver, Spleen, Mesentery, Pancreas and Meseraick veines: above all, it shews its vertue and its strength upon the bodies of those whose blood is infected in the Masse with Venerean impurities: for it doth not only strengthen the vital and animal faculties, which the venom of those impu∣rities seises upon and destroyes by degres, but it hinders also the progress thereof, and rectifies the Masse, the masse of the blood, and frees it from those impure and noxious serosities which cause all ill symptomes and effects of this desperate and fil∣thy Disease; it must be used for the most part during the space of a Philosophical moneth, which is forty dayes: The Dosis from iiij. to xx. drops in Broth, Wine or some con∣venient Decoction appropriated to the malady: But you must have a care above all things, not to mingle it with acid Liquors, because they would kill the volatile part thereof, by which the best effects are produced.