Of the Tincture of Coral.

THere is nothing so common in the Mouths and Writings of Chymical Artists as Tincture of Coral, and scarce any that hath medled with the Art, but pretends to have the surest processe and way of making it, and moreover to have wrought miracles therewith; but there is a vast difference between words and deeds: for it is easie to speak boastingly, but hard to prove this truth by re∣ality. Now as all Authors, but chiefly Paracelsus, do attribute to this Remedy extraordinary Vertues, so is it very fitting to be pre∣pared against the Delusions and surprisal of those who pretend to the Art of making of it, and who keep it as a particular knowledge and select to themselves, being not willing to impart so much as the manner of their preparation and extraction, much less the matter out of which they take their Menstruum, whereof they make use in the drawing of this Tincture. The truth is, it is not without grounds we may suspect their capacity; for they that Page  110boast themselves with the knowledge of making this Tincture, are oftentimes altogether ignorant what Tincture is, or what Men∣struum. Let then all those that will atrain to the truth of it know, that the greatest part of these pretended Tinctures, are nothing else but dissolutions of the body of Coral if it be whole and with∣out previous Calcination; or the only exaltation and rubifica∣tion of the Menstruum employed about the Coral calcined by a simple Reverberation, or with addition of some salts; for calci∣nated and Reverberated salts communicate themselves to the Li∣quors used for Extraction, and so do exalt and colour with red the volatile salt of the Menstruum, by which the most part of those which hitherto have believed to have made the true Tincture of Coral are deceived; But the truth is easily discovered by preci∣pitating or evaporating of the same; for by these two actions the salt or body of the Coral is discovered, which was before invisibly dispersed through the Menstruum. Now the Tincture of Coral must be free from all these mistakes; it must be pure, it must be simple, not loaded with any other substance or body, because the internal sulphurs of things have a great irradiation and large ex∣tent in their vertue, but scarce are comprehensible and brought un∣der the senses by their corporeity. Moreover, the first or second Menstruum's which are employ'd, must not be capable of them∣selves to contract any colour, though long kept in digestion with∣out addition of any other mixture. Our Artist being sure and well resolved in all these particulars, if with these precautions he draws any Tincture from Coral, he may be very confident it is true, and that it shall produce those effects which Authors do at∣tribute unto it. I can give no better nor more Philosophical de∣scription thereof then that which follows.