A compendious body of chymistry, which will serve as a guide and introduction both for understanding the authors which have treated of the theory of this science in general: and for making the way plain and easie to perform, according to art and method, all operations, which teach the practise of this art, upon animals, vegetables, and minerals, without losing any of the essential vertues contained in them. By N. le Fèbure apothecary in ordinary, and chymical distiller to the King of France, and at present to his Majesty of Great-Britain.

The Chymical preparation of Coral.

AS Coral possesses many singular and noble vertues, so have our Artists in all times sought the possible wayes of opening its body with great variety of Menstruum's, to extract from the center of this mixt the noble Remedies which Nature hath im∣planted in it. I can even say that there is no natural product upon which so many, either vegetable or mineral Liquors have been tryed; and to prove the truth of this Assertion I shall only here rehearse some of the principal, which are all manner of distilled Vinegars, Juices of Berberries, Lemon, Quinces, O∣range, spirit of dew and Honey, acid or sharp spirit of Turpen∣tine, the liquor or Birch-tree, the spirits of Guajacum, Box, Juniper, tops of Alder and Service-tree; spirits of Tartar, Salt, Vitriol, Sulphur or Brimstone, the tempered spirit of Wine acuated with those salts, the burning spirit of Coral it self, the vinegar or acid Spirit of the same, and finally the spirit and phlegm of Saturn; but above all, the most active and efficacious is the spirit of Venus. whereof we have already spoken somewhere else, and will give a description in the Section of Metals.

I have not thought it out of purpose to intimate the variety of these Menstruum's, to make it appear more evidently how many operations have been begun and finisht upon Coral; and that when the Chymical Apothecary shall consult any of the Authors that

have treated or it, and finding so great a difference shall doubt to which part he may best and more safely incline, he may have a guide herein and be conducted through this Labyrinth by the thred of Experience which we our selves have made thereof. Wherefore we will give examples how to extract in the best manner the salt of Coral and false Magistery; then how to make the true which ought to be dissoluble; and in the third place we will give the method of extracting the Tincture thereof, and fi∣nally how the true Syrup is to be made, and that he may have a true and full Idea of the vertues of Coral, and affix it to one of these four Remedies, according to their corporeity, spirituality and their Dosis. We have thought fit to prefix the general and particular vertues, which both Ancient and Modern Writers have attributed to Coral, which are these: The general vertues are to be astringent, cool and dry, strengthen and corroborate the heart, ventricle, liver, and purifie the masse of the blood, whence it is given against the Plague, venoms and malignant Feavers. It chears up the internal senses, as also the external; stops all kind of Fluxes of the Belly, Womb and privy parts. Paracelsus saith, That Coral of a high colour worn about the body as a preservative, frees the party from fear of Witchcraft, Incantation, Poyson, Epilepsie, Melancholy, danger of evil Spirits, or touch of Thun∣der.