The third preparation of Lunar Tincture.

WEE have received in this third Tincture to give a place to the description of the Amalgamatory calcination of Silver, for avoiding of unnecessary repetitions, and that also the Artist may better conceive under one Tenor the operation of this last processe upon Lune. Take then very fine Silver in leaves, and heat it moderately in a Crucible on burning or kindled coals, ha∣ving at the same time as much weight as the Silver is of running Mercury in another Crucible, which heat also until it begins to smoak, then join both these together, and stir them well until they be reduced to a well incorporated Amalgame and something unctuous; to which add a fourth part of its weight of well de∣siccated common salt, and having put it in the Crucible again, give it a gradual circulatory fire, encreasing it by little and little until Page  154all the Mercury be vapoured away; then the Crucible being cold, grind the matter remaining in it on a Marble stone, and wash it with distilled Rain-water to separate the saltness thereof, and dry the calx remaining after Lotion; weigh and put it in a Matrass, and pour on it three times its weight of spirit of Niter, digesting them together to a full dissolution, then pour this liquor into a small Cucurbite, and draw off the Menstruum again in ashes to a dry bottom: then pour on it distilled Rain-water, and draw it off again by distillation, and thus reiterate with new water, until the calx of Lune hath altogether lost that acrimony which it had con∣tracted by its Dissolvent: that done, and the calx being very dry, put it in a Matrass, and pour upon it spirit of ♀. Venus or Copper four fingers high, and put it to digest and extract in ashes in a slow heat; and note, that your Matrass must be stopt with a Blindhead, and well luted by reason of the nimbleness and subtility of the Spi∣rit; let it thus remain in digestion during the space of 15 dayes without discontinuing the heat, then filtrate the Tincture which will be blew; and go on in this digestion and extraction until the Menstruum takes no more of the colour, and all the Tinctures be∣ing drawn and filtrated, put them in B.M. in a Cucurbite, to draw off again the Menstruum to the consistency of a thick Syrup, upon which pour of the spirit of Wine acuated with the sixteenth part of its weight of volatile salt of Urine, and put a Blindhead upon your Cucurbite, and having luted it very exactly place it in a vapo∣rous Bath, & give it a very slow and moderate heat during the space of three weeks; and the spirit will take a very pleasant blew colour, by the extraction it makes of the centrinal sulphur of Lune; this done, filtrate the Tincture, in case any impurity hath gathered to a head, then draw off again the two thirds of the Menstruum in B.M. in a very gentle heat, and there will remain a true Antiepileptical Essence, and the true Specifick against all maladies of the Brain, by us already related: The Dosis must be from j. drop to viij. and x. in the Flower of Lime-tree-water, or an Emulsion made with the same water, and Piony seeds or some other Vehicle appropriated to the Disease, and taste of the Patient.