To prepare the Sugar or Salt of ♄.

℞ lb ss. of Minium; and as much of Lytharg, reduce it to a subtile powder, and put it in a Cucurbite of stone or glasse Me∣tal, and pour thereon very good distilled vinegar, four or five inches high, then place the Cucurbite in sand, and give a suffi∣cient fire to cause the vinegar to boyl; but note, that you must continually stir the matter with a wooden Slice as soon as you have put in the vinegar, or otherwise it will too soon settle in the bottom of the Vessel, and grow into a hard stony and com∣pacted masse, which cannot be well distempered afterwards, and will stop the pores of the bottom of the Vessel, which will occa∣sion the breaking of it by the action of the heat finding the free passage stopt. These Calx's of Saturn must be kept boyling 8 or 10 houres, renewing still distilled warm vinegar, as the first does vapour away; then filtrate all the dissoved matter warm, and lay aside a fourth part of the filtrated liquor, which is called liquor of ♄. But pour the remainer in a Tin Scillet or Bason, and put in a Page  186cold place the space of 24 houres, and you shall finde all this li∣quor almost changed into a white chrystalline Salt, which at first is sweet in taste, and of a vitriolick sharpnesse at last; the super∣fluous liquor decant by inclination, and evaporate to half the con∣sumption, and put it also in Tin to shute into Chrystals, thus con∣tinuing until it yields no more Chrystals; mix the remainder with the liquor set apart before, if it be clean; if nor, run it through a linnen, and mix and digest together to unite them the better; dry afterwards between a double paper the salt of ♄ in a temperate heat, and keep it for use. If the reason be asked, why we cause the dissolution of Lead to be put in a Tin Bason; We answer, because this Metal hath in it self a sharp coagulating, Spirit, which causes all the matter which is fit to shute into Chry∣stals in this liquor, to turn sooner, and take body better then it would do in another Vessel, as experience will teach those that shall make proof thereof.

It is a very strange thing that all Antient Authors, and even the most part of Modern, have so much equivocated upon the vertue of this Salt of Saturn; for they will have it to be cold inwardly taken, and to hinder the act of generation, and yet do attribute to the Spirit which is drawn from this salt by distil∣lation, an active, subtile and penetrative vertue, which drives a∣way by sweats the malignancy of pestilential and venomous Dis∣eases; and affirm moreover, that it is a specifick against the Nea∣politan Disease, which are things repugnant and dissonant to Rea∣son; but all this mistake and confusion proceeds only from that Antient Authors have unn•nimoufly delivered, that Lead was very terrestrious and consequently cold; moreover, Vinegar is an Ingredient of its preparation, which is also cold according to their saying; but, both they and Modern Artists should have con∣sidered that Lead is a metal that hath much Sulphur, and is called Aurum Leprosum leprous gold, and though very unripe and earthly, yet it is never without some portion in it self of the two noblest Metals, indivisibly mixt in the Chaotical (if I may so say) and undigested matter of Lead, which gives and communicates unto it much vertue; it must also be remembred, that the external fire imployed in the calcination of ♄, doth potently stir up its internal fire, which concocts and digests all the unripenesse or Page  187pretended immaturities, driving away what is there of impu∣rity, and exalting and perfecting more and more the seeds of that purity which are enclosed in it: which makes me to pro∣nounce boldly, that the salt of Saturn is a very good Medicine against all Agues, either continual or intermittent; it is also a specifick in diseases of the Spleen, and all vapours arising from it; it may also be given against diseases of the Breast, dissolved in juice of Scabious water with equal weight of purified Niter; the Chrystals are very good against Asthma's or short breath. The Dosis of salt of ♄ is from ij. to xx. gr. in appropriated Liquors, or in Bolus in some Conserve or Jelly. The Nitrous salt of ♄ is from iiij. gr. to ʒ s. but if the said salt is so efficacious for internal Diseases, it is no less for external; for this wonderful metallick Mummy cannot enough be esteemed, this Balsam and sweet Salt which kills all corrosive, harsh and biting salts, which cause the pains of Wounds and Ulcers, whereby the grief and in∣flammation of the parts is excited, and from which flow all other accidents; it resolves and mollifies hard and schirrous Tumours, takes away the ill-favour'd colour and lividity of bruises and con∣tusions, and hinders extravasated blood from turning to corrup∣tion, and coming to suppuration; it is an imparalleld Remedy to take away the itching and inflammation of the eyes, it is mixt in all Salves, Liniments, Plaisters and Collyries, by reason of the noble effects it uses to produce.