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.

Tincture of Mercury, which is called The Sulphur thereof.

℞ j. p. of red Precipitate made with spirit of Niter, bray it in a Mortar, with ij. p. of desiccated salt, and iij. p. of Vitriol desiccated also to whitenesse; put this mixture in a Matrass, and sublime it in sand, with a strong and violent fire towards the end. Put this sublimate in a double or digesting Vessel, pouring upon it good distilled Vinegar four fingers high, cover it with its Blind∣head, and put it in ashes to digest the space of three weeks, and the Vinegar will take a yellow▪ Tincture; this draw off by de∣canting the Vessel, and put new vinegar in the place; and thus pro∣ceed extracting and digesting with new Menstruum, until it takes colour no more. Filtrate all these Tinctures, and pour them in a Cucurbite, which place in sand, and by distillation draw off all the Liquor to a dry bottom, and in the bottom of the Cucurbite you shall finde the sulphur of Mercury in a red powder, which keep in a glass Viol for use. Paracelsus gives very great Elogiums and commendations to this Sulphur, and attributes unto it the vertue of curing the Gout, Epilepsie, and the great Pocks radi∣cally, and without any fear of relapse; the sensible effects thereof are Urines and Sweats; otherwise it works by a gentle, natural and

insensible transpiration. The Dosis may be from j. gr. to iij. in some Conserve or Cordial Confection, or even in Extract of Juniper.

Though we have already warned before all Chymical Artists in the Theorical part of this Treatise, not to make any use of Chymical Remedies, unlesse they have prepared them themselves, or be very well acquainted with, and dare trust to the experi∣ence, knowledge and conscience of those from whose hands they will take them. We think our selves neverthelesse yet obliged to say somewhat more of this matter here, chiefly by reason of those pernicious accidents we have seen to happen to several persons of all conditions, for having trusted and having admitted Mercurial Remedies not rightly prepared: it is therefore much safer to ab∣stain from their use and administration, then to hazard a repent∣ing for all your life, either in your own person, or of those which you shall expose to danger and torment by an ill prepared and dangerous Remedy, which makes me to advise and counsel those, that are not yet sufficiently instructed in the Theorical and practical part of Chymistry, not to venture upon the pre∣paration of the great Mercurial Remedies, until they have at∣tained to a sufficient and exact knowledge of the materials they are to handle and work upon; and to a happy and long expe∣rience of the goodnesse of Remedies by them prepared: and since we have the injunction of our great Master Hippocrates, to make our experiments upon a vile subject, even in trying the vertue of a Root or a Plant: how much more are we to be cir∣cumspect, when we go about to use Remedies extracted from Metals or Minerals, when their vertue and activity is not yet come fully to our discovery and knowledge. Here then must we pro∣ceed warily, and sound the depth before we enter this Foord, lest we forfeit our Reputation, and endanger the life of the Patient. For although the Processes and Operations seem to be plainly delivered and easie enough to practice, yet the ill choyce of materials, the action of the fire, the want of Vessels, some mis∣take or inadvertency, some neglect or impatience of the Artist familiar enough to the French Nation; do very much alter the nature of things, and imprints in it new faculties, and quite dif∣ferent from those we do expect. Let then every body work with

knowledge, prudence and circumspection, with conscience and very long patience, if they will attain to the possession of those great Remedies, which Mercury and Antimony, of which last we are now to treat of, do yield.