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 first Tincture of Sulphur or Brimstone.

THe Artist having made the plain Balsom of Brimstone, and this Balsom being well impregnated with the internal red∣nesse of the Sulphur, he must put it in a glasse Cucurbite, and pour upon it twice as much distilled Rain-water, then place the Vessel in B. M. and draw off the spirit thereof by distillation, and the aethereal spirit or oyle of the aethereal Turpentine will leave the sulphur which it had extracted and ascend with the water, and the true Balsom of Sulphur shall remain in the bottome of the Cucurbite; which may be given from j. drop to viij. in all diseases wherin the plain Balsom doth conduce, for this is more efficacious. And to make the better the true Tincture thereof, pour upon that which remaines in the Cucurbite very well alkoholized spirit of Wine four fingers high, then cover it with its Blindhead, and ha∣ving luted them together with bladder and white of Egges, put it to digest and extract in the vaporous Balneo, until the spirit of Wine be tinged with a very high colour; then draw it off and put new in the place, and thus proceed until the spirit will take no more colour; then filtrate all the Tinctures, and distil in B. M. till the two third parts be distilled away. They that will add ℥ ij. of good Saffron, in a knot at the last distillation, will encrease very much the vertue of this Tincture, and so shall the Artist be free to make yet some other additions according to his skil and judgement, and as he shall intend it for some peculiar use; But it is very neces∣sary

to have it plain, because some other thing can still be added there according to the exigency and several natures and conditi∣ons of diseases. This Tincture is more soveraign yet then the Balsoms, because it is more open and more exalted by the help of the spirit of Wine, which is the Menstruum more analogous and conformable to our natural spirits: which causes it to drive and make those Remedies which it hath volatiliz'd to penetrate into the ultimate digestions. Wherefore it may be us'd for inter∣nal diseases with a quite different successe then that which Balsoms can produce; it may be administred from ij. drops to x. in wine impregnated with the vertue of Juniper berries, new laid Eggs, or some Pectoral or Alexiterial Syrup.