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.

To make the Tincture of Honey.

THis Tincture is not one of the meanest remedies, extracted out of this Meteor; either by reason of the peculiar vertues of the Mixt, or that of the Menstruum, used to extract the fa∣culties of this Heavenly Manna, much more full of efficacy, then those have imagined which fancy that it is easily converted into Choler; led thereto by that false Axiom of their School, which they take for a granted truth, that Omnia dulcia facilè bilescunt, not apprehending, that these alterations of temper, are not wrought in us by the mixture of humors, but that all is performed by the several fermentations, which have their rise and original in the Ventricle, and that the Leaven or Ferment is either health∣full or sickly, according to the good or evil Idea's, which the spirit of Life hidden in Man, hath conceived. To return then to our matter, we say, that Honey is one of the sublunary sub∣stances that hath more in it self of Universal Spirit, and that none is fitter to be reduced to the nature of that general Agent

of the World, to perform thereby wonderfull remedies in Phy∣sick; sick; provided we preserve in it something of its specification, whereby it may become usefull and sensible.

Choose then the best and purest Honey you can finde, accor∣ding to the notes we have already given, and mix one part of it with 3 p. of the cleanliest and purest Sand you can meet with, beating all together in a Mo••tar, and reducing it to a mass, whereof make pellets of a convenient bigness, to pass through the neck of a Matrass: thus being put in, powre upon spirit of Wine well rectified, and let it rise over the matter three or four fingers; then let another Matrass be inserted in the neck or Orifice of the first, about two fingers deep, and lute the joynts of the two Vessels, with two fillets of Neat or Swines Bladder, dipt in white of Eggs, reduced to water by frequent agitation; (note this manner of luting the joynts or commissures of Vessels, for all the Operations which from henceforth shall be described.) Then tie your Matrass to the Cover of your B. M. and suspend to the vapour, and so digest the Honey with its Monstruum, untill the spirit of Wine be well impregnated, tincted, and loaded, with the internal Sulphur of this Mixt, which the Sp. V. will attract, by reason of the analogy which is between it and this Principle. This being done, leave the Vessels to cool, then open them, and filter the tincture through gray Paper, and having powred it in a small glass Body or Cucurbit covered with its head, luted the joynts very exactly, and adapted a fitting Receiver, draw by distillation half of the Alkohol of Wine, with a very soft heat of the B. M. and the Bath being cooled, open your Vessels, and keep choysely the remaining Tincture, in a glass Viol, with a narrow mouth, and well stopt with Cork first seasoned in melted Wax, to stop the porosities of it, and cover it with a doubled wet Bladder and a Paper, that nothing of the vertue of this Re∣medy may exhale or vapour away, by reason of the great subtilty of its parts, to use when you have occasion.

The use of this tincture is almost heavenly, in all affections of the Breast or Thorax, wherein slimy and viscous serosities, ga∣thered in the hollow or capacity or cavity of it, are the cause: For it hath a subtilizing and dissolving vertue, sufficiently strength∣ning the Patient to expell by spotting, what he findes obstructive

and cumbersome, or to drive away by urine, sweating, or insensible transpiration, which are the noblest and most ordinary effects of such remedies as come neerest to the Universal Medicine. Such rare Medicaments do prove the truth of this celebrated Maxim, that Natura corroborata, est omnium morborum Medicatrix. The The Dosis of this Tincture is from one fourth part of a spoonfull, to a whole, for the more advanced in age; and from five to twen∣ty drops for Children: It may be given alone, or mixt in de∣coctions, or specifical waters appropriated to the disease; as are the waters of Colts-foot flower, the roots of butter-Burre, the white and odoriferous Hore-hound, Juniper berries, and roots of Enula; because all these simples do abound with a penetrating and volatile spirit: it may also be exhibited in broths, or the ordinary drink of the Patient.