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.

How to prepare the Spirit, Oyl, and Volatile Salt of Harts-horn.

TAke of Harts-horn with its requisite conditions, as much as you think fit, saw it by round pieces of the thick∣ness of two Crowns, fill with it a Glass Cucurbit or Retort well Luted, and put it in a close Reverberatory to open fire, which graduate untill the drops begin to follow one another in the Recipient well Luted with a wet Bladder, and fall no faster then you may reckon Four between the interval of each drop falling; then continue and direct the fire upon the same equality and rule, untill the drops begin to cease; then remove your

Receiver, and empty it, then put it again, and lute it with good salted Lute S. A. and encrease the fire by a degree, untill the Oyl doth begin to distill, with some little remainder of the Spirit, and the Volatile Salt will gather it self by degrees, and stick to the neck of the Retort, and thence pass in the form of a Vapour in the body of the Recipient, where it shall stick to the side in the figure and form of Stags-horns, and branches of Trees, when they are loaden with hoar-frost or snow; which is an Operation very pleasing to the sight; for, of this Volatile Salt some part also under the shape of snow, doth fall into the bot∣tom of the Recipient, and joyns it self to the Spirit which is under the Oyl. Then continue the last degree of fire, untill nothing more cometh out, and the Recipient begins to appear without vapours.

But it is not enough to have extracted out of Harts-horn these several Substances, but the Artist must be taught besides how to rectifie them, both to take away as much as is possible the Empy∣reuma thereof, as to separate its grosseness; And to begin with the first extracted Substance, which is the Spirit, it must be rectified in Ashes, with gentle and soft fire, in a Glass Retort, wherein you have put sawings or scrapings of Harts-horn three or four fingers high, and so shall the Spirit come forth fair, clear, depurated and deprived of the greatest part of its ill odour: The first drawn is to be preferred to the last; because it is a Volatile Spirit, whose nature it is to ascend first still; the remainder must be cast away, as unusefull and unserviceable, but the rectified Spirit is to be choysely kept in a Glass Viol of a narrow neck, very well stopt.

It is an excellent remedy either inwardly or outwardly apply∣ed: for it purifies and cleanses the whole mass of the Blood, of its serous superfluities by Urines and by Sweat, as also by insensible Transpiration; therefore it is a true Specifick against Scurvey, the Pox, and all other Diseases proceeding from alteration of blood. Finally, this Volatile Spirit may worthily be substituted to that which is or may be extracted from all the parts of other Animals, and to be an excellent remedy to all the same purposes as the others formerly mentioned. But outwardly applyed, it is also of a marvailous use; for it cleanses wonderfully all malignant,

corrosive, cancerous, or fistulous Ulcers, if they be washed with it, or if it be injected with a Springe. It serves also for fresh wounds, caused either by fire, sword, or otherwise, preventing all dangerous accidents; it is friendly to Nature, and helps her to the re-union of separated parts, whose intention being not to cause suppuration, or a colliquation of the flesh and adjacent parts, so doth this Spirit hinder the same: But note also, that you must give it inwardly at the same time, from six drops to twelve, in vulnerary potions, or the Patients ordinary drink. To be short, this Spirit is nothing else but a Volatile Salt turned to Liquor, as the Volatile Salt reciprocally a Spirit compacted and condensated; whence it comes to pass, that they may indiffe∣rently be administred to the same purpose, except that the Dosis of the Volatile Salt, must be something less then that of the Spirit; so that the vertues attributed to the one, may be said also to be proper to the other.

We have no other observation to impart, for the rectifying of the Volatile Salt and Oyl, but that the Operation must be per∣formed in a Retort, upon scrapings of Harts-horn, and with the fame circumstances for regulating the fire. So shall you have a fair, clear, and Ruby-red Oyl, swimming over the Volatile Salt passed into the Recipient, or sublimated to the neck of the Glass, the Salt must be dissolved with its proper rectified Spirit, by a dissolution made in the vaporous heat of lukewarm water, to se∣parate it from the Oyl: This dissolution is to be filtrated through Paper, which must be moystened by the Spirit before you pour any thing into it, and you shall have the Oyl by it self, and the Salt in its proper Spirit, which thereby is so much bettered, and keeps thus better then alone, unless it be stayed and fixed, as we shall direct to do hereafter. To this end put the dissolution of the Salt and Spirit in a Cucurbit in Balneo to distill again the Spirit, and sublimate the Salt in the head, or if you please in a Retort: It is almost impossible to preserve this Salt, so penetra∣tive and subtile it is, therefore it must be stayed in the following manner. Take the round pieces which were left in the bottom, after the distillation performed, being very black, calcine them in open fire to whiteness, reduce one part to powder, which mix with equal weight of its Volatile Salt, and sublime together,

and so begin afresh with new Harts-horn calcined to whiteness re-iterating four or five times, and thus shall you have a volatile Salt fixed, which you may keep, transport or send with less dan∣ger then the Spirit: nevertheless, it is my counsel to use rather Spirit, filled, and as it were saturated with volatile Salt, to all the ends and purposes to be declared hereafter.

This Remedy might truly be called a Panacea, or Ʋniversal Me∣dicine, considering the wonderful effects it is apt to produce; for it is soverain against Epilepsie, Apoplexy, Lethargy, & generally against all Diseases, whose spring and original is ascribed unto the Brain: It takes away all obstructions of Liver, Spleen, Mesentery, and Pancreas; resists all Venoms, Pestilence, and all kinds of Fevers, or aguish distempers, none excepted. It clenses the Kidneys and Bladder from all slimy substances, which are the cause and original of Stones; corrects all defects of the Ventricle, and pe∣culiarly indigestions, which occasions an ill breath: it is a speci∣fical remedy for the Lungs, if it be digested with the Milk of Sul∣phur. It allayes the immoderate loosness of the Belly, and the womans purgations, because it evacuates superfluous serosities, which are the cause thereof: but, that which seemeth more in∣conceivable and wonderful, is, that it opens also the Belly when bound, and provokes Monthly Purgations, restoring all the fun∣ctions of Nature in their former estate, and removes all gross and terrestrious matters, which did hinder their effect. I make no doubt, but I shall appear ridiculous to all them which do not understand the sphere of activity of Volatile Salts: but I know likewise, that those who know with me, that this Salt is the last cover, and cloak as it were, of Spirit and Light, shall not find it strange, that I should attribute so many noble effects, to this ad∣mirable Remedy. But I will yet unfold and open more this Mystery, as much as lies in me, by a description of what dayly is done in our Kitchings, in the preparation of meats, both for healthy and sick people. Is it not unknown to all, that no Cook can make either a Bisk or good Bagon, without making use of the Broth, gravy, and juyces of the best kinds of meat; now it is only by their Volatile Salt, variously disposed and mixt, that the pleasure and tickling which affects our taste, is communicated to the Palate. Are there not also Jelleys, strong Broths, and Juyces

of boyled Meats prepared for the sick, whereof the material and earthly dregs and superfluities are thrown away, being deprived of that Salt, which remains in the Jelleys; and is the only prin∣ciple of congelation: they are exhibited to weak and crasie bo∣dies, that their Stomack might sooner turn these aliments to the substance of the parts by the easiness of digestion. The same doth our Artist in the preparation of the Volatile Salts, which are capable to show suddenly their Vertues, in that they soon penetrate all the parts of our bodies, and carry along with them that wonderful efficacy which we have attributed them. And do we not see, that both the ancient and modern Physick, hath ever prescribed Harts-horn as a necessary ingredient amongst her Cordials, hath in very great esteem the bone of a Stags-heart, and that the shops dayly prepare Harts-horn Jelley, rather to streng∣then the Patient, then to nourish him. But we leave all this to the Touch-stone of Experience, which is the true ground of all our fore-going Ratiocinations.