℞ ℥ ij. ss. of fine and subtile Cinamon. i. e. of a penetrating and biting taste, make it into gross Powder, and digest it with lib. ij. of good Cinamon Water, by the space of 24 hours in a Glass Cucurbite in a warm place; the Vessel being so well stopt, that nothing may transpire; then strain and express it, and put again ℥ ij. ss. more of new Cinamon in infusion, as long as the first, which keep also; and thus continue and reiterate the same operation four times; keep this infusion impregnated with the vertues of the Cinamon by it self; then take the Cinamon remaining after the expressions, and infuse upon it lib. i. of Malmsey, or some other Wine strong and generous; then extract all the Liquor by a strong expression, and joyn it to the preceding infusion, with ℥ ij. of ve∣ry odoriferous Rose-water, and lib. i. of Sugar, and boyl them toge∣ther in a well covered Pot, to the consistency of a Syrup.

I know there is none so little acquainted with Cinamon and the parts which administer and contain its vertue, as also of other A∣romatical Substances, but chiefly, that of Cloves; who doth not admire, and pitty this ridiculous and simple description, of one of the noblest and most excellent Syrups which an Apothecary can prepare or keep his shop furnished with, and which all the Authors of it do destinate to the refreshment and repairing of vital Spirits; to retrive the vital heat, and restore it to the Heart and Stomack, when driven away from it by some mortal cold; Page  203correcting also the ill breath of the Mouth, and the corruption of the Ventricle; to help digestion; and finally, to repair and pre∣serve all the strength of the body. I know, I say, that none never so little verst in the Art of distilling, and extracting the aethereal substance of aromatical bodies, but particularly of Cinamon, can∣not, but have an aversion to so defective a prescription, taken from a Dispensatory wherein so many grave Doctors have had a hand. All the vertues attributed to the Syrup of Cinamon are real and true, provided they be preserved: But let us, I beseech you, examine a little, with what fine and judicious precaution, the Authors of this prescription have laboured to do it. They ordain to the Apothecary to boyl this Syrup in an earthen Pot exactly stopped; but consider, that at the same time they prescribe the stopping of the Vessel, they would have the contained mat∣ter to be boyled to a consistency of Syrup, which cannot be done, but by the slow evaporation of the superfluous liquor, or by its ebullition. If then the cover of the Pot hath an edge inlaid in the other, and so just and exactly fitted and shut up, and the Joynts so well luted, that nothing can transpire, the Artist or Apothecary shall never attain their end, which is to make a Sy∣rup, according as they are prescribed to do, since there will be a perpetual circulation of vapours from the bottom to the top; for what shall rise from the bottom shall condense in the top of the cover, and thence fall back again, without any hopes to attain this way to the conslency of a Syrup. There must then of necessity be some exspiration, and even some ebullition, to consume lb ij. ss of superfluous and super-abounding liquor, where∣by to give a body and consistency to the Syrup. Now, would it not be a very great damage, and a considerable loss, to let eva∣porate and fly away in the Air lb ij. ss. and more of a spirituous Water, of a very fragrant smell, very pleasant taste & great efficacy. Yet these erroneous processes and operations can only be cor∣rected by the help of Chymistry, since it is by her means we come to know, that Cinamon possesses in it self, as all other aromatical bodies, a volatile sulphureous Salt, so subtile, that the least heat is capable to extract it and drive it away, if the Ar∣tist doth not observe to stop with a great exactness, as he ought to do, not only the joynts of the Limbeck, but also of the nose Page  204wherein it joyns with the mouth of the Recipient, otherwise he shall lose the most subtile and efficacious part of the saline Spirit of the Cinamon, accompanyed with that of the Malmsey, or whatsoever other Wine, the Artist doth make use of.

Let us now prosecute to demonstrate the extreme impertinency of this description, by adding ℥ ij. of good Rose-water upon ℥ x. of Cinamon, and lib. ij. of good Water of Cinamon, and lib. i. of Malmsey; and that which is yet more ridiculous, is, that the odour of this Water must vanish away with the subtile and vo∣latile part of the other. But it may be objected to this, That Sugar, which is a vegetable Salt, of a median nature between fix and volatile, shall be capable to fix and detain by it self the volatile Salt of Cinamon; and so without reason do we inveigh against this Syrup, since this uniting mean is capable to preserve the vertue of what enters in its composition. But though, this argument seem to be full of strength, and even hath very much in it, we will nevertheless illustrate the truth without destroying the same, and that by the following distin∣ction. We do then distinguish between warm Sugar, and be∣tween Sugar cold; for we confess indeed, that Sugar reduced to a subtle Powder, is capable to receive in it self the aethereal Oyls of aromatical Substances, and also all other distilled Oyls, that it is even capable to unite them, and mix them indivisibly with the Spirits and Waters, which is none of the least secrets of Chymistry: But we absolutely deny this union and mixture to be possible in warmth, even in the least heat; and so much less by consequent in that heat which is requisite to the boyling of a Syrup, where it is necessary to evaporate above lib. ij. of superfluous liquor. The intention we had to elucidate truth more and more, hath obliged us to deduce this matter so much to the full, and to show evidently the abso∣lute necessity of the intervention of Chymistry, which is the fittest Mistress to teach how truly to operate in all the Prepara∣tions of Pharmacy.