℞ the true Capillary, Hysop, Thyme, Origan, Germander, Ground-Ivy; Spleen-wort, Angelica root, Annis, Fennel, and Herb-William seeds, shred the Plants & Roots, and beat to Pow∣der the Seeds grosly; place all in a Cucurbite in B. M. with lb ij. water, and ℥ iiij. juyce or infusion of Roses, as much of Violets, and ℥ i. distilled Vinegar, cover the Cucurbit with its Limbeck-head, and draw of lb ss. of a spirituous and odoriferous water, Page  222which preserve. Add to this first decoction Bugloss, Dadder, Grains of Alkakengi, Liquorish Roots, Fennel, Asparagus, Poly∣pody of the Oak, Tamarisk rind, Seed of Carthamy, and Raisins mundified, and add lb iij. of water more, boyl all to the con∣sumption of a third or half; percolate and express the remainder of the Ingredients. Clarifie this decoction with whites of Eggs, and infuse in a slow warmth in this clarified decoction the Senne, Agarick in Trochisks, Rhubarb and Ginger, during, the space of 24 hours, after which you shall let it boyl a little together, and then percolate; keep the colature by it self, and let boyl once more the Purgative Species in lib. i. new common water, to extract all the remaining vertue; percolate and express this last decoction, which joyn to the first extraction of your Purgarives, and clarifie and concoct to the consistency of an Electuary with lib. ij. Sugar in Powder. After which, you shall bring your Syrup to a due consi∣stency with the spirituous and aromatical water which you have drawn by distillation. In this manner shall you have a Purgative compounded Syrup, very pleasing, and full of the vertue of all its ingredients, and which for many years will keep without alterati∣on; provided it be kept as all other Syrups, in a moderate place, neither hot nor cold; because from these two qualities, for the most part, proceeds the cause of fermentation, whereby they be∣come sharp and acide, or from gathering of mother and ranckness, which doth corrupt and spoil them.

Thus much had we to say upon the subject of Plants; and these are the notes we thought necessary to observe, for such as wil make good distilled waters and Syrups. What we have said, is sufficient to teach well, not only what is useful to these two Preparations: but may be also with great reason observed and made use of, to prepare all macerations, infusions, decoctions, digestions and ebul∣litions, of whatsoever the Physitians prescribe to Apothecaries for Apogems, Juleps, Potions, and other Preparations prescribed for the good of the Patient: And I know, that after Apotheca∣ries have known what useful substance may by the action of heat be evaporated, they will study to preserve it the more, to advance in all things the good of their Neighbour, the discharge of their Conscience, and the honour and credit of Pharmacy: and more∣over, they will know, that they could not receive these lights Page  223from any where else, but the Precepts of Chymistry.

Now having thus given a general Idea of Integral Vegetables, and their constitutive parts, of what is fixt in them, and what vo∣latile; and having given the necessary Notes, whereby a Chymi∣cal Artist may lose nothing of what he ought to preserve: it is time to come to the part which Nature and Art do furnish us with, in this ample family, and that we give a Section to each of the 14 subalternate Species, which are extracted from the principal Vegetable kind: that the example we shall give of Chymical Ope∣rations, which must be performed upon the same species of that subalternate gender, may be as a guide and beacon, whereby the Artist may be directed to operate upon all other species that are of a like nature.

These subalternate kinds, as already we have said, are Roots, Leaves, Flowers, Fruits, Seeds, Rinds, Woods, Grains or Bays, Juyces, Oyls, distilled Sap, Rosins, Gum-Rosins, and other Gums. We will afford a Section to each of these kinds in particular, that if these kinds, though subalternate in themselves, have yet some other subordinated to them, we may nevertheless subdivide them, to give by this means, so much the more light to the Artist, be∣cause there is often a variety and differen•e found between the parts of the same kind, which by consequence require a different Operation. We will begin by the Roots.