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 manner of Extracting from Juniper-berries, all the good and ver∣tue contained in them, for the use of Chymical Pharmacy.

ALthough this Plant be common, it deserves nevertheless no common or mean Eulogies, by reason of those excellent remedies it affords to Physitians by the help and industry of Chy∣mists: for whosoever will consider that shrub with a disquisitive and Philosophical Eye, shall be forced to acknowledge, that it contains some extraordinary vertue, both because it doth resist the injury of Winter, and all its storms; and by reason of the length of time which Nature doth bestow in bringing its Berries to ma∣turation; whence we are necessarily perswaded, that there is in this shrub some intrinsecal Balsom, which doth maintain and preserve the same, and yet hardly and with difficulty shews it self in the fruit; since two re-iterated visits of the Sun are necessary, and the maturation of two years, before the Juniper-berry be fit to be gathered with all its requisite perfections. We shall then Anatomize all the parts which this admirable Plant doth furnish us withall, being thereunto invited by those excellent remedies it doth administer unto us; although we be bound to speak also of other parts then the Seed, which is the proper subject of this Section. We shall then, first of all, speak of the Wood, which doth yield an acid Spirit, an Oyl and a Salt. Secondly, we shall speak of its Berries, which before fermentation do yield a spiritu∣ous Water, an aetherial Oyl, and a cordial and alexiterial Extract; and after fermentation, a hot burning Spirit, a purging and diu∣retical Extract, and then we will teach the Preparation of the true Tincture and Elixir of the Berry, to conclude finally by the Gum; whereof an Oyl for the Sinews, and an anodine Balsom is extracted.

The Juniper-wood must be gathered with its leaves or pricky excrescence, and its Berries, whether ripe or not: and shred or cut in small pieces, so as they may be put in a capacious earthen Retort; which being placed in a close Reverberatory Furnace, the Recipient being fitted with all requisite and necessary pre∣cautions, a gradual fire must be given to it, and so continued until it hath driven out all the Oyl or Spirit contained in the Wood, the true token whereof is, when the Receiver doth grow clear of its self; the time of this operation will not last above 12. or 15. hours at most. The Vessels being cooled, separate the Oyl from the Spirit; the Spirit will remain reddish, because it is im∣pregnated with the tincture of the Oyl communicated to the same by the volatile Salt of the Plant: if you will rectifie it in Sands or Ashes, you shall have a very pure acid Spirit, provoke∣ing Sweat, and diuretical: The dosis is from ℈ i. to ʒ i. in Wine, or some convenient decoction; it hath as much, if not more vertue then the Spirit of Guaiacum, for venerial diseases: but a∣bove all things, it is singular in the bitings of Vipers, Serpents, or other venomous creatures, if it be given in the same dosis, and the wound be washed with it, and with new stale; it is not requi∣site to rectifie the Oyl extracted from the Wood, because it is not inwardly used: It is exceeding good to hinder the accidents of cutting of Sinews, and bitings of any creatures when provoked, because the volatile Salt contained in it, doth penetrate to the deepest part of the wounds, where it corrects the malignant im∣pression of venom, and hinders its progress and further spreading: But the Patient must take at the same time Spirit of Juniper∣wood, in warm Wine, with xx grains of scraped Nutmeg. The Oyl moreover, is singular to appease the pain of rotten Teeth: it equals the vertue of Guaiacum for the cure of old Ulcers; chiefly if they be seated near the Joynts where many sinews do concen∣trate, many gristles, and cartilages, which do feed for the most part Ulcers with their jelley, slime, and viscous superfluous moisture hindering consolidation: this Oyl doth digest and consume all these substances against Nature, and restores a good ground, which doth afterward cicatrize and fill up the Ulcer, and so brings it to a perfect cure.

Having wrought upon the Wood, let us go on upon the Fruit, which are the Berries containing the Seeds in a glutinous and viscous body, covered and wrapt up in a thin outward skin black and smooth; when the Berry hath attained its perfect ripeness, which comes to pass the second year after its production, about the midst of September, which is the true time of gathering; the Sun being in the sign of Virgo: For anticipating that time the Berry would not yet prove sufficiently ripe, neither have in it self, that sweet bitterness, and Balsamical Honey, which contains its volatile Salt, and by consequence, its Spirit; when you have a sufficient quantity of these Berries so conditionated; viz. very black and smooth, odoriferous, if they be rub'd and crusht, and that the Oyl remains in the nail, and strikes the Nostril in the bruising thereof, having their internal substance of the consistency of Honey and viscous, with small grains within the flesh, which are the Seed thereof; and when you masticate it, tasting at first with a sweet and balsamick taste, which by degrees degenerates into no unpleasant bitterness. It will seem perhaps, that we have enlarged our selves too much upon the qualities which this fruit must have; but as the vertue of the prepared substance depends on the goodness and qualities thereof, so was it necessary to declare it at large, that the Artist may not lose both time and matter in vain, as it is too usual a thing to do.

℞ lb viij. of Juniper-berries thus qualified, as we have said; beat them in a brazen Mortar, with a great woodden Pestle, until you find them to be all masht; then put them in a Still Body, and pour upon them either Rain or River-water, until it comes ½ foot near the brim; then cover and lute it, and give it fire according to the Rules of Art and good Judgement, and so distil a spirituous Water &c aetherial Oyl, which will swim above: observing still that you must not take off your eye from the Recipient, when the Water and Oyl begin to ascend into the Neck of the Recipient: for as this distillation is only intended to extract the Oyl, you might lose it all by your own fault; because if the Water did over-power, all the Oyl would vanish: and to prevent this loss, you must watch carefully to substitute another Receiver when the Oyl doth begin to reach within three or four fingers of the Ori∣fice of the first Recipient: and so continue your distillation, un∣till

no more Oyl appears on the Water, when you receive or put for trial your Water in a Spoon. This operation ought to be con∣tinued in this manner, until you have made an end of all your Berries, re-affunding still your distilled Water upon each distilla∣tion, after you have separated the Oyl with a Cotton. But if you will make the simple Extract, the Honey or Theriack of the Germans with these Berries, you must strain and percolate some part of these distillations being warmed, and slowly evaporate them to the consistency of a thick Syrup, or liquid Extract. If it be objected, That the Oyl is already separated from it, and that consequently, the vertue of it will be abated, the answer is ea∣sie: for you are to consider, that the Oyl would be evaporated nevertheless, during the coction and evaporation, as is sufficiently witnessed by its smell spreading about, when the Extract is made before the Oyl be separated.

Take all what remains from all the Distillations, without se∣parating any thing, and joyn to it the Cake remaining from the expression of the Extract; fill the Still-body full of it to warm, and so by it communicate the heart to the remainder: which, I suppose, to be put in a Cask or Barrel for fermentation: introduce the Leven or ferment into it with the circumstances and requisite pre∣cautions, and so leave it four or five dayes; after which you shall distil it at several times, until you have made an end of extracting all the Spirit: the which rectifie in the same Still-body (viz. the Vesica) with lb vi. of new select and bruised Juniper-berries, and you shall have a burning Spirit, of very excellent and particu∣lar vertues: separate the first Spirit by it self, as also the se∣cond and the third, to be made use of in such cases as we shall say hereafter.

And to let you know, that Chymistry loses nothing of what may be made use of, percolate and strain the remainder of the fermented distillation, and being warmed, run it through a Hypo∣cras Bag, or a Flannel; then evaporate it to the consistency of a liquid Extract, which is one of the sweetest and gentlest Purges that may be used: This Purgative faculty will perchance, and not without reason, make some to wonder at it: But we will re∣move this scruple, giving to understand that the action of the ferment hath dissolved and united with the Water the best part

of the fixt Salt of these Berries, and as fix Salts loosen the Belly; it is the same also, which being predominant in this Extract, doth cause its purging vertue.

This done, dry the Cake remaining from all the expressions, and calcine it, to make a Lye thereof, and extract the Salt there∣of according to the method which we have formerly declared, then reverberate it in the Crucible without melting, and dissolve it in the last distilled Juniper-Water; then filtrate and evapo∣rate it to a skin, and cause it to shoot into Crystals, which pre∣serve for your use. Thus much we had to say upon Juniper-berries: it remains only to speak of the Vertue and Doses of those noble Preparations, which this Seed doth furnish us with, and to give you a description of an Elixir or Tincture of Juniper-berries, which is a most accomplisht remedy, whereof we shall also say the use and proprieties.

We will give to Juniper-berries in general, the vertues which they deserve, before we come to the particular proprieties of each of the remedies thereof extracted; that this general Appli∣cation may serve, to make the better our Observations, when there shall be occasion to use those remedies. And in the first place, we say, that the principal use of these Berries is to incite, attenu∣ate and dissipate in general: But they are particularly used to pro∣voke Urine and Sweat, to move and bring forth Lunary Purgati∣ons, remove obstructions of the Spleen, correct affections of the Brain, Sinews, Brest, and cure Coughs, dissipate Winds in the lower parts of the Belly and Colick; and above all, to dissolve and evacuate the viscous and slimy substances, and Sand in the Bladder and Kidneys: They are also most useful to use as a Preserva∣tive in time of contagious Diseases, either eaten, or used by the way of a Perfume, to correct the venenosity and malignant disposi∣tion of the Air.

It is now very easie to apply to every one of the Remedies prepared their proper vertue, for it is common to all, since they were extracted from that body which contained them, except the last Extract, which is purging, for the reasons before declared. The aetherial Oyl of Juniper is a Soveraign Remedy to provoke Urine, and appease all pains of the Colick; it is also an excellent Topical Remedy in all cold affections of the Sinews; as also in

the pricking or cutting of Sinews, by reason of its penetrative qua∣lity, but chiefly its Balsamick vertue. The dosis is from iij. drops to xv. or xx. in white Wine, or its own Water. The spirituous water which is extracted at the same time as the Oyl, is diuretical and di∣aphoretical: The dosis is from ℥ i to iiij. or ℥ v. but it hath quite a∣nother operation, when exalted with some drops of its Oyl mixt with Sugar in Powder, to make them dissoluble and mixt toge∣ther. As for the Extract made before the Fermentation, it is a very good Remedy of it self to strengthen the Brest and Stomack, a very excellent diuretical, and safe alexitery; therefore it is made use of instead of common boyled and skimmed or depu∣rated Honey, to receive the Powders which enter in that excel∣lent composition, and famous antidote, called Orvietan: It is a body of a wonderful use also for the composition and incorpora∣ting of Substances that are destinated for Opiats, or liquid Ele∣ctuaries, against the Plague, all other contagious diseases, and the venerious disease and its branches: The dosis is from ʒ ss. to ℥ ss. But the Spirit is an agent far surpassing all what we have said, for it penetrates as in a moment the whole body: so that it may be employed in all diseases wherein the Berries do conduce. And to prove manifestly its penetrating and balsamick vertue, this is a token, That a Patient taking never so little of it, shall be sure that the first Urine which comes from him, will have a very pleasant smell of Iris, or Violets: The dosis is from ʒ ss. to ʒ ij. in Broths, white Wine, or its own Water: The dosis of the other unrectified Spirits of the second and third distillation, may be augmented in proportion to the subtility of their parts. The Purgative Extract is wonderful, to receive in it self the other purging Remedies either Rosins or Magisteries, Extracts or Pow∣ders to prepare thereof some compounded Electuary, which with its purgative faculty preserves and advances the vertue of those things that were mixt with it. The dosis of this Extract is from ʒ ij. to ℥ i. either dissolved, or taken in bolus; the quantity cannot be prejudicial, as is that of other purging medicines, because it will never cause any Hypercatharsis or over-purging, neither make any dangerous Colliquation: but it loosens simply and softly the Bel∣ly, by a natural detersion of all the Excrements contained in the Entrails, which is a very requisite vertue in many stubborn and

obstinate constipations or bindings. There remains only the fix∣ed Salt to speak of, which is diuretical and loosening, of the weight from ℈ i. to ʒ i. in Broths or its own Water, or what is yet better, in bolus, in the purging Extract. This Salt is also capa∣ble long to preserve the vertue of its Water, if you dissolve ʒ i. or ij. in each pint.