_After that I had intended to publish in the Fourth Part of this my
=Spagyrical Pharmacopœa=, some singular and excellent Medicines, and
such as might much exceed all others, and so must consequently be
prepared of choice and excellent subjects and matters; I accounted
it my task in the first place to shew you out of what subjects such
efficacious Medicines may be drawn and extracted, =viz.= out of Gold,
Wine, and Antimony, as likewise out of Vitriol and Mercury, but not the
vulgar Mercury._
_Now although most Men are blinded with a thick darkness, but
principally those that prosecute the truth with a deadly hatred, and do
prate much, and by reason of their blindness and ignorance do affirm,
that Gold being a thick and compact body is not at all fit to admit of
such a preparation as thereby to display its most efficacious virtues
in Man’s Body: And as for Antimony and Mercury, that they are most
present Poisons, and can’t serve as Medicines without great danger; but
as for Wine, that it is indeed fit to be drunk, but is of no validity
in Medicine, not knowing how to imploy it about any Medicinal use,
but are rather ready and skilfull Artists at swallowing it down in
full draughts; however though they thus chat yet these objections are
frivolous, and do proceed from their ignorance which is wrapped about
with most thick Clouds, and which I refute by this brief and strong
Reply. But I do not at all deny, that Gold reduced even to the smallest
Powder, and so made use of (as ’twas wont of old to be by the Ancient,
yea and latter Galenists, and is even too at this day) by mixing it
with such Medicines as are for the comforting and strengthning the
Heart and Vitals of Men, cannot contribute so much as the least Iota
to the health and preservation of the body of Man: And so I say of
Antimony and Mercury, that they are not at all salutiferous to Man’s
Body, but contrariwise are deadly and destructive Medicaments, untill
(by a due preparation) they are deprived of all their Venenosity, and
thereby rendred fit to be safely made use of. So Wine it self being
taken per se as it is, is a restoring and refreshing Drink for Man,
provided it be moderately used: But contrarily is a causer of many
Diseases if it be frequently and in large quantities swallowed in, and
doth operate in Man’s Body more hurt than good, this daily experience
doth sufficiently testifie, and renders it evident, that being so
immoderately taken, it fills all the Members of the whole Body with
Tartar, and makes obstructions and stirs up intolerable Pains, and
principally in the Bladder, Reins, and other parts of the Body, =viz.=
if coagulated in the Hands, Knees, and Feet, whereupon it doth not
easily suffer it self to be exterminated, unless by such Artists as
well know the properties and nature of Tartar, but of such Men there is
at this day a great scarcity, and therefore that proverbial Verse still
takes place._
Solvere Nodosam Nescit Medicina Podagram.
The Art of Physick can’t root out
(Thy dire Disease) the Knotty Gout.
_But he who is so well skilled as to separate the fiery, penetrative,
wholsome, and true Medicinal Spirit of Wine; Yea its true Balsam from
its Fæces, he will easily expel out of the Body of Man all tartarous
impurities and defilements, and will perform things wonderfull in
the Stone and Gout. But now forasmuch as the educing so wholsome
a Medicine out of gross crude Tartar is known but to a very few,
no wonder that there hath been so little or rather nothing at all
performed by Physicians in such like most grievous tartarous Diseases
that have gotten deep rooting in the Body of Man. But the way how you
may be rendred Possessors of such a Spirit of Wine shall be spoken of
afterwards. Yet I would not that anyone should perswade himself that my
meaning and intention in this place is about the common Spirit of Wine,
or either that which is gotten out of Tartar by the usual known way of
Distillation. No, there’s a vast difference betwixt that Spirit which
I here make mention of and the other. For in this Spirit the crude
Tartar is first to be washed by common Water from all its Defilements,
and that without the addition of any other things, so as to shine like
Snow, then to be afterwards made black by putrefaction, and out of
that blackness the said Balsam is to be drawn off, of which we shall
hereafter make a more ample Declaration. This now is that Spirit which
doth Anatomically resolve the compacted Body of Gold, and converteth
the venemousness of Antimony into a wholsome Medicine, and doth perform
things wonderfull in all tartarous Diseases. ’Tis the true Wine of
Health, and the very =Aq. Vitæ= of the Philosophers, and hath a great
familiarity with Gold and Man, and may be excellently compared with the
coagulated solar beams._
_Therefore as it is evidently known to every body, that Gold and Wine
are advanced on to maturity, by the heat of the Sun, and that Men
do notably love and desire both of them. So may any one conjecture
what Gold and Wine would do if a Man could but have them reduced to a
spiritual essence. Hence now it seems necessary unto me, that before I
pass on to the preparation of the said Medicine, I do in a few words
describe the harmonial love that is between the superiour and inferiour
Sun and Man, that so it may appear, what a bond or tie of love and
necessity there is betwixt these three most noble Creatures of God, to
one another._