_The manner of preparing a good Medicament out of Silver and
Antimony._
In the first place prepare out of the Mineral or Oar of Antimony an
_Acetum_ by distillation, according to Art: Then take one part of the
best Antimony, and two parts of the Calx of Silver; which being well
washed, mix it with the Antimony, by grinding them very well together,
that they may be changed into a grayish or somewhat a blackish Powder.
Put this Powder into a small Glass, Cucurbit or little Retort, and
pour thereupon so much of the Antimonial Vinegar as may serve to bring
the said Powder into a thin Pultis or Pap. Put the Glass in Sand, and
distill off the said Vinegar, this pouring on, and drawing off let be
so often repeated untill the Antimony shall have lost its blackness,
and the Silver its whiteness, and be both of them turned into a red
Stone, like to _Cinaber_, which is usually done in the third or fourth
Cohobation.
Note well, if such an errour should be committed as that your fire
being too strong should when you draw off the _Acetum_ melt the mass
in the Glass, it would be rendred wholly uncapable of admitting or
drinking up the _Acetum_, and then you must of necessity break the
Glass and take out the mass and reduce it again into small Powder by
grinding, and repeat the operations according to the aforesaid way.
This Medicament being turned into a red Stone, and ground upon a Marble
into a most subtile Powder, is called by me purging _Lune_, and may be
made use of in all Diseases as a kind of _Panacæa_, (like as my purging
Gold may be) with great fruit and good success. For this Medicine of
Silver doth operate very gently, expelling all evil humours out of
all the Members of the whole Body of Man, and this scarce any other
Medicine will do save my golden _Panacæa_. For it leaveth no impurity
in the Body, (but expels it) not onely by purgation, but also by Sweat
and Urine. If you should chance to err and take too big a Dose, it will
also cause vomiting, but especially with such as abounding with Choler
are prone to Vomit. To Infants under four Weeks old may a Dose be given
of about the bigness of a Rape Seed, and be mixt in a spoon with a
little of its Mothers Milk, and so given them. It conserves them free
from the invasion of the Epilepsie, and frees them. If you find that
they are infected with the Small-pox or the like, within a years space,
the Dose is to be augmented, and a fourth or eighth part of a grain may
be administred to them, the which will bring out of the Infants all
the impurities by Stool, and preserve the Face untouched. Those that
are from one to two, or twelve years of age, and being troubled with
the Worms, do fall into acute Feavers, (and hereby a great many perish
destitute of all help) may have the Dose augmented if need be, and that
as their age is, from ½ a grain to two grains, for so the Worms will
be killed, and the Feaver sent packing. Nay farther, if the Feavers in
Children, be they Boys or Girls, do not proceed from the Worms but from
other causes, yet may so much of this Medicine be administred to them
as may be requisite to purge and sweat them, and by this means will
they be (without any hazard of their lives) restored to their former
health. There can scarce be found a more profitable and more present
remedy against the Plague and other Feavers in young men, middle aged
men, and old men than my golden _Panacæa_ or purging Gold, and this
same purging _Lune_ here described, the Dose is from one grain to five
or six grains with reference to the age and Disease. Such a Dyet is to
be observed as I have prescribed in the use of my _Panacæa_, _viz._
that the Sick (after the taking of this purging Silver) do abstain from
Sleep and all kind of Food for three or four hours at least, and beware
of the cold Air, and have an especial regard to keep a good Dyet.
This Medicine of mine, together with my _Panacæa Aurea_ (or golden
universal Medicine) may be safely, and without any fear of danger made
use of in the French Pox, Dropsie, Leprosie, Stone, Gout, and other
such Diseases, whatever name they are called by; insomuch that men may
(next their trust in God) safely confide therein. And besides by this
Medicament may very many things be performed in metalline affairs, the
discovering of which we shall at this time omit, contenting our selves
with having shewn the things that appertains to the use of Medicine.
Furthermore it is likewise notably efficacious in curing of external
Wounds and Ulcers, provided it be discreetly administred inwardly, and
the external defects of the body be kept sweet and clean. There will in
a short time be much more benefit received therefrom, than from such a
deal of Ointments and Emplaisters as are frequently used. Praise God
and give him thanks for such great benefits.