_Another way, by help of other Fires, to cleanse and sweeten
Vegetable, Animal and Mineral Subjects._
Every man knows, that the Nature and Property of common Fire is,
to absume every stinking Sulphur, to drive away _Mercury_, and
leave nothing but dead Ashes, with a little fixed Salt; which is no
Correction, but a violent Destruction and Corruption of good things.
Therefore, in preparing famous medicines, we should use a better Fire,
_viz._ such, as neither consumes Sulphur, nor drives away _Mercury_,
but onely ripens, cleanseth and swetens them; as will be proved by
these following Examples.
First let us make trial with the (to us abominable) Dung of men,
and see, whether its Stink can be totally taken away, and of it an
Universal medicine be prepared.
It is very manifest, that the Dungs of Animals crude and not prepared,
are of some use in medicine, and we know they have been long in use
with Galenists and Apothecaries: For they presume to cure the Jaundies
with Goose-dung; Feavers with Horse-dung; Inflammations of the Bowels
with the distilled Water of Cow-dung, which they call the Water of all
Flowers; and the Quinsey, with the white Dung of a Dog, which they call
_Album Græcum_. Pertinent to the purpose, History makes mention of a
certain Countryman labouring with a Quinsey. To this man a Physician
gives a Bill, by which he was to go to an Apothecaries Shop, and buy
_Album Græcum_. The Bill he gave to a Boy in the Shop, who having read
it, looked into the Box in which _Album Græcum_ was wont to be kept;
and finding the Box empty, bid the Countryman stay a little, and he
would serve him presently. But the Boy not wise enough to conceal the
Secret, runs presently into the Church Yard, where he gathered some of
the white Dung of Dogs, which he brought home, and put into his Mortar
to pulverise. The Countryman seeing this, spake to the Boy thus: I pray
thee lay aside those things, and give me what I have need of; for I can
stay no longer. To which the Boy answered: This is that the Physician
prescribed you; therefore stay but a little while, for it will be beat
enough presently. Then the Countryman angerly said: What do you say,
you Whelp! Must I buy Dogs-turd of you for Silver? I have enough of
that at home: Therefore you and your Doctour shall eat it your selves
for me. And having spoken thus, he went out of the Apothecaries Shop
in a great rage. Many such Histories are variously commemorated: by
which you may clearly see, that the Dungs of Animals, although crude
and not at all prepared, have been used by Apothecaries. All which
had they not been usefull in Medicine, would long since have been
abrogated. But humane Dung, which deservedly is to be preferred before
all other, is not used medicinally; and that onely because of its evil
smell. Yet I have known some old Women give that to be taken inwardly
by such as laboured with Feavers (but without their knowledge) and so
have expelled those Feavers. There are some Chirurgeons so skilfull as
to know, that the Salt of humane Dung onely generates Putrefaction, but
on the contrary all other Salts preserve from it. Wherefore they use
that for putrifying such excrescent Caruncles, as they fear to cut off,
by reason of the intermixed Veins. Yet, that humane Dung (if inwardly
taken) wants not its effects, no man doubts: but because of its great
Stink, its use is to be abstained from, and not to be admitted in
medicine. Nevertheless, if it can be freed from its abominable Odour,
it may be used in medicine, otherwise not. Wherefore, _Paracelsus_ so
highly esteemed it, as he said: From him Heaven and Earth is hid, to
whom humane Dung is not known. An History, which shews what happened
in _Cæsar_’s Court, between him and the Court Physicians, plainly
sheweth this. For when those Physicians asked him to leave behind him
some medicinal Experiment unto them, _Paracelsus_ ordered humane Dung
to be brought and laid before them. They seeing that, went away in a
rage and reviled him. But _Paracelsus_ answered. You indeed run away,
thereby proving your selves unworthy of the Secret I purposed to have
discovered to you. Whence it is very manifest, that _Paracelsus_ knew
how to render stinking Excrements fit for use. For undoubtedly, he
never administred them to any man, before they were prepared; because
he had other Medicaments always in readiness. Now, that it may be known
to be possible to take away the Stink of Dungs, I will prove the same
by the following.
To a sound and healthfull Man for two days together give nothing to
eat, but a little well baked Wheat-bread; or to drink, but good Wine.
His Excrements for these two days cast away. On the third day let him
eat a peculiar Bread, with which is mixed before it is baked about an
Ounce and half, or one Ounce of my Blood of _Sol_; also let him have
an Ounce and half, or one Ounce of the same Blood of _Sol_ mixed with
his Drink, that it may thereby be tinged with a red Colour. And all the
third day let him eat nothing but this Bread, in which the Blood of
_Sol_, or Gold rendered irreducible hath been baked, and use that Wine
onely, which the Tincture of Gold hath coloured. Then on the fourth
day, let his Excrements (which will be tinged with blackness like a
Coal) be put into a glazed Pan or Dish, yet with this Caution, that no
Urine be mixed therewith; because that will be injurious. Indeed these
Excrements will have a very evil Odour, but that you may take away
their stink, and convert them into an Universal Medicine, proceed thus.
If these Excrements be in weight one pound, or somewhat above, pour on
them two Ounces of well dephlegmated Oil of Sulphur, or in defect of
that, as much strong and well rectified Oil of Vitriol; mix the whole
well stirring it with a wooden _Spatula_, that the Oil may act upon the
Excrements: Expose the whole to the Air for one Night; and that mineral
Fire will calcine the Dung Philosophically, and deprive it of all its
stink, without any diminution of its Weight; which is very strange.
And if any part of the evil Odour should be left remaining, add to it
again one Ounce and half of the Mineral Fire, and suffer them to stand
together for one Day and Night. Then must you also have in readiness
the Animal Fire, _viz._ Spirit of Urine exactly rectified, of which
pour leisurely and by degrees upon the Dung, so much, as until both
those contrary Spirits cease to act each upon other, and are still:
For then those two contending Fires have mortified each other, whence
a middle Salt is generated. Upon this mixture put into a Glass do you
also pour so much of the Vegetable Fire, (that is, of the best Spirit
of Wine) as may rise in height above it two fingers breadth. Set this
glass in _Balneo_, and digest the whole for twenty four hours: For in
that time the Spirit of Wine dissolveth that Salt, which proceeded from
both the contrary Fires, together with the Microcosmick Salt, Sulphur
and Mercury; and from that Gold, now the second time inverted, extracts
the Tincture, which it hath, and is thereby tinged red as Blood. This
Tincture pour off, and re-pour on other Spirit of Wine, and let that
also stand twenty four hours in _Balneo_ for extracting what remains:
but this will have but little Tincture, because the first extraction
drew forth almost all. Add both extractions together, and in _Balneo_,
with very gentle heat, by Alembick abstract the Spirit of Wine from
the Tincture; then will remain in the bottom of the Vessel a very red
and pleasant Salt; upon which must be poured so much Aromatick Spirit
of Wine, as will suffice to dissolve all the Salt. Which Solution pour
out from the Glass it was dissolved in, into a strong and very clean
Glass-bottle, and keep it by you as a most pretious Treasure.
The Dose of it is very small: for if you give, at one time, 1, 2, 3, 4,
5, or 6 drops, it will provoke Urine, expel Sweat, and the Stone also
powerfully. But if the dose be augmented, it purgeth the Belly, and
that without any molestation. In a word, this Universal Medicine may
safely be used in all Diseases. Yet because I intend brevity, I forbear
to write more touching this Medicine.
The Excrements or Fæces, from which this Tincture is extracted, are
not to be cast away, but must be calcined with Fire till they are red
hot, and (after a strong _Aqua Regia_ hath been poured upon them) the
remaining Gold, which was not before extracted, must be dissolved.
Yet you shall have very little of that; because the Man’s Stomach did
a second time invert that Gold, (which was once before inverted) and
made it reducible, so as it could be extracted with Spirit of Wine by
help of the Mineral and Animal Mercury. It is hard for me to believe,
that a more excellent Diuretick and Diaphoretick Medicine can be found,
than this Microcosmick Salt, which is tinged with _Sol_. For you will
know of how great vertue this Diuretick and Diaphoretick Salt is, when
you shall precipitate the acid Oil of Sulphur (or in defect of that,
rectified Oil of Vitriol) with good Spirit of Urine, and reduce it into
Salt. And will not such a Salt as this be far more excellent, when
Sulphur the (Philosophically calcined) Salt and Mercury of the humane
Body, together with the Tincture of Gold have Access?
I have not writ any thing here of this Universal Medicine, to the end
it should be preferred before others, because I very well know, we
can of other Subjects prepare famous Medicines, and easily be without
humane Dung; but whatsoever I delivered here, I did it for the good of
all. For my part, I say, if any one hath no mind to proceed in this
Operation, let him forbear. It sufficeth me, that I have signified to
the World, how by the help of Art, all venomous and stinking Subjects
may be amended and cleansed.
Thus may the industrious Physician, by the benefit of the three
Principal Fires prepare many excellent Medicines, and before all
sluggish and careless Physicians be had in great honour by the Sick,
and obtain the favour of GOD and Men. For he may invert the Venom of
Vipers, Serpents and Scorpions, and convert the same into an Antidote
powerfull against the Pestilence, and other Venoms. He also understands
how to prepare a Medicament of Toads safe to be given to dropsical
Persons: of Spiders a Medicine healing the Leprous; of Cantharides
and May-Woms, a certain Salt good against the Stone of the Reins and
Bladder; of Earth-Worms, or Rain-Worms, a venereal Experiment; of
Opium, Tobacco and Henbane, a famous Somniferous Medicine; of Wormwood
a Stomachal and Antifebrile; of Hellebore, Agarick, Spurge, Asarabacca,
Squill, and the like, an Universal Purging Salt; of Pearch-Stones,
and Crabs-Eyes, a Nephritick Medicine against the Stone of the Reins
and Bladder; and of Napellus, Stavesacre, and Wake Robbin, a famous
Antipodagrick. These, and other such most excellent and presently
medicinal Salts may after the same manner be prepared: These, for the
health of infirm Mankind I could not content my self to conceal. Indeed
I could have writ more at large touching this matter; but brevity,
which I now study, forbids a more ample Declaration.