_The Way of preparing yet another famous Medicine Universal of
Gold._
Dissolve one part of Nitre, in four parts of Spirit of Salt, diligently
rectified. In this Water dissolve as much Gold as you will. Upon this
Solution leisurely at times, and drop after drop, pour on of Oil of
Tartar so long, as untill both those contrary Natures of the _Aq.
Regia_, and Oil of Tartar, shall be united and quiet. Then, if you
abstract all the Phlegm, with the _Sol_ will remain a Salt. This Salt,
with the Gold, put into a little coated glass Body; yet first mix with
them of burnt Bone as much in weight, as the Salt and _Sol_ did weigh.
The Bones are onely added, that the Gold may not be separated from the
Salt, or be precipitated into a Mass and flow. Place the Glass, with
this mixture, in Sand, augmenting the Fire gradually, untill the Glass
in the Sand be obscurely Red; in which degree of Fire, if you detain it
the space of six hours, the fusible Salt will penetrate the hard Gold,
and from it extract its best strength, and thence wax Red. Which, when
all is cold, take out of the Glass, and by the help of Spirit of Wine
extract from that Red Salt all its Tincture; which you may administer
in grievous Diseases, according as your Judgment shall inform. If you
reduce the extracted Gold by the help of Borax, you will find your Gold
pale.
_The Way of Extracting a yellow Tincture from white Nitre._
By Retort distill a strong Spirit from pure salt Nitre, mixt with
burned Earth. Which Spirit, lest it should not be strong enough,
dephlegmate. This Spirit in Distillation ascends Red, but when cold
appeareth White; yet in it is absconded a Redness, which will be
revealed the following way. We see that if any thing fall from those,
who labour about _Aqua Fortis_, into it (whether that fallen in be a
piece of Skin, Hair, or any part of the Nails of the Fingers) the same
is tinged thereby with a golden Colour. The reason of this Colouring
is this: All superfluities of Nature (as the Skin, Nails of the Hands
and Feet, all Hairs and Hoofs of Animals, and Feathers of Birds; which
being old, fall off, and new succeed in their place) are endued with
power of cleansing the Humane Body, whensoever they are prepared for
Medicinal use; and that by reason of the abundance of Volatile Salt
contained in them, and other such like Entities. For Volatile Salt is
of such a Nature, as Salt of Urine, by which all corrosive Spirits are
mortified and edulcorated. Hence it is, that when one drop of a Nitrous
Spirit falls upon the Skin, or a Nail of the Finger, it is mortified
and discovered by such a Volatile Salt as lay hid in it; which
otherwise happens not in all other Subjects, which are void of such a
Volatile Salt.
_Now follows the Process._
_Recipe_ of the Hairs either of a sound Man, or of any Animal, very
well washed and cleansed from all filth, four ounces. Upon these pour
of most strong and well rectified Spirit of Nitre, one pound, and
the Spirit will totally dissolve the Hairs. Upon that Solution pour
by degrees so much Oil of Tartar, as untill all the Spirits of Nitre
be mortified and totally deprived of their Corrosive power. But you
should not cease to pour on Oil of Tartar, untill the Spirit hath well
acquired a Golden Colour. This being seen, filter the Solution through
brown Paper, in which the Fæces will remain, which notwithstanding will
scarcely weigh half a dram; because the Spirit of Nitre hath almost
dissolved all. If from this Liquor in a Glass-body set in _Balneo_,
you abstract all the unprofitable Phlegm, in the bottom will remain a
Red Salt; on which, if you pour good Spirit of Wine, some Fæces will
again be left in the bottom, which you may cast away as unprofitable.
Moreover, if one half of that Spirit of Wine be abstracted from
the Tincture, a yellow Oil is acquired; which if you rub upon good
Silver, that will look as yellow as if it were good Gold. If you shall
take of this Tincture, although it is so Volatile, from three, six,
nine, to twelve drops, it strongly expells Sweat and Urine, cures
the Jaundies, yields relief in the Dropsie; in Feavers it provokes
Sweat, and in the Pestilence or other Diseases, where Sweating is
needfull. I attempted to fix this Tincture; but it was an Operation
of no small time; therefore I was weary of proceeding, and absolving
the Work begun. If any one be so patient as to fix this Tincture, he,
after his Work is ended, will have whereof to rejoyce. Touching this
Operation, Philosophers feigned the venomous Dragon to be a watchfull
Keeper of the Golden Fleece; and that the same could not be taken away
before the Dragon was brought to sleep by a Soporiferous Medicine,
by which he should be rendred insensible and fixed. But undoubtedly
some opinionative Men will say, that this yellow Tincture is acquired
from the Hairs, Wool, or Feathers, rather than from the Nitre. The
Opinion of such Men I thus refell. If any one dissolve Hairs, Wool, or
Feathers, by the help of Spirits of Salt, Sulphur or Vitriol, he will
acquire a white Solution: and if he mortifies the Spirit of Salt or
Vitriol with Oil of Tartar, yet shall no yellowness appear, but all
remain white. And such white Salt, which comes from the Spirits of
Salt and Vitriol, hath also its use in Medicine. The reason of that is
especially, because Hairs in themselves contain a very Medicinal Salt,
which cannot possibly any other way be obtained, than by dissolving
with the help of _Aqua Fortis_, or of their re-mortification and
reduction into Salt by the benefit of _Alcali’s_.
After this manner from many Animals, by the help of Spirit of Nitre,
may be extracted yellow Tinctures or Salts, which are very efficacious
in Medicine.
Such Cast-skins of Serpents, as are commonly found in Fields, and
among heaps of Stones, are famously Medicinal against Poysons, the
Pestilence, and all other venomous Diseases.
The Teeth of Serpents, and Teeth of Mad Dogs and Wolves, have a
Medicinal Efficacy against all venomous Bitings of Animals. Also they
help the Stomach against all Feavers.
_Scorpions_, _May-Worms_, _Cantharides_, and such like venomous
Insects, do all minister yellow Tinctures, or such Salts as may most
profitably be administred in all grievous and venomous Diseases.