Indeed Sir! Here, as it seems to
to me, you have a compleat Vulcanian
Shop, and perhaps all
these things Spagyrically and exactly
drawn from, the Mineral
Kingdom; but I pray, to what end so
many Medicaments? I believe,
that God in the things of Nature,
naturally gives such Medicines,
with a very few of which, we
may much sooner, and more safely
re-integrate the decayed, and languishing
Health of Man, unless
the Disease be Mortal, from a
deficiency of Nature, or from the
putrefaction of some noble internal
part hurt, or by reason of a total
absumption of the radical humidity
in which desperate Cases,
no Galenick Cure, or Paracelsick
Tincture can yeild releif. But in
ordinary Diseases it is not so; and
yet here, very many Men, before
the fatal term of Life be expired
(abfit Nemesis dicto) are enforced
to pass out of this fair Kingdom of
pleasing Light, into the Shadowed
Land of the Dead, whilst, either
they neglect the health of their
own Body, or commit the same to
the Faith of Physicians, unskilful
of the Remedy they have in their
hand.
Physician.
As far as I can gather from your
discourse, if my Judgement deceive
me not, you are either a Physician,
or a man expert in Chimistry.
Certainly, according as you say,
so I believe, that in the things of
Nature are given other more excellent
Medicaments, as also very
many other Philosophers affirm,
that there is a certain (although
to few known) Universal Medicament,
by the benefit which,
we may prolong Life unto the appointed
End, cure all Diseases
otherwise uncurable, and many
other such things. But, where is
any among all the Wisest men of
this world, that can shew us the
way, how to find out so noble a
Fountain, whence such a wonderful
Medicamentous juice, nobilitating
the Physician, is drawn?
Perhaps no one man.
Artist.
Indeed, I am not a Physician,
but only a Melter of Orichalcum,
and almost from my Child-hood,
have exercised my Ingeny in Pyrotechny,
and so have sought out
the internal Nature of Metals
And although I now cease from
my usual diligence in elaborating
some accurate work, by the Art of
Vulcan, yet my mind still takes delight
in labours of that kind, and
in the lovers of this most curious
Spagyrick Art; and I do verily.
believe and judge, that the most
Wise God, will in this our age
communicate gratis, or for nothing,
the Metallick Mysteries of
Nature to his Spagyrick Sons,
Praying, and Physico-chimically
Labouring.
Physician.
My Friend, I must needs grant
this, that God, for nothing, communicates
to his Sons, this laudable
Good, as well as all other gifts;
yet you shall very rarely hear, that
he for nothing gives or vends this
Medicamentous Wine or Nectar to
his Sons. For we certainly know,
how great a number of Chymists
lived in former ages who, (according
to the Proverb ) strove to draw
water in a Sieve, whilest
they presumed to prepare this
Universal Stone of Philosophers.
Besides, out of the books of them,
who triumph in the glory of
Adept, no one man can learn the
way of preparing, nor know their
First Matter, so as any one, searching
to the lowest roots of Mountains,
can never ascend to those
their Heights, where Ambrosia, and
Nectar of Macrosophists, is
drank.
In the mean time, it is the part
of a good Physician, since he
wants such an Universal Elixir,
(not without the daily study of
conserving his Conscience pure
and sound) to adhibit to the Diseases
of the Sick, commended to
his Cure, such Curations; or Remedies
as for restoring Sanity as in
which he (from the effect) certainly
knows, that a virtue of healing
is incited.
Wherefore, in all desperate Diseases,
I, with many other Practitioners,
do alwayes use such most simple
Medicaments, that thence
the Diseased may soon be restored
to their Pristine state of Health,
or to a better than the Pristine.
For indeed, various and diverse
kinds of Salts, are generated in
the Glandules and Lymphatick
Vessels, after the putrefaction of
this, or that nutriment taken,
which afterward wax florid in various
Humours, for diverse Diseases,
either Internal, or External. Experience
teacheth, that as many
as are the Constitutions, or Complexions
of humane bodies, to so
many diversities of Diseases the
same are obnoxious; although in
one manner, and the same Disease,
as our daily conversation evidenceth
to us in those who drink
Wine, whence divers Operations
manifestly discover themselves.
Because Peter drinks Wine, he
labours with an angry, I will not
say, furious mind.
On the contrary, Paul drinking
Wine, seems to imbibe his mind
with an Agnine Timorousness.
But Matthias sings, and Luke
weeps.
Also,
Touching the Scorbutick Contagious
Venome, viz. of Peter,
his radical juice in the Lymphatick
Vessels, and Glandules, is
converted into an Acidity, stopping
the passages, and all Organs of the
whole body, whence, under the
Skin, arise Spots on the Arms and
Legs of a blewish colour, but in
times of Pestilence, they swell like
Pepper Corns.