CHAP. IX.
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.