CHAP. V.
How by the benefit of this secret Vegetable Fire, the Microcosmick Mercury may be corrected, freed from its nauseous stink, and converted into a sweet Medicine.
Rectifie Spirit of Urine as highly as you can, according to my Prescripts, largely described in the Book of Furnaces. To this Animal Mercury add five fold or six fold its weight of our Vegetable Fire, with which fill a Pan, and kindle this Fire under our Philosophick Alembick; then will our Fire burn up all the nauseous stink of the Animal Mercury, so as it will ascend with a gratefull odour and tast. If it be not to your mind the first time, commit the same to this purgation a second time, and make it pass over; then you will find your Animal Mercury sweet, by virtue of which you will be able to do great things in Medicine, because it forcibly penetrates. Therefore a diligent Physician should not be ignorant of the use of this. It is known that Spirit of Urine doth much good in Medicine yet it is commonly abhorred by reason of its unpleasant tast. But when it hath sustained the trial of our Philosophick purgation, then it ascends into its Heaven, that is, into the Alembick without stink. Also by help of this purgation, all other fœtid, bitter and unsavoury Vegetable, Mineral, and Animal Subjects, may be purged, rendred sweet, pleasant, and gratefull, as the following examples will prove.