CHAP. XXI.
How, by the benefit of the Common Lute of Sapience, Sulphur, Antimony, Arsenick, Auripigment, and the Sulphur of Vegetables, may in a short time be fixed into fixed Medicaments.
Recipe any one of those Subjects, which you will; which if you dissolve either by the dry or humid way, in a sharp Lixivium, the Lixivium so far constringeth the Volatile Subject, as it will not, when heat red-hot continually evaporate. Such a Lixivium coagulate into Salt: If of this Salt you mix four or five parts, with one part of a liquable Flint or Sand, and put the Mixture into a Cementing Box well luted; set that into a Furnace of Cementation or Fixation to be fixed, the Sal-Alcali preys upon the Flint, and with it is converted into Glass. But the Volatile Mineral hides it self in this Glass, and is not driven thence by the violence of Fire, but suffers it self to be fixed into a fixed Tincture. After that, which was put in, shall be fixed, take your Box out of the Furnace or Fixation, and make the Glass flow well in a Wind-Furnace. This Glass, when poured out, will be Red in Colour. If you reduce this Glass to Powder, and by the help of Spirit of Wine extract the fixed Tincture, from this fixed Subject, you will have a most efficacious Medicine against all grievous Diseases, especially, if the Tincture hath been extracted from Antimony, or Common Mineral (not Vegetable) Sulphur. The Tinctures of Arsenick and Auripigment, are not so safe to be used in Medicine, but in Chymistry they are more profitable. For such Subjects cannot be fixed by any more easie Method, than is here discovered by me. And Paracelsus, Basilius and other Philosophers judge, that a Tincture drawn from fixed Sulphur or Antimony, will be admirably efficacious in Medicine and Chymistry.
But that I so abruptly break off this discourse, it is not without Reason, for I am confident I have writ plain enough to him whom GOD favours.
Note: If to your Hermes Seal, you add such Sand or Flints, as per se abound with the first Ens of Gold, you will acquire the more noble Tinctures.