Whence it doth necessarily follow that that thick oyle is nothing else but Antimony dissolved in spirit of Salt. For the flowers of Antimony being mixed with spirit of Salt, make an oyle in all respects like to that butter which is made of Antimony, and sublimated Mercury, which also is after the same manner by the affusion of a good quantity of water precipitated into a white pouder, which is commonly called Mercurius vitæ: It is also by the same way turned into Bezoardicum mineral, viz. by abstracting the spirit of Nitre, and it is nothing else but Diaphoretick Antimony.
For it is all one whether that Diaphoretick be made with spirit of Nitre, or with Nitre it self, viz. corporeal, for these have the same vertues, although some are of opinion that that is to be preferred before the other; but the truth is, there is no difference. But let every one be free in his own judgment, for those things which I have wrote, I have not Writ out of ambition, but to find out the truth.
Now again to our purpose, which is to shew an oyle of Antimony made with the spirit of salt.
Take a pound of the flowers of Antimony (of which a little after) upon which pour two pound of the best rectified spirit, mix them well together in a glass, and set them in sand a day and night to dissolve, then pour out that solution together with the flowers into a retort that is coated, which set in sand, and first give a gentle fire, untill the flegme be come off, then follows a weak spirit with a little stronger fire, for the stronger spirits remain in the bottom with the Antimony: then give a stronger fire, and there will come forth an oyle like to the butter of Antimony made with sublimed Mercury, and is appropriated to the same uses, as follows.
The flowers of Antimony, White and Vomitive.
Take of this butter as much as you please, upon which in a glass gourd, or any other large glass pour a great quantity of water until the white flowers will precipitate no more; then decant off the water from the flowers, which edulcorate with warm water, and dry with a gentle heat, and thou shalt have a white pouder.
The Dose is, that 1. 2. 3. 8. 10. grains be macerated for the space of a night in wine, which is to be drank in the morning, and it worketh upward and downward. But it is not to be given to children, those that be old, and weak, but to those that be strong, and accustomed to vomiting. When at any time this infusion is taken and doth not work, as sometimes it falls out, but makes the Patient very sick, he must provoke vomiting with his finger, or else it will not work, but make those that have taken it to be sick, and debilitated even to death. We must also in the over much working of these flowers drink a draught of warm Beer, or rather of warm Water, decocted with Chervil, or Parsly, and they will work more mildly. But let not him that is able to bear the operation thereof any way hinder it, for there is the greater hope of recovering his health thereby, for they do excellently purge choler, and evacuate flegme in the Stomack, being humors that will not yield to other Catharticks; they open obstructions, resist the putrefaction of the blood, the causes of many diseases, such as are Feavers, Head-aches, &c. they are good for them that are Leprous, Scorbutical, Melancholical, Hypochondriacal, infected with the French-Pox, and in the beginning of the Plague. In brief, they do work gallantly, and do many things.
After the taking of them, the Patient must stay in his bed or at least not go forth of his house, for to avoid the aire, or otherwise they may be mistrusted.
And because of their violence they are feared, and hated, I shall in the fourth part of this Book for the sake of the sick set down such as are milder, and safer, such as shall work rather downward than upward, causing easie vomits, which also thou mayest give to children, and those that are old without danger, yet some respect being had of the disease, and age.