The foresaid flowers if they be cast into melted Nitre, and be left a while in melting, are made fixt, so as to become Diaphoretical, and lose their Cathartical Vertue. The acid water being separated from the flowers, if it be evaporated, leaves behind the best spirit of salt, serving for the same or such like uses again.
Of the External use of the Corrosive Oyle of Antimony.
This oyle hath been long used by Chirurgions, for they have with a feather applyed it to wounds almost uncurable, to separate impurities, for the acceleration of the cure, that afterwards other medicaments being applyed may the better operate. But it is better if it be mixed, with spirit of Salt, for they are easily mixed and it is made more mild thereby, and the too great corrosive faculty thereof is mitigated. Neither is there any other besides the spirit of Salt, with which this oyle can be mixed, unless it be the strongest spirit of Nitre, for the weak spirit of Nitre precipitates the butter of Antimony, as you may see in the preparation of Bezoardicum Minerale. But the strongest spirit of nitre dissolving this butter, makes a red solution of wonderfull Vertue in Chymistry, of which we are not to treat in this place; and if this be drawn off again by distillation, it leaves behind the first time a fixed Antimony, and Diaphoretical, which otherwise must be drawn off twice, or thrice, viz. if it be weak, and not able to dissolve the butter without precipitation.
Now this Bezoardicum is the best, and safest Diaphoretick in all diseases that require sweat, as in the plague, French pox, feavers, scorbute, leprosy, &c. if it be given from 6. 8. 10. to twenty grains in proper vehicles; it penetrates the whole body, and evacuates all evil humours by sweat and urine.
The Oyl of Arsenic and Auripigmentum.
As the spirit of salt doth not easily work upon Antimony by reason of the abundance of crude sulphur, unless it be reduced into flowers, in the preparation whereof, some part of its sulphur is burnt; so also Arsenic and Auripigmentum are hardly dissolved with spirit of salt, unless they be reduced into flowers, and the spirit of salt be very strong, which may be able to work upon it. These may be distilled by retort like Antimony into a thick heavy oyl; which being used in cancrous eating ulcers, exceeds that of Antimony in mortifying, mundifying, and purging those evils. After the same manner may corrosive oyls be made out of all the realgars being ordained for outward uses.
Oyl of Lapis Calaminaris.
Take of the best yellow or red Lapis Calaminaris very subtilly powdered, as much as you please, and pour upon it five or six times as much of rectified spirit of salt, mix and stir them well together, and do not leave them long unstirred, but ever and anon shake the glass with the materials; and this do oftentimes, or else the Lapis Calaminaris will grow together into a very hard stone, which can be dissolved no more, and is prevented by the aforesaid often shaking: and when the spirit of salt will dissolve no more thereof in frigido, set the glass in warm sand so long, until the spirit be tinged with a most yellow colour, which then decant, and pour on fresh, and again set it in digestion to extract, and do not forget to shake the glass often. The solution being finished filter it, and cast away the residue of the terra mortua. Afterwards set the solution in sand, and give fire, and almost three parts of the spirit of salt will go over insipid, which is nothing but the flegme, although the spirit was never so well rectified; the reason whereof is the most dry nature of lapis calaminaris, to which the spirit of salt is very friendly, and therefore very hard to be separated from it. For I never knew any mineral or metal (beside Zinck) which exceeds lapis calaminaris in dryness. At last when no more flegm will go over, let all things cool; which being done, take out the glass, and thou shalt find a red thick oyl, as fat as oyl olive, and not very corrosive; for that spirit of salt being almost mortified with the lapis calaminaris is deprived of its acidity. This oyl is to be kept from the air; or else within a few dayes it attracts much air which it converts into water, and thereby becomes weakened.
This Oyl is of wonderful Vertue, being used as well inwardly as outwardly. And I wonder that in so long a time there hath been no body, who hath operated in lapis calaminaris and described the nature thereof, seeing it hath in it a golden sulphur (of which thing in the fourth Part) for if the terrestreity thereof were separated from it artificially, pure gold would be manifested therein; now the greatest part thereof is volatile, and immature, and cannot easily be reduced into a body in melting, wherefore hitherto that stone hath not been esteemed of by Chymists, but to the wise was alwayes pretious, &c.