From hence it is clearly manifest, that the sanguine man, which is endowed with a drier temperature, has a far better fruition of his health than the phlegmatick man hath, who abounds with moisture.
Dry Sugar dures many years, but being moistened, it turns sowre, and becomes ropy and ill-savour’d, tho’ it be a Salt, and is mixt with other corruptible Vegetables to preserve them.
From hence may it be seen, that a superfluous humidity opens the Gate for Death to enter in by, and seize upon the Life: But on the contrary, a temperate siccity preserves all things in an healthful state, and barrs up the passage against any corruption. The Roof of a curious and stately-built House being full of chinks and holes, lets the Rain in, which moistens all the whole structure, and causeth it to rot and spoil: But if the holes in the Roof be stopt, and the windows by which the Rain beats in be shut, and the windows on the other side of the house, where the wet beats not in, be on the contrary opened, that the warm Air passing in, thereby may throughly dry up all the moisture, and so inhibit or put a stop to the Progress of Putrefaction, then the whole frame and building will be kept sound and good, which otherwise would be rotted and quite spoiled. Such men as live in the moorish fenny Countries, and feed upon a waterish Meat and phlegmy Drink, are for the most part of an unsound temperature, and troubled with Catarrhs and the Scurvy. But on the other hand, those that inhabit high and lofty places, and have the fruition of a drier and purer Air, and that feed upon such meats as are more conducive unto health; these men know nothing of those watery sicknesses, but have flourishing and strong bodies, and have firm, compact, and excellently well tempered flesh. And this difference is not found only to be in Men, but also in all other things. For not only Bread, Flesh, Fruit, and such other things as are used for daily food, do grow mouldy much sooner in the moist places, and so corrupt, but also even Metals themselves too, as Iron, Copper, Tin, and the like, even these cannot shun the corruption of the Air, but are laid over with Rust, which (in a drier air) they do not so easily contract.
By all these circumstances it is so clearly evidenced, that superfluous moisture is to all things alwaies hurtful, and gives an inlet unto Corruption, that I think there is no body that will dare to say any thing to the contrary.
And therefore seeing that this Aurum Potabile of mine doth (amongst all other Medicaments, what Title soever dignified with) most notably excel in the taking away of Corruptions, and may be most safely made use of both for preservation from, and curing of Diseases, it ought to be accounted and esteemed of as an Universal Medicine, and that very deservedly, and which gives place to none.
These few things I was willing to describe here in this place, concerning the use, efficacy, and virtues of my Potable Gold, in the curing of the Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals. There shall suddenly follow more concerning the same, in The Description of the use of my Principal Medicaments.
It now remains, that I make some brief mention of the preparation of my aforesaid Potable Gold, although I have already often done the same in many places of my Writings, and have very clearly shown the same, but yet after a Philosophical manner, and without setting down any Receipt, but here and there by piecemeal; as for example, in my Miraculum Mundi, in its Exposition and Continuation, where it is briefly described, so as that it therefore needs not any farther illustration.
But yet, that I may abundantly satisfie all men, I do (by way of over-plus) admonish every one, that he do not think that this subject is to be sought after from foreign and far remote places, with a great deal of costs and charges; for the matter out of which my Aurum Potabile is made, is in every place, and offers it self even in a manner gratis, to the most poor as well as the richest, and without Costs, and is brought to its perfection in three daies space: To that perfection, I say, (that you may rightly understand my mind) as its infancy requires, viz. so as to become a Lac Virginis, or a clear Universal Medicinal Water, which I call Aurum Potabile, and in which the most precious Dragon’s-blood lies hidden, which is to be transmuted in a certain limitted time, by fixation, into a constant Salamander; the which I have not as yet ever effected, and therefore forbear to use more words, resting satisfied with this my Aurum Potabile, which I have many a time prepared by my labour, and here treat of, and forbear to multiply any more words about things of greater moment. In the mean time I doubt not, but that (if time and labour be bestowed hereabouts) this Aurum Potabile would arrive unto the utmost fixity and constancy, both in the moist and in the dry way.
Farthermore, I deny not, but that this same Aurum Potabile may be made of all the things of the whole World, but yet easier and sooner out of one subject than another. There is no Infant that is born so poor, but that he necessarily enjoys that subject, and cannot live without it: Therefore some of the ancient Philosophers have written, That Adam and Eve had the same matter in Paradise; when as yet they had no cloathing.
Mary the Prophetess and Sister of Moses, calls it, The Work of three hours; another calls it, The Philosophical Work of seven daies: I Glauber, being a new Disciple of Hermes, do most truly affirm, That this my Aurum Potabile, which I here treat of, may be perfected not only in three daies, but even in three hours space, and that out of such subjects as are every where to be found, and which all men know and make use of, and cannot be without.