If they be mixed with rose, or rain water, so as to be united together, and afterwards some of this mixture be sometimes every day dropt into red eyes that water, yielding not to other ophthalmicks, do restore, and heal them.
These flowers being taken up in lint and strewed upon those places of Children that are galled with their urin (those places being first washed with water) heal them quickly. They heal also quickly any excoriation which is contracted by lying long in any sickness, and is very painful, if they be strewed thereon.
These flowers also are more easily dissolved in corrosive waters, than other metals, and minerals, neither doth the spirit leave them in the fire, but an insipid phlegm only distills off, leaving a fat and thick oyl, as is above said concerning the lapis calaminaris, being ordained for the same uses, but more efficacious then that. Which spirit if it be by the violence of fire driven forth, is of so great strength, that it can scarce be kept. And not only spirit of salt, but also Aqua fortis, and Regia may after this manner be exalted, so as to be able to do wonderful things in the separation of metals; but here is not place for these things, they shall be spoken of in the fourth part.
But you need not make flowers for this work, because crude Zinck doth the same, although the flowers do it something better: whence it appears that a metal contracts a higher degree of dryness in sublimation.
Flowers of Antimony.
There is no difficulty to make the flowers of Antimony, for Chymists have a long time made use of them, and because their preparation was tedious, they were not sold at a low rate.
Wherefore there was no body willing to attempt any thing else in them, because they were used only for vomiting; the dose whereof was from 1. 2. 3. 4. grains to 8. and 10. in affects of the stomack and of the head, as also in feavers, plague, morbus gallicus, &c. Neither is it a wonder if Chymists tryed no farther in them, for we see that there are found men in these days who perswade themselves that there is nothing which was not found out by the learned ancients, can be found out in these days, and if there were any thing to be yet found out it was found out already by them. But this opinion truly is very foolish, as if God gave all things to the ancients, and reserved nothing for them that should come after. Neither indeed do they understand nature in their operations, which works incessantly, and is not wearied in her labours, &c. But however it is manifest that God hath revealed things in these times which were hid from them of old, and he will not cease to do the same even to the end of the world.
But to return to our purpose again, which is to shew an easier way of making the flowers of Antimony, whereby a greater quantity may be had, as also that they may serve for other uses.
Take of crude Antimony poudered as much as you please, and first make your furnace red hot, then cast in at once a pound of Antimony, or thereabouts, viz. scatteringly upon the coals; and presently it will flow, & being mixed with the coals by the force of the fire will be sublimed through the air into the receivers like a cloud, which will there be coagulated into white flowers. Note, that when the first coals are burnt up, more must be put in to continue the sublimation, and those must be first kindled before they are put in, lest the flowers be by the dust of the coals arising together with them discoloured, and contract thence a gray colour: but it matters not if you will not use them by themselves to provoke vomiting, because there is no danger thereby, for that colour comes only from the smoake of the coals, wherefore you need not be afraid of them. But let him that dislikes this colour, first kindle the coals before he put them into the furnace, and then he shall have white flowers. Also you must not shut the middle hole through which the coals, and Antimony are cast in, that thereby the fire may burn the more freely: for else the flowers of the superior pots will be yellow and red, by reason of the sulphur of the Antimony, which is sublimed higher than the regulus. Now you may by this way make a pound of the flowers with 3. 4. or 5. pound of coals. It is a little that goes away from the Antimony, viz. the combustible sulphur, which is burnt, all the rest going into flowers. You must have a care to provide a sufficient quantity of subliming pots by reason that a large space is required for the sublimation of the flowers.
The flowers that are prepared after this way, are sold at a lower rate, so that one pound thereof is cheaper, than half an ounce of those that are made after the other manner. Also they are safer, as being made with an open free flame of the fire, for they do not provoke vomit so vehemently; moreover the flowers of the lower pots are not vomiting, but diaphoretical, as if they had been prepared with nitre, for thus they are corrected by the fire: And by this way at one and the same operation divers flowers of divers operations may be made, for the flowers of the lower pots are diaphoretical, of the middle a little vomitive, but of the uppermost vehemently vomitive. For by how much the more they have endured the fire, by so much the better are they corrected; from whence the diversity of their power proceeds. Wherefore each of them are to be kept by themselves, and the uppermost for plaisters or butter, or oyl, and those to be made sweet or corrosive thereby; The middle for purging, and vomiting, but the lowermost for sweat, being more excellent than Bezoardicum Minerale, or Antimonium Diaphoreticum made with nitre. Truly I do not believe that there is an easier way of making vomiting, and diaphoretical flowers, than ours. Now for the use of them, you must know that those that are vomitive are to be administred to those that are strong, and accustomed to vomit: but to Children, and old Men with discretion, as hath been said above of the butter of Antimony: but those that are diaphoretical may be given without danger to Old and Young, to those that are in health, and to the sick; in any affliction that requires sweat; as in the Plague, Morbus Gallicus, Scorbute, Leprosy, Feavers, &c. The Dose of them is from 3, 6, 9, 12, grains to 24. with proper vehicles to sweat in the bed; for they do expel as well by sweat, as by urine, all evil humours. And because they that are vomitive are in a greater quantity than those that are diaphoretical, and not so necessary as these, and there may be many more doses out of them; it is necessary to shew you how those that are vomitive may be turned into diaphoretical; and that may be done three wayes; the two former whereof I have before shewed concerning the butter of Antimony made of flowers with spirit of salt, the third is this, viz. put the flowers in a crucible covered, (without luting) lest any thing fall into it, so set them by themselves in a gentle fire, that they melt not, but be made only darkly glow for the space of some hours; then let them cool, for they are become fixed and diaphoretical. Although they had before contracted some yellowness or ash-colour, yet by this means they are made white, fixed, and diaphoretical. Also these flowers are used in stiptick plaisters by reason of their dry nature, with which they are endued.