Now it is farther necessary to describe the Virtues which the Spirit of Salt sheweth on Shore; for that which is profitable to the sick on shipboard, is not hurtful for those who dwell at Land: For this spirit may be used in all Houses in their usual drink, as Beer or Wine, especially in these moist Regions, where the Scurvy commonly reigneth; so that there is scarcely an House to be found, in which there is not one at the least infected with this Disease; for the drink is hereby made clear, so that it well dilateth the Urinary passages, moreover hindereth the growing of the stone in the Kidnys and Bladder; it also gives a pleasant taste to the Wine, removeth its superfluous Tartar and precipitateth it to the bottom, so that Spanish and French Wine acquire a clearness like to Rhenish wine. In Summer time, after Liquors have once wrought, it suffereth them not to fret, grow mucous, or work again, but keepeth them from many Accidents. French Wines, as sold in many places, have neither odour nor taste, but good Wine is endowed both with a Vinous relish, and a grateful odour; and when these are wanting, the name agrees not with the thing. But the Spirit of Salt, with the Essence of Wine, conciliates to French wine the smell, taste, and colour of Rhenish wine. Hence also being so meliorated, it will, like Rhenish, keep many years, which otherwise will hardly hold good two years. Moreover, by the spirit of salt that quality may be taken away from Honey, which renders its taste somewhat ungrateful, and its hidden Impurities may be precipitated, so that an excellent wholsom drink may be made of it. Which is a famous Art to be used in those places where there is no wine; for when Honey is well depurated, and the unpleasant taste taken from it, it becomes as a comforting Balsam to Man; as that old Souldier had experienced, whom Alexander asked what he had used to prolong his Life to so great an Age, he answered, That inwardly he had used Honey, and outwardly Oil. And it is evident to many, that there is a great virtue in Honey, but by reason of the unpleasant taste, it is loathed; which yet is removed by the spirit of salt, so that a drink prepared of such pure Honey, is as wholsom as the best wine: which hath also this benefit, that every Housekeeper may have this drink at his Table, at any time of the year. This honied Nectar also holdeth good many years, after the manner of the best Rhenish wine, and is made for a small charge, and will be a great comfort to those who are not able to go to the price of wine. Moreover, every one may make his own drink as strong and as sweet as he pleaseth; which is the principal head of the Art, to take away the ungrateful taste from the Honey, which being removed by the spirit of salt, the drink will become clear, to which you may add a little French or Rhenish wine for taste sake. You may thence also make good Beer, which will hold its goodness 10 or 20 years, or more, viz. if instead of common water you take the water of Hops, to dissolve the purified Honey, to which (if you please) you may give divers tasts, by putting into it divers Herbs, as is wont to be done in wine and beer. But this you are especially to regard, That for this business you do not use unrectified spirit of salt, for such would spoil the taste, and corrupt the drink, but alwaies take that which is well rectify’d, which I have sufficiently taught the manner of doing of, both in this Treatise, and divers other places of my Writings.
NB. There is no need to put the spirit into a Vessel of Wine or Beer, but it sufficeth to keep it in a small glass, and as often as you have occasion to put some drops of it into a Bottle of Wine or Beer, and so to drink of it. Every one therefore may make his drink as he will, by putting in more or less of the spirit, according to his Palate; which doth not only serve to make the wine and beer clear and diuretick, but may also be used in Fountain-water, in hot weather, for the allaying of wine: For if some drops of it be put into a bottle of water, it giveth it a grateful acidity, not much unlike to the natural Mineral acid waters, and in hot weather allayeth the over-great heat of the Blood, and quencheth Thirst, so that there is no need of burdening the stomach with much wine or beer. Also all those drinks, as wine, beer, and water, which are mingled with the well-rectified spirit of salt, are far wholsomer than other ordinary drinks. If a little pure Steel be dissolved in spirit of Salt, and then put to fair water, it will have almost the same taste with the Spaw-water, and if some quantity of it be drank, it looseth the belly, and evacuateth black Excrements, whence a man grows lively and vigorous, as if he had drank of the Spaw-waters.
And this benefit may accrue by it to all Travellers, who carrying with them a little spirit of salt in a glass, may at all times, and in all places, correct and amend their beer or wine in their Tuns, and give it a better relish: But because this spirit is more liable to be lost in a liquid form by any accident befalling the glass, therefore being coagulated into a dry form, it may be more commodiously carried about in a Paper or Box, of which the magnitude of a small Pease drank in one cup of water, quencheth Thirst better than a great quantity of water alone. This spirit or salt will be serviceable to men of all sorts, but to none more than to Seamen or Souldiers, in war-like expeditions, of which sometimes more die through want of water, than by the sword, who also for the most part contract their Diseases from the filths in Ships, which might easily be prevented. What will it profit a Captain of a Man of War, or the Commander of a Merchant-ship to have many men for his defence and service, if they are disabled by a Disease? Were it not then better to use all diligence to preserve their health, and to restore it when lost? Which may be done with small Labour and Cost. A General brings an Army some time into the Field, of 10, 20, or 30 Thousand Men, and seeing that those observe no due order in eating and drinking, and being destitute of Medicines, if the Plague, Fever, or Bloody-Flux comes among them, they drop off one after another like Flies in Winter; when notwithstanding they might be succoured and helped in those Diseases by my Electuary, [This Electuary I think to be the Panacea Antimonij made up with Sugar.] Salt of Salt, or Spirit of Salt, inspissated or thickened with Sugar. The spirit of salt hath alwaies been highly esteemed, both by ancient & modern Physicians, for its great virtues which it sheweth both inwardly & outwardly; besides which, it is of great use in other Arts, as I have shewed in the first and second Part of my Furnaces. And that the Reader may see that I am not singular in what I have ascribed to the spirit of salt, I will here set down the Experience of that no less learned than famous Physician Conradus Kunrath; of the spirit of salt, as he hath expressed it in his Medulla Destillatoria, printed at Hamburgh, Anno 1638. in these words, Part 1. pag. 59.
The Great and Effectual Operations which are attributed to the Spirit or Oil of SALT.
The Spirit or Oil of Salt is not of so acrimonious a taste, as Salt commonly is: Nor hath it so great an acidity as the Spirit of Vitriol, but it tasteth almost like the juice of wild Apples, with somewhat of sweetness intermixt. It discusseth, dissolveth, consumeth, and dryeth, yet it doth not heat too much, but hath a temperate nature, mitigating and comforting the natural heat, which it also encreaseth, and dispelleth all things contrary to Nature, preserveth the state of sound humours unhurt, especially profitable for those who are phlegmatick, whose viscous Saburra of humidities it consumeth, taketh away Catarrhs which fall from the Head, and preserveth from all Diseases which arise from a noxious Pituity, Mucor, and Fluxes. Yea, those who use labour and study, shall perceive their Strength to be restored by it, and as it were renewed.
Experience, the Mistris of things, witnesseth, That it is a present Remedy against the Falling-sickness, being administred in good Aqua-vitæ: Against the Apoplexy, Palsie, or loss of Speech; as also the trembling and beating of the Heart, and all dejections of Mind; as also in the time of the Plague, or in any infectious Air, it may be administred with profit, by mixing half an ounce of the Spirit or Oil of Salt with two ounces of the Juice of Violets, and as much of the Electuary of Juniper-berries, in a Stone or Glass Mortar, and the Patient taking the quantity of a Filberd in the morning upon an empty stomach.
This Compound-Medicine being given to Women with Child, facilitateth the Birth, and is highly profitable against various symptoms of Women in Child-bed, without any danger. If any desire to preserve their native heat, let them often use this Alexipharmack.
Whoever is burdened with superfluous moisture, let him take this Spirit or Oil of Salt daily, in Wine or some other Vehicle.
In Coldness, and continual Fluxes, which stop up the Breast, it conduceth much, and taketh away inveterate Coughs and grievous Asthma’s, which are stirred up by those Fluxes. It dissolveth, consumeth, and dissipateth depraved humours, collected and indurated in the stomach: and although of it self it communicateth little nourishment, yet it excites the Stomach to a good Appetite, and disposeth the Meat to a good digestion and passage through the body.