By this way you will get an excellent Vitriol out of silver, which from 4, 5, 6, to 10. grains used only of it self, will be a good purge, especially in diseases of the brain.
If you have a good quantity of it, that you may distill a spirit thereof, you will get not only an acid (or sowre) but also a volatile spirit, which in the infirmities of the brain is most excellent; that which in the distilling remains behind, may be reduced again into a body, so that you lose nothing of the silver, save onely that which is turned into spirit.
Moreover, the acid (or sowre) oyl of common Vitriol, doth precipitate all metals and stones of beasts or fishes; also pearls and corals, they being first dissolved in spirit of salt or of Nitre, and maketh fair light powders of them (which by the Apothecaries are called Magisteries) much fairer than by precipitation with salt of Tartar is done, especially of corals and pearls, such a fair glistering and delicate powder is made; and likewise also of mother of pearl, and other shels of snailes, that it giveth as fair a gloss to them, as the fairest oriental pearls have; which way hath not been made common hitherto, but being known only to few, hath been kept very secret by them, as a singular Art. Such Magisteries commonly were precipitated out of vinegar only by salt of Tartar, which for lightness, whiteness and fair gloss are not comparable at all to ours: But if instead of the oyl of Vitriol you take oyl of sulphur, then these powders will be fairer than when they are done by the oyl of Vitriol, in so much, that they may be used for painting for a black skin.
Having made mention of Magisteries, I cannot forbear to discover the great abuse and error, which is committed in the preparing of them.
Paracelsus in his Archidoxes teacheth to make Magisteries, which he calleth extracted Magisteries: but some of his disciples teach to make precipitated Magisteries which are different from the former. Paracelsus is clean of another opinion in the preparing of his Magisteries, than others in the making of theirs: doubtless Paracelsus his Magisteries were good cordial living medicines, whereas the other are but dead carkases, and although they be never so fair, white and glistering, yet in effect they prove but a gross earthy substance, destitute of vertue.
I do not deny, but that good medicines may be extracted out of pearls and corals, for I my self also do describe the preparations of some of them; but not at all after such a way as theirs is. For what good or exalting can be expected by such a preparation, where a stony matter is dissolved in corrosive waters, and then precipitated into stone again? Can its vertue be increased thereby? surely no, but rather it is diminished, and made much the worse thereby. For it is well known, that the corrosive spirits (no less than fire) do burn some certain things; for not all things are made better by fire or corrosives, but most of them are absolutely spoyled by them. Some perchance will say, that such preparations of Magisteries are onely for to be reduced into a finer powder, that so much the sooner they may perform their operation. To which I answer, that pearls, corals, and other things of the like nature, if they be once dissolved by corrosive waters, and then precipitated and edulcorated, never or hardly can be dissolved again by acid spirits. Whence it is evident that by such preparations they are not opened or made better, but rather closed or made worse. And we see also by daily experience that those Magisteries do not those effects, which are ascribed unto them. By which it appeareth clearly, that to the Archeus of the stomach they are much less grateful than the crude unprepared corals and pearls; whose tender essence being not burnt up by corrosives, do oftentimes produce good effects. For our Ancestors have ascribed unto corals and pearls, that they purifie the impure and corrupt blood in the whole body, that they expel Melancholly and sadness, comforting the heart of man, and making it merry, which also they effectually perform: whereas the Magisteries do not. And this is the reason, why unprepared corals, pearls and stones of fishes have more effect, than the burnt Magisteries. For it is manifest and well known, that the abovesaid diseases for the most part do proceed from obstructions of the spleen, which obstructions are nothing else, but a tartarous juice or a sowre flegme which hath possessed and filled up the entrals, and coagulated it self within them. By which obstruction not only head-ach, giddiness, panting of the heart, trembling of the limbs, a spontaneous lassitude, vomits, unnatural hunger; also, loathing of victuals; then cold, then hot flushing fits, and many more strange symptomes are caused; but also a most hurtful rottenness and corruption is introduced into the whole mass of blood, from whence the leprosie, scurvey, and other loathsome or abominable scabs do spring.
Of which evil the onely cause (as hath been said) is a crude acid Tartar, from which so many great diseases do rise.
This to be so may easily be proved; for it is notorious, that melancholick folks, hypocondriaques, and others do often cast up a great quantity of acid humor, which is so sharpe that no vinegar is comparable to it, and doth set their teeth on such an edge, as if they had eaten unripe fruit.
What remedy now? take away the cause and the disease is taken away. If you could take away the peccant matter by purgings, it would be well, but it remaineth obstinate and will not yield to them. By vomit it may be diminished in some measure. But because that not every one can abide vomiting, it is therefore no wisdome to turn evil into worse. Shall then this tartar be killed and destroyed by contraries, which indeed in some sort may be effected; as when you use vegetables or animals, whose vertue consisteth in a volatile salt: such are all species or sorts of cresses, Mustard-seed, horse-radish, scurvy grass, also the spirit of Tartar, of Harts-horn, and of urine and the like, which by reason of their penetrating faculty pass through all the body, finding out the Tartar thereof, destroying the same, as being contrary unto it; and in this combat two contrary natures is kindled, a great burning heat, whereby the whole body is throughly heated and brought to sweating; and whensoever by these contraries a sweating is caused, there is always mortified some of this hurtful Tartar. But because that of that acid humor but a little at a time can be mortified and edulcorated by contrary volatile spirits, and that therefore it would be required to use them often, for to kill and expell all the Tartar; and because also (as hath been mentioned before) a strong sweat always is caused by every such operation, whereby the natural spirits are much weakened, so that the patient would not be able to hold out long thereby, but by taking away of one evil, another and greater one would be occasioned.
And therefore such things must be offered to that hungry acid humour, by which the corrosive nature thereof, may be mortified and grow sweet, with that proviso nevertheless, that those things be such as are not contrary or hurtful to the nature of man, but grateful and friendly, as are corals, pearls and crabs eyes, &c.