Of the use of the crystals of silver.
These crystals may safely be used in Physick alone by themselves 3, 6, 9, 12. graines thereof being mixed with a little sugar, or else made up into pills; they do purge very gently and without danger; but by reason of their bitterness they are somewhat untoothsome to take; also, if they be not made up into pills, they colour the lips, tongue and mouth quite black (but the reason of that blackness belongeth not to this place to treat of, but shall by and by follow hereafter). Also if they touch metals, as Silver, Copper and Tin, they make them black and ugly, and therefore they are not much used. But if you put into the solution of silver (before it be reduced into Crystals) half as much quicksilver as there was of the silver, and so dissolve them together and afterwards let them shoot together, there will come forth very fair little square stones like unto Allome, which do not melt in the air, as the former foliated ones use to do; neither are so bitter, and they purge also quicker and better, than those that are made only of silver.
How to sublime the Crystals of silver into flores, and then to make a good Medicine of the flores.
Take of the foliated Crystals of Silver as many as you please, and upon a grinding stone made warm first, grind as much purified and well dryed salt nitre amongst it, then put into your Iron distilling vessel (to the pipe whereof there is to be applyed and luted a great receiver) coles made into powder two inches high, and make a fire under it, that the vessel every where together with the coles that are in it, become red hot. Then take off the lid, and with a ladle throw in at once of your Crystals of silver ʒ i. more or less, according as you think that your receiver in regard of its bigness is able to bear. This done, presently put on the lid, and the salt nitre together with the crystals of silver will be kindled by the coles that lye on the bottom of the vessel, and there will come forth a white silver fume through the pipe into the receiver, and after a while when the cloud is vanished in the receiver, cast in more, and continue this so long, and until all your prepared silver is cast in; then let it cool, and take off the receiver, and pour into it good Alcolized spirit of wine, and wash the flores with it out of the receiver, and proceed further with them, as above you have been taught to proceed with the gold, and you will get a greenish liquor, which is very good for the brain.
Take the coles out of the distilling vessel, and make them into fine powder, and wash them out with water, to the end that the light cole-dust may be got from it, and you will find much silver dust (or a great many little silver grains) which the salt nitre could not force over, which you may reduce, for it will be good silver.
There may also be made a very good medicine out of the crystals of silver, which will be little inferior to the former, whereby the diseases and infirmities of the brain may be very well remedied, which is done thus.
How to make a green oyl out of Silver.
Pour upon Crystals of silver twice or thrice as much (in weight) of the strongest spirit of Salt Armoniack, put it in a glass with a long neck well closed, into a very gentle warmth for the space of 8. or 14. days in digestion, and the spirit of salt Armoniack will be tinged with a very fair blew colour from the silver, then pour it off, and filtre it through brown paper, and then put it in a little glass retort or glass body, and abstract in Balneo by a gentle fire, almost all the spirit of salt Armoniack (which is still good for use) and there will remain in the bottom a grass-green Liquor, which is to be kept for a Medicine.
But in case that you should miss, and abstract too much of the spirit from the Tincture of silver, so that the Tincture be quite dry and turned to a green Salt, then you must pour upon it again as much of the spirit of Salt Armoniack, as will dissolve the green salt again to a green Liquor, but if you desire to have the Tincture purer yet, then abstract all moistness from it, to a stony dryness: upon which you must pour good spirit of Wine, which will quickly dissolve the stone, and then filtre it, and there will remain feces, and the Tincture will be fairer: from which you must abstract most of the spirit of wine, and the Tincture will be so much the higher in vertue. But if you please, you may distil that green salt or stone (before it be extracted again with that spirit of wine) in a little glass retort, and you will get a subtile spirit and a sharp oyl, and in the bottom of the retort there remaineth a very fusile silver which could not come over.
It is to be admired, that when you pour spirit of salt Armoniack, or spirit of wine upon that stone, for to dissolve it, that the glass comes to be so cold by it, that you hardly are able to endure it in your hand, which coldness in my opinion cometh from the silver (being so well unlockt) which naturally is cold.