The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

Take of common Aqua Fortis, which you must rectifie by a Cucurbit, or by a Retort, that it may be bright and clear. Dissolve therein, by boiling in hot Sand, as much cupellated Silver as it will dissolve; but you are to note here, that there must not be any Copper at all in the Silver, for it would spoil the Medicament. Into the Solution pour strong and well rectified Spirit of Sal-Armoniack, so long till the Aqua Fortis makes no more Ebullition. When all the tissing and noise is over, there will be about the half part of the Silver precipitated, and settled to the bottom, and will be of an ashy colour. Place the Glass in Sand, put Fire thereunder, and boil the precipitated Silver with the Menstruum, in which boiling there will separate yet more Silver out of the Menstruum, and the residue will remain dissolved up in the Menstruum, which is to be filtered through Cap paper, and then to be evaporated by little and little in Sand, that all the humidity may be abstracted.

N. B. The Aqua Fortis and Spirit of Sal-Armoniack, turn into a liquid and volatile Salt, and have lost their corroding property, which Salt hath introverted the Silver, and drawn its bitterness forth, insomuch that both Salts are converted into one bitter and green Salt. This Salt must be dissolved, filtered, and purified by pouring Water thereon, and again drawing it off; and being hereby rendred more pure, it resolves it self in the cold Air into a green and bitter Liquor, one drop of which is able to make a whole Cupfull of Wine bitter. And this Wine being drunk is profitable to the Stomach, causeth quiet Sleep, dissipates Windiness, and keeps the Belly Soluble.

N. B. This Salt guilds over Glasses, and other glazed Vessels with Silver, nor does it vanish away but remains constant. It likewise performs other considerable effects in Alchymy, as may be seen in my other Writings, but especially in the second part of my Furnaces, of the last Edition. And thus do I leave the Guests to their rest, that they may Sleep even till broad Day-light.

The Sun being up, and some of the Guests being very droughty or thirsty with their Yesternight Surfeiting, and being tormented with overmuch Heat; they endeavour to extinguish this Inflammation of the Liver, with cold Fountain Water, or with small Beer, or with hungry and sharpning Wine. Others send to the Apothecaries for some Syrup of Roses, or Violets, and mix that with Fountain Water, and so drink it off. But the burning hot Liver is presently smitten with a sudden horrour, the Stomach is refrigerated, and beset with clammy Humours, and most an end the Limbs are debilitated, the Skin becomes Scabby and cold Feavers possess the Stomach. Instead therefore of such like drink, I will here substitute a far better cooling Potion, which shall not hinder the health, as those do, but be profitable to the same.

Take one pound of Spirit of Salt, not of that yellow, unrectified Spirit that is sold in the Shops, but of our well rectified Spirit; wherein dissolve as much Tartar as it will associate unto it self in a gentle boiling; filter the Solution through Cap-paper, that so all the Fœces which were in the Tartar, may abide in the Paper, and the Spirit of Salt itself together with the [dissolved] Tartar may pass through, bright and clear; if the Solution stands long in a cold place, part of the Tartar will shoot into Crystals, and part thereof will remain mixt with the Spirit of Salt, and give it a gratefull vinous Acidity. If you use white Tartar then the said Spirit will remain white, red Tartar tingeth the same with the colour of a Ruby. N. B. The Spirit of Salt is of such a nature, as that it makes all colours more fair. You may therefore use red Tartar to make this Potion withall, because of the loveliness of the colour, wherewith it tingeth the Spirit of Salt, for as to the virtues and efficacy of them, there is no difference to be found between them.

This Tartarized Spirit of Salt is very sweet, and tasts like an acid Wine, some drops of which, being drunk in cold Fountain Water, will not at all hurt the Liver: nor will it onely allay the droughtiness and thirst, but also stir up in the Stomach an Appetite to meat and drink. And therefore I do commend this Tartarized Spirit of Salt, beyond all other thirst-allaying Remedies, and it may be taken safely and pleasantly, both Summer and Winter, because the unripe and acid Wines being drunk with Fountain Water and Sugar, do refrigerate the Stomach, and load it with tenacious humours, and weaken the Appetite, and hinder digestion.

Most profitable therefore is this our Spirit unto those, who daily drinking much Ale, may always mix a little of the same with their Ale. For it makes the Ale to tast like an acidish Wine, it allays thirst, so that there will not need such a guzling in of so great a quantity of thick Ale, it discusseth Wind, expells Urine, hinders the generation of the Stone in the Bladder and Reins, and if it be already generated it dissolves and consumes the same, and by little and little drives out the same with the Urine. Being administred to such as are troubled with the Feaver, Gout, Stone, and Scurvy, and that in all their drink, it is a pleasant and profitable Remedy. Concerning the use of which, you may find more spoken in my Treatise, intituled, The Consolation of Sailors.

Now besides all this, there is yet one thing more that I shall here admonish you of; namely, that by the Spirit of Salts help may a Remedy be administred to many more hurtfull disorders, but especially in the stead of those sharpish Waters, unto which, Men are wont to come from far and undertake long Journeys, losing their most pretious time and Money, neglecting their Calling, their Houshold Affairs, their Wife and Children, upon the bare hope of recovering their former Health: Whereas notwithstanding, the Spirit of Salt well prepared with Tartar, and having a little Steel Powder put thereinto, will perform the very same effect as the Calibeat Waters are wont to do, and so they may avoid the loss of so much expences, and of their pretious time; and thus every one may discharge and follow his own Calling and Domestick Affairs, and yet for all that, be cured by the help of the Tartarized and Chalibeat Spirit of Salt which openeth the Obstructions of the Liver and Spleen.

But what shall I say much for? Some haply there are that go the more willingly to those Waters every year for other reasons. Such as have old chiding Wives at Home, that take it very ill if their Husbands do but stir out of Doors, and are continually a plaguing them with Scoldings and ill Words, have not these think you great reason to seek some Diversion?

Young Women also love to visit these Waters and Baths, who meeting not with so much heat in their feeble and aged Husbands, as to beget them with Child, betake themselves to those Waters and Baths, where at all times they meet with active strong Companions, full of strength and Metal, who without doubt do frequent the said places, for this very end, namely, to apply warm suppositories to those cold Women, and uterine emplasters to make them Fruitfull, and to take away Sterility. Such kind of Dames being restored to their former health, and returned Home, their Husbands find (after some few Months) how effectual the use of those Waters have been upon their Wives.