The Use of the green Liquor in Alchymy, and for Mechanical Operations.
This green Liquor serveth not only for a medicine, but also for other Chymical operations (for both Copper and glass may be easily and very fairly silvered over therewith) very useful for those that are curious and love to make a shew with fair houshold-stuff; for if you get dishes, trencher-plates, salters, cups and other vessels made of glass, after the same fashion as those of silver use to be made, you may very easily and without any considerable charge silver them over therewith within and without, so that by the eye they cannot be discerned from true silver plate.
Besides the above-related good Medicines, there may be made another and especial good one out of the crystals of silver, viz. dissolving and digesting them (for a space of time) with the universal water, which hath been distilled by nature it self; and is known to every body: and after its digesting for a short time, and change into several colours, there will be found a pleasant essence, which is not so bitter as the above-described green liquor, which is not brought yet by heat to ripeness and maturation.
N. B. In this sweet universal Menstruum, may also all other metals by a small heat and the digestion of a long time be ripened and fitted for Medicines (having first been reduced into their vitriols and salts) and then they are no more dead bodies, but by this preparation have recovered a new Life, and are no more the metals of the covetous, but may be called the metals of the Philosophers, and of the Physicians.
Besides Physick or physical use.
Lastly, there may be many pretty things more effected (besides the medicinal use) by means of the Crystals of silver, viz. when you dissolve them in ordinary sweet rain water, you may dye beards, hair, skin, and nails of men or beasts into carnation or pink red, brown and black, according as you have put more or less thereof in the water; or else, according as the hair was more or less times wetted therewith, whereby the aspect of Man and Beast (which sometimes in several occasions may not be contemned) is changed, so that they cannot be known.
This colouring or dye may be also performed with Lead or Mercury no less than with silver, but otherwise prepared, whereof in the fourth part.
Now I have taught how to make flores and tinctures of gold and silver by help of the acid spirit of Nitre. There may be many other medicines taught to be made out of them, but in regard that they belong not to this place, they shall be reserved for other places of this second, and also for the other following parts.
As by the help of the spirit of Nitre, good Medicines may be made out of gold and silver, so the like may be done out of other inferiour metals. But in regard that their description is fitter for other places of this Book, I omit them here. Yet nevertheless, I thought good to describe one preparation of every metal; after Silver therefore followeth now Copper.