Of the Tartarised spirit of Antimony.
A much better spirit yet may be made of Tartar, salt nitre, and Antimony, a like quantity being taken of each and made into fine powder, and mixed well together, which though it be not so pleasant to take, is therefore not to be despised. For not only in the plague and feavers, but also in all obstructions and corruptions of blood it may be used with admiration of its speedy help.
The Caput Mortuum may be taken out, and melted in a crucible, and it will yield a Regulus, the use whereof is described in the fourth part. Out of the scoria or dross a red Tincture may be extracted with spirit of wine, which is very useful in many diseases. But before you extract with spirit of wine, you may get a red lixivium out of it with sweet water, which lixivium may be used externally for to mend the faults of the skin and to free it from scabbiness.
Upon this lixivium if you pour Vinegar or any other acid spirit, there will precipitate a red powder, which if it be edulcorated and dryed may be used in physick. It is called by some sulphur auratum diaphoreticum: but it is no Diaphoretick, but maketh strong vomits, and so in case of necessity, when you have no better medicine at hand, it may be used for a vomitory from 6, 7, 9, 10, 15.
Also out of the scoria there may be extracted a fair Sulphur with the spirit of urin and distilled over the Limbeck, which is very good for all diseases of the lungs.
Of Stone-coles.
If you mix stone-coales with a like quantity of salt nitre, and distill them, you will get an admirable spirit and good to be used outwardly; for it cleanseth and consolidateth wounds exceedingly, and there will also come over a metallical vertue in the form of a red powder, which must be separated from the spirit, and kept for its use. But if you cast in stone-coles alone by themselves, and distill them, there will come over not only a sharp spirit, but also a hot and blood red oyl, which doth powerfully dry and heal all running ulcers; especially it will heal a scald head better than any other medicine, and it doth consume also all moist and spongious excrescencies in the skin, where ever they be: but if you sublime stone-coles in the furnace described in the first part, there comes over, an acid metallical spirit, and a great deal of black light flores, which suddenly stanch bleeding, and used in plaisters, are as good as other metallical flores.
Of the Sulphureous spirit of salt nitre or Aqua fortis.
If you take one part of sulphur, two parts of nitre, and three parts of vitriol, and distill them, you will get a graduating Aqua fortis, which smelleth strongly of sulphur; for the sulphur is made volatile by the salt nitre and vitriol. It is better for separating of metals, than the common Aqua fortis.
If silver be put in, it groweth black, but not fixed; some of it poured into a solution of silver a great deal of black calx will precipitate, but doth not abide the tryal. You may also abstract a strong sulphureous volatile spirit from it, which hath like vertue as well internally as externally for bathes, and may be used like unto a volatile spirit of Vitriol or Allome.