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

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

Antimony is by so much the better and nobler, by how much the longer and fairer Rays or Stria’s it appears to be of, and therefore such is of greater efficacy in medicine than all other sorts. To this therefore being powdered, pour so much of the nitrous fire as may serve to dissolve it; the which fire will presently even in the cold, begin the work of its dissolving. When that is done, put the glass in warm sand that all the Antimony may be dissolved, and its yellow sulphur may swim at top of the solution like a yellow powder. The solution being cold, strain it thorough a pure linnen cloath, and the sulphur will stay behind in the cloath, and hath its peculiar use in Medicine and Alchymy. But to the solution pour common water, thereby to quench and weaken the nitrous fire, so that the Antimony may fall down to the bottom, in the form of a tender and snow-white powder; the which being well washed and dried, may be made use of as a Panacæa to drive away many diseases: For it operateth with a singular efficacy by all the Emunctories, but yet very safely, unless any one doth too foolishly and unskilfully abuse the administration; It is also endued with all those virtues that I have ascribed to my red Panacæa.

LXXXIX. By what means the con-centred fire of Kitchin salt drives over Antimony in a retort like Butter, and affordeth a matter of profitable use in Medicine and Alchymy.

Pour upon the Regulus of Antimony beaten into a powder, the heavy con-centrated oil of common salt, the which being again drawn off thencefrom in a retort by distillation, brings over with it as much of the Regulus of the Antimony as it can, and ascendeth like a thick Butter. It is a mighty fire, and very fit for the ripening of some immature metals; and withall is most profitable in Surgery, and lays a good Basis and foundation for the curing of incurable and cancerous Ulcers. If you pour water upon this oil, the Antimony precipitateth out of it, in the form of a white powder; and is to be afterwards well washed and dried; so that being reduced into that white powder, it becomes a good medicament to be used in all those diseases, wherein the aforesaid medicaments are appliable; but with this caution, that it be given but in a very small dose, because it is of a more powerfull operation than the aforegoing medicaments prepared by the help of the nitrous fire are of, and that for this reason, because the oil of common salt makes things fugacious or flying, but the nitrous fires renders them more constant in the fire.

XC. The way of turning mercury into a red, and strongly purging medicament by the operation of the nitrous fire.

Abstract two or three parts of our nitrous fire, from one part of purged mercury, by distillation in a glass cucurbit; and it will make the mercury far more fixt than if Aqua Fortis were many times drawn off therefrom by distillation. This red mercury is to be freed from its saltiness with common water, and so becomes a strong purge, and is to be used in a small dose of one, two, three, or at the most four grains, and effecteth the cure of Morbus Gallicus, and other such like loathsome diseases.

After the same manner there may be easily prepared, not onely sundry and excellent medicaments, by the operation of our moist fires, but there may be likewise done things of great moment in Alchymy and other arts; concerning which time will not permit me at this present to make a more ample narration of, but I will remit it to the next following Centuries.

Now forasmuch as I call in this Treatise the concentrated spirits of salt, moist fires, and yet as to their outward shape they represent no shew of fire at all; I deem it necessary to shew by a more firm demonstration, that they abound not onely with fiery virtues, but also are (after their inside is turned outwards, and their outside inwards) true, visible, palpable, and sensible fires, but especially the nitrous fire, which best of all confirms this our opinion and saying, it being prepared by the Chymick Art and operation out of a fiery subject.

XCI. The way of converting or turning the internal and yellow colour of our moist and white nitrous fire from the inmost parts, outward, and making it visible.

That there is hidden a yellowness and redness in niter, is not beyond the reach of any ones capacity, but it is very easily likely, and credible. For seeing that salt peter is a solar child, it must necessarily answer to [or resemble] its father the Sun in colour, form, virtue and efficacy, if it would purchase belief with any one as to its original and nativity. But salt peter shines with a white colour, but the Sun is clad with a yellow garment and shines like the fire; insomuch that there is no correspondency or likeness of colours, though otherwise there is found the greatest similitude in burning, and in ripening all things. This onely being the difference between salt peter and the Sun, the one, viz. the peter doth particularly onely augment, ripen and advance all things; but the Sun doth universally bestow on all things, life, increase or growth, and nutriment, but yet the salt his companion is an helping assistant as shall be evidently proved in the end of this book.

I do verily believe, that if it were an easily accomplishable thing by us, viz. to extravert the internal and innate redness in salt peter outwards, and to separate the same from its unclean and gross body, and knew we how to render it fix and constant, we should perform things of most great moment, in an universal way.