Take one part of salt, two parts of sulphur, and four parts of salt nitre, grind all together, and cast in one spoonful after another to distil, and it will yield a sharp yellow spirit, which if it be put among common water, so that the water be not made too sharp of it, it is a good bath, good for many diseases; especially it healeth all scabs very suddenly. The Caput Mortuum may also be dissolved in water and used among bathes, and it is good likewise, but the spirit is penetrating, and doth operate suddenly in shrinkings and other defects of the nerves; of such kind of bathes there shall be spoken more in the third part. Also the remaining fixed yellow salt is good to be used in Alchymy; for it graduateth silver by cementing.
To make a spirit, flores and oyl out of salt nitre and Regulus Martis.
Take one part of Regulus Martis stellatus (made of one part of Iron or Steel, and three parts of Antimony, whose preparation is described in the fourth part) and three parts of pure salt nitre, mix and grind all together, and cast it in by little and little to distil, and there will come over a spirit together with a white sublimate, which must be separated with water, as hath been taught above with other flores, and both the spirit and the flores are good to provoke sweat. The remaining Caput Mortuum, (as they usually call it) is not dead, but full of life and vertue, whereby much good may be done both in Physick and Alchymy, as followeth. The remaining Mass, which looks white, and is very sharp and fiery (if the Regulus have been pure, if not, then it will look yellowish) may be edulcorated with fresh water, and it will yield a lixivium or lye in all things like unto calcined Tartar, but sharper and purer, and may be used almost in all operations instead of salt of Tartar (but first the Regulus Antimonii must be precipitated from it by the help of water) and afterward it may be coagulated into salt and kept for its use; the edulcorated, as also that which was precipitated with water is a white and fine powder, useful in the plague, feavers, and other diseases to provoke sweating thereby, and may very safely be used, and although if it be given in a greater quantity than usual, it causes some vomits also, yet for all that it doth no hurt. It is easily taken because it hath no taste. It is given to children from 3, 4, to 12. grains: to elder folks from ℈ ss. to ʒ ss. they work successfully in all diseases, where sweating is needful. This Antimonium Diaphoreticum, may also be melted into glass, and so extracted and dissolved with spirit of salt, and it may be prepared into several good medicaments: and if all that which may be done with it, should be described at large, it would require too much time. The lixivium, if it be coagulated, hath wonderful vertues, so that if one should describe them, he would hardly be credited by any body, because it is not made of costly things; and truly the life of man is too short to find out by experience all that lies hid in it: and it would be but a laughing matter to a proud fool, if one should reveal it: therefore it is better to keep counsel, than to sow strife. Basilius Valentinus in his Triumphant Chariot of Antimony, where he writeth of the signed star, hinted it sufficiently, but very few take notice of it. Paracelsus also, here and there in his books under an unknown name, makes frequent mention of it; but its true preparation and use, by reason of the unthankful was never described by the Philosophers, which for instruction of Good Honest Men we do here mention.
Before you edulcorate the Regulus (made by fulmination) you may extract of it a good medicinal Tincture with spirit of wine, and if you dissolve it with spirit of salt, there will shoot a white foliated Talck in all things like unto the Mineral Talck: whereof a liquor may be made, which coloureth the skin very white, but if this calx of Antimony, before it be extracted with spirit of wine or dissolved with spirit of salt be made into fine powder, and exposed to the moist air, it will dissolve into a fat liquor, which though it be something sharp, yet doth no hurt to the skin, if it be used with discretion, but rather cleanseth it more then any other thing, and so it doth likewise to the hair and nailes; but as soon as the liquor hath been applyed for that purpose, it must be washed off again with water, lest it do not onely take away the gross and unclean skin, but also work upon the tender white skin and do hurt, and therefore I give warning, that you use it discreetly: for according to the old proverb, you may misuse even that which else is good in it self. If you put some of it into warm water and bath your self in it, the gross skin will peal off all the body, so that you will almost seem to be another body. And this bath also is good for many diseases: for it openeth the pores mightily, and cleanseth all the blood in the body, by drawing many ill humors out of it, which maketh a man light and strong, especially if he be purged first, before he useth the bath. It is also good for Melancholy, scurvy and leprosie, especially when the red Tincture drawn out of it with spirit of wine, be used besides. It is also good to be used in a foot bath for those that are troubled with corns and other excrescencies upon their feet, or with nailes that cut the flesh; for it softeneth them and makes them fit for cutting, and as tractable as wax. For there is nothing known under the Sun, which softneth more a hard skin, hair, nailes and other excrescencies, than this oyl. And this I did set down therefore, because I know, that many are so tormented therewith, that they cannot well endure their shoes upon their feet. But if you coagulate this oyl into salt, and melt it in a crucible, and powre it out into a flat brass bason, that it flow at large and may be broken, then you have the best Causticum, to open the skin withal where is need. If you dissolve crude Tartar with it and coagulate it again, you will get a salt which is used in many Chymical operations; and there may be extracted out of it a blood red Tincture with spirit of wine, which proveth very effectual against all obstructions.
Also every combustible sulphur may be easily dissolved with it, and used among bathes, it acteth his part admirably. If any oyl of spices be boyled therewith, then the oyl will dissolve in it, and they turn together to a balsome, which doth mingle it self with water, and is good to be taken inwardly for some infirmities: but women with child must not meddle with it, because it makes them miscarry. But after their delivery, it is good to expel after burthen and other reliques. But if you boyl Oleum ligni Rhodii with this liquor and rose water so long till the oyl do incorporate with the liquor and waters and then separate the watery substance from it, you will get a sope as white as snow, which may be used for to wash the hands with it, and it doth smell very well. You may also wash the head with it; for it strengtheneth the brain and cleanseth the head and hair. This sope may be distilled, and it will yield a penetrating oyl, very good for the sinews and nerves.
Now as this liquor of Regulus Antimonii softneth the skin, nailes, hair, feathers, horns, and the like, and dissolveth them more than any thing in the world: In the like manner also it hath power to dissolve not only metals, but also the hardest stones, but not in that manner which is done by boyling, as was mentioned of sulphur, but after another way, which is not proper for this place. It sufficeth that I hinted it. The fiery fixed salt nitre may be dissolved with spirit of salt or vinegar, and sublimed into a Terra foliata. What further can be effected with it, doth not belong to this place, and perchance some where else more shall be spoken of it.
To distil a Butyrum out of Antimony, Salt and vitriol, like unto that, which is made out of Antimony and Mercury sublimate.
Take one part of crude Antimony, two parts of common salt, and four parts of vitriol calcined white, beat all to powder and mix them well, and so cast it in as you were taught to do with other materials, and there will come over a thick oyl of Antimony like butter, which may be rectified like any other oyl, that is made after the common way with Mercury sublimate, and is also the same with it in use, which use you may see in the first part: the same also may be made better and in a greater quantity in the furnace described in the first part, and also with less coals and time by the help of the open fire, because it endureth greater heat than in the second furnace.
To distil Butyrum of Arsenick and Orpiment.
After the same manner as was taught with Antimony, there may also out of Arsenick and Auripigment together with salt and vitriol a thick oyl be distilled, which not only outwardly but also inwardly is safe to be used, and may be so corrected, that it shall be nothing at all inferior in vertue unto the butyrum Antimonii, but rather go beyond it: which perchance will seem impossible to many. But he that knows the nature and condition of minerals, will not be astonished at my words, but they will be to him as a light in a dark place.