Whatsoever I have written in this little Book of the compendious extracting of Gold, out of Sand and Stones, is so true, that nothing at all is to be doubted concerning it: Nevertheless after this Treatise was gone to the Press, another way, and that much better came into my mind, by the benefit of which, Gold may be extracted with a much greater expedition, than by the help of the former. Because for the operation of this last way, there is no need of any Kettles or Pans made of a certain singular Metal, but the extraction may be made in quantity without any boyling, in such Vessels as are every where in hand, and may be had, so that one man in one day, may by an easie business perform the extraction of a thousand Pounds weight of Sand. Which method is indeed much to be preferred to the former. Wherefore I could not but also notifie this way of extraction. What seekest thou? If I shall find that those my profitable inventions are gratefully received, I will not neglect officiously to serve the publick, in this present evil Age, and in the worser to come, by publishing the same. With which, benevolent Reader, I commit thee to the Divine Care and Protection. Dated at Amsterdam the 26th. Day of July 1664.
A
Spagyrical Pharmacopœa:
OR
DISPENSATORY.
Being an exact description by what means, profitable, efficacious, and penetrating Medicines may be made, and prepared out of Vegetables, Animals, and Minerals; after an unwonted and easie method.
PART I.
To the well minded Reader.
Some or other will perhaps wonder at, and fain know what the reason should be of my describing this Pharmacopœa Spagyrica, or Chymical Dispensatory, especially when they consider that there are not onely found various preparations of divers Chymical Remedies in my Books that I have published, but also many such innumerable Writings of such kind of businesses, are publick even from the days of old down to this very day, both profitable ones (of which the number is very small) and also unprofitable ones (of which there are a great multitude,) insomuch that it might seem altogether needless to commit to the Press any more matters of that kind. To satisfie such a one that thus enquires, I judge it well worth my while to demonstrate in this place, that it is not onely very profitable, but also highly necessary, well to distinguish between good and tried Medicines, and such as are not proved ones, not because you should neglect, correct, reject, and suppress other Mens Writings, and to esteem highly of mine. No such matter, for I well know that none can give more than he possesseth, and if any one doth (out of a candid mind) bring to light any thing for the profit and benefit of his Neighbour, how vile soever, and mean the thing be, yet is it to be most thankfully accepted of; and therefore let no body be so proud, as to presume upon the rejecting of the industry and labour of another Man, but rather extoll it with praises, though he himself could have done better. And so by what is here spoken, I would hint unto you that the very reason why I have published this small Treatise, is this, viz. that my inventions may reach out an helping hand to poor afflicted mankind, and that I may assist them in a Christian manner, according to the will and command of the most high. And although I have already described the preparation of many profitable Medicines, as well out of Vegetables and Animals, as out of Minerals, in my Philosophical Furnaces, by the use of which in case of necessity, every curable Disease may be sufficiently enough driven out and carried off; yet nevertheless it hath seemed expedient unto me, to set forth this little Work under three Parts, each of which parts shall contain singular Medicaments as for example. The first Part shall comprehend such Medicines, as proceed from Vegetables, the second Part, such as proceed from Animals, and the third Part, such as may be had out of Minerals. And this also is a primary reason why I have comprised each kind of Medicaments in a singular Work or Treatise, because of the envious know-littles, and foolish deriders, and despisers of Art, who reject all Mineral Medicaments, (but they know not their properties) as unsafe at all times, because not taken forsooth out of the wholsome Vegetables, (whose use and virtue [say they] hath been approved for many Ages) but out of the poisonous Minerals and Metals, whereto no trust is to be given, and the use of them too is to this day very rare, and their operation too vehement. Now that I may stop the mouths of these kind of Men, and that they may see and know, that I likewise am well versed in the virtues of Vegetables, and their true preparations, together with their purification and fundamental Anatomy, and with their reduction into most wholsome and most safe Medicaments, I have purposed with my self in my first part of my Spagyrical Dispensatory, to treat of no other things save onely such Medicaments as are made out of known Vegetable Simples, without the addition of any other things, (either Animal or Mineral) as for instance, out of Herbs, Flowers, Roots, Fruits, and Seeds, their separation by Art, and their reduction into a better form. In the second part, we will treat of such things onely as proceed from, and are prepared out of Man, and other Creatures, and such as live in the Air, and also such as live in the Waters. But in the third Part I shall not desist from defending those Medicaments of mine, which I published some years since, and were prepared of Minerals, and shall demonstrate unto you, that they are not at any rate to be shunned or neglected, if rightly prepared and applied, but are to be preferred far before those Medicaments that are prepared out of Vegetables and Animals. To them I will also adjoyn the use and preparations of several other things, which I never as yet made mention of. Nor do I doubt but that the eyes of the blind will sometime or other be opened, so as to see the truth, and confess it and love it, to the doing whereof, I pray God, that Eternal, Immutable, and durable Light, the Father and defender of the truth to help us. Amen.