Dissolve some pounds of this pure Tartar in cold water, so as to make it sufficiently acid. Put this Solution in some warm place, or rather in Horse-dung, or in a warm Balneo, that the Tartar may begin to putrefie and lost its acidity, and get a kind of sweetishness, which before it will come to be, there is required the time of some months. After it hath thus putrefied, and lost its acidity, all the unprofitable Water is to be evaporated by a Balneum, untill it become a thick and black Juice like Honey; the which being set in the Glass in Sand, and being urged with a stronger fire than was made in the Balneo, will yield a fiery Spirit, and such an one as will mix it self with Gold dissolved in Spirit of Salt, and will separate the purer parts by digestion, and draw them to it self, from the more gross parts, and so will perform its office in Medicine even to most high admiration. For any one may easily conjecture that the most pure parts of Wine, Salt, and Gold will operate no evil effect.
What it will perform in Metalline affairs, I doe not as yet know; But, without question, if it be rightly administred, and duely made use of, it will play its part very notably.
This operation before set down, seems easie to be done, if barely looked on outwardly, but there’s more labour and trouble in it than one would imagine. Such as have not the gift of patience, and knows not what belongs to patient working, may forbear this labour. For the putrefaction proceeds on very slowly, and there is required the knowledge of a matter precipitating Tartar, without which it will never suffer it self to be precipitated and purged, ’tis an hard thing to find, but he that knows it, it renders him all his labour facile and easie. Any impure Tartar, whether it be white or red, may be so washed in one or two hours space, and so purged, that (losing nothing save its Fæces) it will become most white, and much more apt for many operations. But my time will not admit of treating farther of these affairs, it may (God willing) be done afterwards in another place.
However, thus much I will yet add more; That if Spirit of Wine brought to the highest purity, so as to retain no filthy savour or odour, be in a due quantity conjoyned by the help of common Water with this excellently well depurated Tartar, there will result from them two a drink of a most excellent savour, like to natural Wine, and may be used instead of wholsome Wine. This would be a most profitable thing for those that travel, had they but that Spirit of Wine, and that so excellently well prepared Tartar. For there is Water to be had in all places, and so they may at all times and every where make themselves good Wine, yea so good and so strong as they please, according as they add more or less of that Spirit and Tartar.
N. B. This Art would be very profitable for the cold Countries, in which Countries, in the want of Spirit of Wine, because no Wine grows there, the Spirit of Corn will perform the same. The chiefest knack is, to be furnished with that Tartar, which by an easie Solution enters into (or is dissolved in) the Water. But this is a business of a greater moment than to be divulged. I have already opened to some the manner of preparing such a Tartar, who make it in plenty, and so any one may easily get from them as much as they shall need.
Besides the use of that kind of Tartar, conduceth to the accomplishing of many other things, but not to be spoken of, lest it should prove a detriment to such as know it. But I doe here truely and sincerely affirm, that whosoever he be that can without wast and cost so prepare the common vulgar Tartar, he will be hereby able to get his food and rayment, and other necessaries for life, wheresoever and in what Country soever he shall abide. This thing will in process of time have a farther progress, and many will by the benefit thereof live more happily, and perform things incredible. I have made a beginning, and the Mice shall never gnaw off what I have here written, but contrarily my Successors shall enjoy the same to God’s glory, even to the Worlds end, and will in the first place thank God, and next him, me, as being the Authour and Revealer of the same. I could reveal many most profitable things that might be done by such a Tartar, were it not for injuring such as get their living by it, and which for certain causes are not at present to be mentioned. I have said enough to Wise men, and as for deriders and mockers, I have said too much, for they will say all are Lies, because they know not how to doe thus.
As to what appertains to the use of this here described Liquor, conjoyned of Gold, Tartar, and Salt, it may serve instead of Aurum Potabile, in all Sicknesses, and may be profitably administred, in corroborating the vital Spirits; for it doth not discover its Vertues by a remarkable and visible operation, but it strengthens the Body, and doth very gently drive out Urine and Sweat, and seldom is it that it provokes to stool, unless it be given in a strong Dose. The Dose is from one, two, three, six, nine Drops, even to a Scruple, according as the Sick is, in Water, Wine, or Ale, or other Liquors, in a Morning upon a fasting Stomach, and at Evening after Supper, for some days together. It keeps the Body open, and strengthens the Brain, and all the Members. But principally (before the use of this Liquor) the Body be well purged with good purging Remedies, such as are my purging Gold, and purging Lune, because then this Medicine of the said Golden Liquor operates far better, and more profitably. In using it, you are to observe whether or no the Excrements become black, if not, the Dose is so long to be augmented or continued untill the Excrements that come away be of a black Colour. Moreover, the Disease decreasing, the Dose is to be lessened by little and little, according as necessity or the disease requires.
These things I thought good, at this time, to publish in the Fourth Part of my Spagyrical Pharmacopœa. I entreat that every one would take in good part these few Medicinal Secrets, but of very wide and large extent. And, God willing, my Third Century will shortly come abroad and present you with a Manifestation of more excellent Medicines, and other profitable Secrets.
The End of the Fourth Part.