How by the benefit of this secret Vegetable Fire, the Microcosmick Mercury may be corrected, freed from its nauseous stink, and converted into a sweet Medicine.
Rectifie Spirit of Urine as highly as you can, according to my Prescripts, largely described in the Book of Furnaces. To this Animal Mercury add five fold or six fold its weight of our Vegetable Fire, with which fill a Pan, and kindle this Fire under our Philosophick Alembick; then will our Fire burn up all the nauseous stink of the Animal Mercury, so as it will ascend with a gratefull odour and tast. If it be not to your mind the first time, commit the same to this purgation a second time, and make it pass over; then you will find your Animal Mercury sweet, by virtue of which you will be able to do great things in Medicine, because it forcibly penetrates. Therefore a diligent Physician should not be ignorant of the use of this. It is known that Spirit of Urine doth much good in Medicine yet it is commonly abhorred by reason of its unpleasant tast. But when it hath sustained the trial of our Philosophick purgation, then it ascends into its Heaven, that is, into the Alembick without stink. Also by help of this purgation, all other fœtid, bitter and unsavoury Vegetable, Mineral, and Animal Subjects, may be purged, rendred sweet, pleasant, and gratefull, as the following examples will prove.
CHAP. VI.
Recipe of common Sulphur, Tartar, and Niter, of each one pound, pulverise, mix and decrepitate them in a Crucible, kindling them on the top, otherwise they will fulminate. When decrepitated, melt and pour out the mixture, reduce it to Powder, and extract thence the Tincture with Spirit of Wine. Burn away the Spirit of Wine under the Philosophick Alembick, and what ascends reserve for your use in Medicine. What remains in the bottom will be sweet and void of all evil savour, because the Spirit of Wine hath burnt up all the stink. This Medicine is a most excellent Diaphoretick.
CHAP. VII.
How the Tincture or Soul of Antimony may be purified by the benefit of this Vegetable Fire.
Recipe of Antimony, Tartar, and Niter, of each alike; decrepitate, melt, pulverise, and extract the Tincture, which cause to pass through this Purgatory Fire, and you will have a safe Medicine against all Diseases. But if you would render it yet more excellent, to this Antimony (which hath already once sustained that Purgation) again add its own weight of Tartar and Niter; decrepitate, melt, extract, and cause it to burn as before, and you will have your Medicine more excellent. And if you shall repeat this labour the third time, you will have it far more excellent, for every time there are some Fæces deposited, whence the Medicine becomes more efficacious.
As is said of Sulphur and Antimony, so also all other stinking and bitter Subjects; yea the stinking Dungs of Animals may be so purified as to become sweet. But there is no necessity to speak hereabout in this place. For whosoever studiously searcheth for some famous Medicine, will easily find some excellent thing, so as he may attain both Riches and Honour according to his wish.
CHAP. VIII.
How by help of the Vegetable Fire, Mineral Fires may be extinguished, and the corrosive fiery disposition of them converted into sweetness.