Of the subtil and most penetrating Medicinal Spirits of Metals.
In my little Book of Fires, and also in my fifth Part of the Spagyrick Pharmacopœa, I have indeed made some mention of volatile Spirits, but for brevity sake concealed the method of preparing. When I considered, that such Works were judged by many impossible, I thought it would be worth while here to insert the Preparation of them; and that onely from one Metal, that every Man may see the Verity of all the other. For whosoever is desirous to operate in Metals, he may be able by this one Process sufficiently to learn so much Skill, as it will not be difficult for him to extract such volatile Spirits from other Metals also.
The way of preparing the volatile Spirits of Metals.
Recipe of the Steel Wyars, which the Needlemakers cannot use, one Pound, which so heat in the Fire, as all squallidness and filth may be burned away. Afterward put them into a glass Body, and pour on them of the hereafter described dissolving Water 4, or 5, Pound. Place the Vessel in Balneo or in Sand, and administer Fire so to it, as the Water in the Glass surrounding the Steel may wax hot and not boil; then the Water preys upon the Iron to be dissolved. For in this Operation the Steel is dissolved, and fermented like new Beer or Wine. In this Fermentation a certain most subtil Spirit of Mars ascends, without any corrosive, breathing a very strong Odour, and endued with a Taste vehemently penetrating. For such a Spirit so penetrates the Tongue, as the taste long remains, although a Man wash his mouth, yet this taste is not unpleasant. By penetrating the Body of him that takes it down, it provokes Sweat copiously, opens obstructions of the Liver, Spleen and Lungs, and comforts the vital Spirits and Stomach. Also it is admirably conducent to the Health of those, who are accustomed to drink Wine mixt with Water; because it gives the Wine a gratefull Taste, and that far better, than the best of sowrish Springs are able to perform. If any one knows how to fortifie, or concentrate this Spirit by Rectification, he will be able to effect wonders by the benefit of it; which indeed yields not to be so readily concentrated, as Spirit of Wine: as you shall hear anon, yet it is possible.
The Water is prepared in this manner.
Recipe of common Salt one Pound, which dissolve in 4, or 5 Pound of common Water, and pour upon it half a Pound of Oil of Vitriol, to which superadd some Steel-wyar, and thence by distilling separate the Water; then no sharp Spirits will ascend with the Water, but all the corrosive will remain with the Mars, and nothing ascend but a subtil Spirit void of Corrosion. This moveth admiration, that of such an hard and fixed Metal, with the help of so gentle heat, should ascend such a flying and penetrating Spirit. But it is more to be admired, that this white, volatile and penetrating Spirit, in a few hours space, is able to turn it self into a fixed red Tincture: yet you will find this incredible Miracle verified, thus.
Fill a glass Body above half full with our Spirit of Mars, yet take no more of it than 5 or 6 Pound, because that would be more than is needfull for Probation. Place the Body, with its Head luted well in Sand, and distil off almost the Water by Ascent, so as onely half a Pound may be left remaining in the bottom. Take what ascends out of the Receiver, and you will find it endewed with little more taste than Rain-water; and that because the volatile Spirit in this Abstraction or Decoction is separated from the Water, and again converted into a fixed Body, viz. A most red Powder. Which red Powder is indeed a true Tincture, yet it hath no ingress into Metals, unless that be procured to it by the help of Gold. Hence is fulfilled the Precept of Philosophers thus teaching: Make the fixed volatile, and render the volatile fixed. What, I pray, is more fixed than Iron? What more volatile than its Spirit? And lastly, what more constant in Fire, than the Spirit again fixed into a red Tincture?
Note: Whensoever the Glass with the remaining Water, in which the red Powder is, shall by motion be disturbed, the Water will seem to be blew, which blew colour ariseth onely from the Tincture, which by that agitation is dissipated into most small Atoms. For when the Tincture red as Blood is again setled in the bottom, the Water stands above it white as before. Touching this flaming Sulphur Cosmopolita thus speaks: When Philosophers have freed their Sulphur from his tenebrous Prison, and see him swimming in his own Sea, they adore him, that is, are delighted with his Beauty. But whosoever would operate any thing to purpose, it will be expedient for him to provide in readiness a good quantity of this Water, because from ten pound of this Water, there is no more than one Scruple of our Sulphur to be expected. Which Avicen, in his advice to his Son observed, saying, he had need to procure to himself sixty pounds of that Water before he began his Work. Touching which also Bracescus hath excellently discoursed, although he was [seemingly] refuted by Tauladanus, who (by reason of the great subtilty of his Wit) could not conceive, that any good could lie hid in despicable gross Iron. But that good Man Tauladanus no more understood the meaning of Bracescus than he knew the nature of Iron. If any one be seised with the desire of operating in this Subject, let him reade Bracescus, by whom he will be sufficiently informed. But many by his Writings have erred, through their mistake of what he mentions in the latter end of his Book, viz. that he spake not of vulgar Iron, which by strong Fire might be again reduced into Iron; but that such Iron was to be chosen, as by the force of strong Fire, could turn it self into a green or blewish Glass. Where the simple Readers following the bare letter, sought their Tincture in common Scales of Iron, but to no purpose. Here I speak of a blew or green Scoria, which can no more be reduced into Iron. For whensoever any one shall melt our fixed Sulphur mixt with Borax, although with most vehement Fire, yet he shall never reduce it into Iron, but into a greenish Glass. This Crocus Martis cannot do, nor any other destroyed Iron; but in Reduction it will always yield some small Grains of Iron, wherefore thence no Tincture can be made. For whatsoever is endewed with a tinging Vertue must not be Metal, according to the Universal Consent of all Philosophers. If any one would find out some excellent thing, let him learn the Art of concentrating that, by which Concentration it will be multiplied in vertue.
These few things I was willing at this time to communicate touching the volatile Spirit, and fixed Sulphur of Mars, for publick good. The whole work is neither difficult nor chargeable, because we may use one and the same Menstruum always again and again, nor is there need of new Expences, which are now easily acquirable. These are things accurately to be noted, according as that most ingenious Poet Virgil hath perspicuously hinted in these Verses.
Consider first, what here is to be done: