As touching the Ludus it self, Helmont saith of it, that it may be copiously found in the Scald shores at Antwerp, and that it for the most part consists of a certain volatile Macrocosmick Urinous Salt: and I making search into the same, have found it just as he described. Likewise, I also, according to his prescribed Rule, endeavoured to make such an excellent Medicine, and then found the Liquor of the Ludus to be such as he affirms he himself made by his Acahest, viz. this way.
I took one Pound of that Ludus beaten to Powder, and mixed it with one Pound of our Secret Salmiack, and thence drew off the volatile Humidity with gentle Fire in a coated Retort; and then augmenting the Fire until the Retort was very hot all over. When all was cold, I found the Ludus with the more fixed part of our Salmiack melted together into a yellowish dark coloured Stone, which (according to his Doctrine) I laid in a moist Cellar to be dissolved, and that Stone in 24 hours was resolved into a greenish Liquor, and it had a burning Taste upon the Tongue, yet it is not loathsome to be taken into the Body, with Wine, Beer, or other suitable Vehicles of Water. I my self also have given this Liquor to some troubled with the Stone, who by taking it were greatly eased. But that the whole Stone should by help of that be resolved and cast out, in so short a space of time, I have not yet found. Hence here it seems to me, that Helmont (as did Paracelsus in the Preparation of his Elixir Proprietatis, and the incredible Vertue thereof) hath extolled his Remedies with a too much elated Style. They are assuredly admirable Medicaments, but that they are able to effect so much (in all men without distinction) as are ascribed to them, I cannot assentingly witness, although I was at great expences, and nor a little turmoiled about them, yet in the mean while I found out many excellent things, the Declaration of all which would be too tedious to be here inserted. But I must needs, in this place, insert some few of those many things I then found out.
If any one apply to the Seeds or Roots of those Herbs, which are commonly wont to be administred, for expelling Urine and the Stone, (the Seeds or Roots being first reduced to Powder) a little of our Salmiacal Water, and digest it in gentle heat of Balneo for 24 hours, and afterward distil it, a most efficacious Spirit will ascend; which Spirit I have found to be more excellent in expelling the Stone, than the Ludus. In like manner those insects, which strongly provoke Urine and the Stone, I have also digested and distilled with our Liquor of Sal Armoniack, and got a Spirit more strongly expelling Urine, than any Spirit prepared of Herbs. Wherefore this is to be warily used, and such forcibly expelling things well observed, among which more forcible than all other are the fat evilly smelling black Worms of May, and Cantharides.
After the same manner, as we have taught to be here done, may also be instituted an Operation for extracting (by distillation) from all Vegetable and Animal Subjects their most potent Vertues and purest Essences, by our Vitriolate Alcalick Water; viz. from Aromaticks, egregious Cordials; from Woods and Roots of Sudorifick Herbs, famous Diaphoreticks; from soporiferous Simples, admirable Anodines; from purging things most excellent Catharticks, &c. But there is no reason I should longer insist on these things of less value, since every skilfull man can prepare himself such medicinal Spirits as he hath need of. Here he cannot easily commit error, since for all Herbs, Seeds, Roots, Flowers, and Woods, there is but one onely way of preparing them into most efficacious Essences, by our vitriolate Alcaly. But a better way than any other, yet to be discovered, how by our Urinous Liquor, yet more efficacious Essences may be extracted from Vegetables and Animals, is this:
We are not ignorant, that Spirit of Wine, which is for the most part generally used for Extraction of Vegetables, doth not sufficiently extract them, nor carry upwards with it self what is extracted; but per se onely ascends, and leaves the Extract in the Bottom of the Vessel. On the contrary, our vitriolate Spirit of Urine (much more sharp than Spirit of Wine) doth not onely powerfully invade Vegetables, and attract to it self their Essences, but also in distillation carries them up with it self, which is impossible for Spirit of Wine to do. For although the Spirit of Urine (according to the external Face) doth as it were mortifie the corrosive Oil of Vitriol, and change it into a volatile Salt, and the Oil of Vitriol coagulates the subtile Spirit of Urine into a volatile Salt, insomuch as of two unlike Entities is made a middle Salt; yet both those unlike parts are not wholly changed in their former Nature. For the Acidity of Vitriol remains yet acid, and the Urinousness of the Urine urinous; and both also by the help of Art may again be separated each from other, so as either of them may perfectly recover its own pristine qualities, and nothing of them be found to be lost. As for example, suppose
It be required, that I should recover my Spirit of Urine, as pure and subtile as it when poured on the Oil of Vitriol: Then I add to our Salmiack (according to just measure and weight) onely so much Lixivium as of the Acidity is mortified, and the Spirit of Urine ascends subtilly pure again, and full as good as it was before its conjunction with the Oil of Vitriol. But the Oil of Vitriol is altered, and by the Salt of Tartar reduced into a middle Salt, which also wants not its Fruit of Utility in Medicine and Chymistry. If you would from this mixture recover our Acidity with the Spirit of Urine, add to our Salmiack a Subject easily dissolvable; mix and give a gentle Fire, for then the Acidity sets upon that Subject easie to be dissolved, and dissolves the same, and makes abundance of its concomitant Spirit of Urine to ascend, which in its ascent takes up with it self the purest Essence of the Subject added, loosed by the Acidity in Solution, and thenceforth may be used for Medicine and Chymistry, according as the Subject was. For Example, If I add red Corals beaten to Powder to my Alcahestick Liquor, the Acidity corrodes those Corals without any delay, and lets go the Spirit of Urine, which brings over the helm with it self the Essence of Corals. But the Acidity, when you please may by distillation be separated from the Corals. If to our Liquor be added Pearls, the Spirit carries the vertue of them upward with it self. And if you add Stones, Minerals and Metals, the Spirit of Urine doth likewise carry up with it self the Essences of them. But the Acidity remains in the bottom with the Stone or Metal, and may afterward diversly be again separated from the Stone or Metal, and applied to this or another use.
Having already heard how the most pure Essences of Vegetables and Animals, by our secret Sal Armoniack are to be distilled by ascent, let us now also see, how Metals and Minerals may be highly purged by the same, and reduced to their first matter: which first matter is no other than a most subtil Mercurial Water, in which the purest part of the Metal is latent in the form of running Mercury, which Mercury is fit for preparing whatsoever Work you will of it, either Sol or Luna particularly, or a true Universal Tincture, vastly tinging. Nature, in the Bowels of the Earth did primordially generate all Metals of such a volatile Mercury. For when the Astrums, through the Air, seminate their metallick Seed, that Seed is from the Air introduced into the Earth, where that, as matter clean or unclean offers it self, produceth Metals either pure or impure. Wherefore Philosophers rightly determine the Root of Metals to be sited in the Air, but their stem and branches in the Earth. Daily experience teacheth us to give credit to this, as often as in digging we come to the deepest scituation of Metals, great Experiments of this matter discover themselves to us, but because touching this enough hath been said already, we forbear to proceed further in such a Discourse. Here enough is said, namely, that we know the Original and beginning of all Metals to be no other, than an Airy subtile Spirit, in which are reconded the Sulphur and Mercury of Metals. Therefore, since here purpose is to give so great Information to every most unskilfull man, and as it were to put that in his hands, which may be done by the help of our secret Salmiack, I think not amiss openly to discover certain Examples of Processes, evincing the power of the same. Wherefore I here offer a Possible
Way of preparing a subtile Mercurial Water (from which a running Mercury, called by Ancient Philosophers, the Mercury of Philosophers, may by the help of Art be ripened into a most potent Tincture) out of all Metals by the benefit of our secret Sal Armoniack.
Let the Searcher of Art know, that the Preparation of the Mercury of Metals and Minerals, is of a diverse kind.
But generally, a Mercurial Water may be prepared of all Metals, yet of one more easily, than of another.