The works of the highly experienced and famous chymist, John Rudolph Glauber

by Johann Rudolf Glauber

Take the seeds of Saxifrage, Carraway, Fennel, Parsly, Netles, of each 3. ounces, the root of liquorish, the greater burr, of each an ounce, the powder of woodlice half an ounce. Let these being mixed and powdered be extracted with spirit of Juniper according to art: then mix these following things with the extracted matter: Take the salt of Ambar, Soot, Netles, of each half a dram, purified Nitre a dram: Let these be powdered, and mixed with the extract and this mixture be kept for use. The dose is from a scruple to a dram, in the water of parsly fennel, &c. This extract forceth urin, opens the ureters, purgeth the reines, and bladder from all viscous flegme (the mother of all tartareous coagulation) viz. if it be used timely: In this case is commended also the solution of flints, and crystals, made with spirit of salt. A greater commendation have salts of nephritick hearbs made by expression, and crystallisation, without calcination, the preparation whereof shall not here, but elsewhere be taught.

A somniferous Extract.

Take of Thebaic opium four ounces, of Spirit of Salt two ounces, purified Tartar one ounce, set them being mixed in maceration in Balneo in a glass vessel for a day and night, and the spirit of salt with Tartar will open the body of the opium, and prepare it for extraction, upon which pour half a pint of the best spirit of wine, set it in a gentle Balneo to be extracted. Decant off the spirit that is tinged, and pour on fresh, set it in digestion till the spirit be coloured. Then mix the axtractions together, and put to them in a glass gourd two drams of the best Saffron, of oyl of Cloves a dram, and draw off the spirit of wine in Balneo, and there will remain a thick black juice, which is to be taken out, and kept in a clean glass vessel. The dose thereof is from one grain, to five or six, for those of a mans age, but to children the sixth or eighth part of a grain. It may be used in all hot distempers without danger. It provoketh quiet sleep, mitigates pains as well outward as inward, it causeth sweat; but especially it is a sure remedy for the epilepsie in children that are new-born; for as soon as it is given to them to the quantity of the eighth part of a grain in wine, or womans milk, there presently follows rest, and sweat with sleep, by which means the malignity is expelled, the children are refreshed, and desire victuals, and the fit returns no more afterwards. Although haply the like symptomes may be perceived again, yet if the aforesaid dose be administred again, the children are refreshed, and cured wholly, whereas otherwise they would have dyed, &c. whereof I have not restored few with this medicine. Moreover also there are very effectual anodine medicines, as those volatile spirits of vitriol, allome, Antimony, and other minerals, with which, as also with that narcotick sulphur precipitated from the volatile spirit of vitriol, nothing may be compared.

A Cordial Extract.

Take red roses four ounces, of the lilly of the valley two ounces, the flowers of borage, rosemary, sage, of each an ounce; cinnamon, lignum aloes, of each two drams; cloves, mace, nutmeg, galangal, cardamoms the lesser, of each half an ounce; the shavings of ivory, hartshorn, of each an ounce; of English saffron a dram, of nux vomica a dram: Mix them and reduce them to a fine powder, and let the tincture be extracted with spirit of wine in Balneo, which is to be drawn off again, unto a just consistence. Let the extract be kept for use. It may be used in almost all faintings, and other affects that are not joyned with a preternatural heat. The dose thereof is from grains 3, 6, 9. to a scruple with proper vehicles; being often administred it refresheth the spirit, corroborates the brain, and other parts of the body. It is made more efficacious by the adding of the essences of minerals, especially of gold, of which thing see the first part concerning the sweet oyl of gold.

Of an odoriferous Extract.

I need not teach the making of any odoriferous vegetable extract, because the manner of drawing forth, or distilling oyls of vegetables that have sweet odores, hath been shewed a little before, as of hearbs, flowers, and seeds, which are the most noble, and sweet essences of vegetables, by the odour whereof the heart and brain are corroborated, which being reduced into balsams are made transportable. Better extracts therefore, and more excellent cannot in my judgment be made out of vegetables, then those aforesaid oyls, unless any one would mix aromatical extracts made with spirit of wine with metallick solutions, and being mixed digest them, then there will a certain most odoriferous oyl go from the extract not only more efficacious, but more excellent than that common distilled oyl by reason of the admixtion of the spiritual metallick vertue, especially of gold and silver, dissolved in the acid Menstruum communicating its vertues to the Aromatical oyl. Moreover any vegetable oyl may be exalted in vertues and odour by the help of spirit of urine, or salt Armoniack, by the help whereof not only odoriferous oyls are exalted, but also the inodorous oyls of vegetables are made odoriferous, if they be a while digested in spirit of urine: and not this only but every mineral, and metallick sulphur, although the odour thereof be bound up with most strong bonds, is opened by the benefit thereof, and is reduced by digestion in a very little time into a most sweet and odoriferous essence. Lixivial spirits exalt the odours, and colours of sulphurs; acid purge sulphurs, but change their colours and odours. Musk and Civet get the sweetness; and excellency of their odour from the subtile urinous spirit of a certain Cat, digesting some certain fat and converting it into such a kind of most odoriferous matter.

And let this that hath been said suffice concerning Extracts, which might have been omitted, because many of these kind of Extracts are found in the writings of other authors in many languages: but I was willing to set down these, lest this book might seem to contain in it nothing else besides the new way of distilling, being furnished also with good medicines.

Of Baths.

A little before hath been given a description of a Tub for a Bath in which any one may sit with his whole body except his head, not only to be washed in sweet warm water, whether medicinal and mineral, but also to sweat in without water, where the vessel is heated by warm vapours, either of sweet waters, or minerals. And every one may provide such Baths for himself according to his necessity at home, whereby the same diseases are cured as those that are cured by the help of natural Baths, so that he need not for the baths sake go a great journey, but may stay at home with his family and follow his Calling without trouble, when he hath occasion and need to used them.