In the eight: First, of Stones, their Origine, Concretion, difference of Colours; and in particular, of Gems and their variety, causes of generation, transparency in some and colours in others; as also of their various Figures and Pictures by Nature framed both in common and precious Stones, with their Causes. Secondly, of the Transformation of Juices, Salts, Plants, yea of Beasts and Men turn'd into Stone: together with the generation of Bony Substances under ground, by many esteemed to be the Bones of Gyants; and of Horny Substances, taken for Unicorns horns: as also of Fossile wood and Coals, Thirdly, of Bituminous Flowers, lapis Asbestos, Amber, and its Electrical virtue; together with the way how Insects, little Fishes, and Plants are Intombed therein. Fourthly; of Subterraneous Animals, Moles, Mice, Birds, Dragons; where is also treated, of those Animals that are found in the midst of Stones.
In the ninth; First, of Poysons, their primeval Origine from Minerals, and their accidental Generation in Vegetable and Animal Bodies, together with their differences; where 'tis discoursed, not only how Poysons may be bred in Men, but also, how the Poyfons of some Animals do infect and kill Men; and, where the Venom of Vipers lodges, and how mad Dogs and Tarantula's so communicate their Poyson, as that it exserts not its noxiousness, till after some
time: Where also occasion is taken to discourse on the Original of Diseases, and cure of Poysonous ones. Secondly, of the wonderful Nature of Sulphur, Antimony, Quick-silver, their origine and qualities; together with the productions of Corals and Pearls.
In the tenth: First of Metallurgy, and the way how that unctuous Body, out of which mettals are produced, is elaborated by Nature, and what therein are Sulphur, Salt, and Mercury; besides, what it is that renders Mettals fluid in the Fire, but not Stones and Vegetables, &c. Secondly, of the Requisits to a perfect knowledge of the Metallick Art, and of the Qualities of the Mine-master; then of the Diseases of Mine-men, and their Cure, and the waies of purging the Mines of the Airs malignity; as also of Metallognomy, or the signs of latent Mettals, and by what Art they may be discovered. Thirdly, several Accounts sent to the Author, upon his Inquiries by the Mine-masters themselves, or other cheif Over-seers of the Mine-works, touching the variety, nature and properties of Minerals, and the many Accidents happening in Mines, particularly the Hungarian ones at Schemnitz, and those of Tyrol. Fourthly, of several both Hydraulick and Wind-Engines, to free the Mines from Water and noxious damps. Fiftly, Of the way of working Mettals, Gold, Silver, Copper, Iron, and particularly of the method used at Potosi in Peru, of extracting the Silver out of the Mineral: to which is added, a Discourse of Salt-pits, and the way of making Salt.
In the eleventh, First, of Alchimy, its Original and Antiquity, the Vessels and Instruments belonging thereunto. Secondly, of the Philosophers Stone, what is meant by it, and whether by means thereof true Gold can be produced? And in general, whether there be any such thing, as a true and real Transmutation of one Mettal into another? Where are delivered the several Processes of the reputed Adepti, Raymund Lulle, Azoth, Arnold de Villanova, Paracelsus, Sendivogius, &c. but all exploded as fals and deceitful. Thirdly,
of the decisions in Law concerning Chimical Gold, true or fals. Fourthly, what the celebrated Philosophers Stone was among the Ancients, and what they understood by the same?
In the twelfth: First, Of the Seminal Principle of all things, its origine, nature and property; of the way how Nature proceeds in the Generation of Minerals, Vegetables, Animals; of Spontaneous Generation; of Zeophyts, Insects of all sorts, and particularly of the Worms bred in Men; together with the causes why Nature would produce such swarms of infinite sorts of Insects. Secondly, of the variety and differences of Vegetables; of the requisits to know the virtues of Plants, and of the several waies of Engrafting. Thirdly, of the Art of Distilling, whereby Nature is imitated, as doing all her under-ground works, in the Opinion of this Author, by Distillation. Fourthly, of the Laboratories of various Arts, in which, according to Natures pattern, used in her Subterraneous Operations, strange things may be performed: where treating of Chymical Secrets, the truth of the Preparation of Aurum potabile is discussed, and the Magisteries of Gold, Silver, Iron, Tin, Copper and Lead, examined: to which is subjoyned an Appendix, furnishing such Rules, whereby Students in Chymistry may be directed in their work, and true Operations distinguished from fals ones. Fiftly, Of Metallostaticks, where by the mixture of Mettals and Minerals may be certainly known; together with a way of weighing the Proportions of moist and dry, existent in every Compound, as well Vegetable and Animal, as Mineral. Sixthly, of Glass-making, where is treated of the Nature of Glass; of the Artificial Production of all sorts of Precious Stones, partly from the Authors own Experiments, partly from the Communication of his Friends, and the Collection of the best Writers upon that subject. Seventhly, of Fire-works, where the Invention and Preparation of Gunpowder is largely discoursed of, and the waies of making Squibs, Fires burning in Water,
and many others, used in Publick Festivities, are described. Eighthly, of some Mechanical Arts, as that of Gold-smiths, Black smiths, Copper smiths, Wyre-drawers, in the last whereof he resolves this Problem; a certain weight of Mettal, and the bigness of the hole, through which the Wyre is to be drawn, being given, to find into what length so much Mettal can be spun out.
Thus you have a view of this whole Volume; to which it may perhaps not be amiss to adde, for a Conclusion, some of those Particulars which are esteemed by the Authour to out-shine the rest, and are here and there inter-woven as such. For example, in the First Part.
The use of Pindules, for knowing by their means the state of ones Health, from the different beatings of the Pulse, p. 51.