Book X, chapters 14–19: Distillation

CHAP. XIV.

What Magisteries are, and the Extraction of them.

I Said, That Quintessences do participate of the Nature of mixt Bodies; on the contrary, a Magistery taketh the temper of the Elements: so, that it neither extracteth the Spirits nor the Tincture, but a certain mean between both. A Magistery therefore, is what can be extracted out of things without separation of the Elements. Essences do oftentimes keep the colour of the Bodies out of which they are extracted: Tinctures always do it, Magisteries never. The means of extracting Magisteries, is various, according to the diversity of Natures in things. I will set down for an example and pattern

How to extract a Magistery of Gems, Coral and Pearl.

Beat the Gems, and set them in igne reverberationis, till they be calcined; mix them with an equal quantity of Salt-Peter, and dissolve them in Aqua Vitae: pour out that which is liquified, and let the remainder of the Powder be calcined better; then lay it in Aqua Vitae again, and do this till it be all dissolved. Set this water in a hot Furnace, until the moysture be all evaporated; and what shall remain in the bottom, is the Magistery of Gems. Pearls must be dissolved in Vinegar; and if possible, in juice of Lemmons. You may augment the strength of the Vinegar by those things, which, as I shewed you in Aqua Vitae, do quicken the Vertue of it, that is, its own Salt, being dissolved and macerated in Balneo, or in Fimo, for a month: then distil the Menstruum, and in the bottom will remain the Magistery of Pearls.

Of Charabes.

I will deliver to you the way that I use; for the Paracelsians do either conceal it, or not know it. Beat your Gum very small, and dissolve it in Aqua Vitae: when it is liquified, pour that out, and put in fresh: let them macerate for a month; and when all is dissolved, mix the waters all together, and let it evaporate over a fire; so in the bottom will remain the Magistery of Charabe. It will take away scars in the Face, and cure the Vertigo.

The Magistery of Guaiacum

is an excellent Remedy against the Pox, and is thus extracted. Take the shavings of Lignum Guaiacum, or the dust of it, which Turners work off: for the File, by continual Frication, heats it, and exhausteth the best Spirits. Lay it in clarified Aqua Vitae a whole day: when the water hath contracted a red colour, which will be when it hath sucked out the oyliness and substance of it, strain it out, and pour in fresh. Then stir it about, until the water become coloured again; strain that out also, and put in as much more, until the water do not alter its colour any more. Then strain it in a press, and distil the juice through Linen-cloth; and then boyl it till the moysture be consumed: the Oyl, or Gum, or Magistery will remain of a bright colour, and most sweet sent, which you would think impossible to reside in such Wood. You may extract the same in a shorter time; but it will not be of the same value: for if you lay the dust of Guaiacum in distilled Fountain-water, boyl it for half a day, strain it, distil it thorow a cloth, and let the moisture evaporate over a fire; the same Gum will settle in the bottom. You must chuse the most Gummy Wood, which being held neer a Candle, will sweat out a kinde of Oyl.

The Magistery of Lignum Aloes.

Take the shavings of the Wood worked off, as the former, with a Turners wheel; lay it in Aqua Vitae till it colour it; then strain it out, and let the moysture evaporate over a fire: and in the bottom of the Glass, you will finde a most odori[…]erous Oyl, excellent to be used in sweet Oyntments.

The Magistery of Wine, commonly called the Spirit of Wine.

I will first set down the Paracelsian way of extracting it, and afterwards my own; because we cannot use that in our Countries. Pour some strong generous good Wine into a Glass-Bottle: so that it may fill two parts of it; stop the mouth of it very exactly, either with Hermitis Sigillum, or a strong Glue, which I shall hereafter describe unto you; and so set it in Fimo three or four months, with an uninterm[…]tted fire. In the Winter set it out in the Frost for a month, and let it freeze: the Spirit or Magistery will retire into the Centre, because its fiery Essence maketh it uncapable of conglaciation. Break the Vessel, cast away the congealed part, and reserve the liquid; which being circulated in a Pelican for a month, will yield you what you seek for. My way is, to put the aforesaid Wine into a round Glass-Vessel: let it ferment in Fimo, conglaciate it, as I shall shew you; and then breaking the Vessel to reserve the unfrozen liquor, in which you will finde a great deal of vertue: but if you desire to have it better, you may perfect it by Circulation.

CHAP. XV.

How to extract Tinctures.

A Tincture is the purest and most active part of a coloured body extracted; the noblest Essence in a Compound. It is extracted out of Gems, Flowers, Roots, Seed, and such-like. It differeth from a Quint essence in this, that it especially draweth the colour of the Body from whence it is extracted; and requireth Ar[…], and Cunning, and diligent Attendance, more then labour. It is separated by Distillation, clear from any oyliness or matter; free from the commi[…]ion of other Elements, or any impure substance; it imitateth the clearness and perspicuity of the Air: and in that brightness represents the colour of the Gem or Flower, from whence it was drawn; of so pure a substance, that in many yeers it will not have any dregs in it, but will continue in a perpetual cleerness, subtilty, and strength. After the ex[…]racti[…]n, the matter remaineth discoloured, and useless for any thing. I will present some examples to you how to extract the Tincture out of Metals and Flowers, &c.

How to draw out the Tincture of Gold.

If the Vertues of this never-sufficiently-praised Metal, were known, as well for the health of the Body, as the conveniency of mens living, it would be adored with a greater devotion then it is already. The Apes of wise Nature, cunning Inquirers in Experiments, perceiving a certain Glory and Brightness in Gold, and an attractive or magnetick Vertue, (if I may so say) which at first sight draws every mans eye to look upon its Majesty and Beauty, and tempts our hands to touch and handle it, and even our mindes to desire it, so that even Infants do rejoyce, and laugh at the sight of it, and reach their arms out after it, and catch it, and will by no means part from it; presently conjectured, that there was some extraordinary Vertue in it for the health of man. Astrologers, seeing it contend with the Sun in Beams, Brightness and Glory, and to have a Praerogative of Majesty among Metals, like the Sun among the Stars, do therefore set it down for a Cordial, and a Destroyer of Melancholy, and all the ill Companions of it. Refiners say, That the Elements are so proportionably mixt in the Composition of it, so pure and compacted, that they account it a most exactly tempered body, and free from corruption: in which there is nothing deficient nor superfluous; so compact and close, that it will not onely endure the fire without consumption, but will become more bright and refined by it. It will also lie under Ground thousands of yeers without contracting any rust: neither will it foul the hands like other Metals, or hath any ill sent or raste in it. Wherefore, say they, being taken into our Bodies, it must needs reduce the Elements and humors into a right temper, allay the excessive, and supply the defective, take away all putrefaction, refresh the natural heat, purge the blood, and encrease it: and not onely cure all sicknesses, but make us healthy, long-lived, and almost immortal. Rainoldus, Raimundus, and other Physitians of the best esteem, do attri[…]ute to Gold, a power to corroborate and strengthen the Heart, to dry up superfluities and ill humors, to exhilarate and enliven the Spirits with its Splendor and Beauty, to strengthen them with its Solidiry, temper them with its Equality, and preserve them from all diseases, and expel Excrements by its Weight: by which it confirmeth Youth, res[…]oreth Strength, retardeth old Age, corroborateth the principal Parts, openeth the Urinary Vessels, and all other passages, being stopt: cureth the Falling-sickness, Madness, and Leprosie, (for which cause, Osiander the Divine, wore a Chain of Gold about his neck) and also Melancholy, and is most excellent against Poyson and Infections of the Plague. We will now examine whether the old or new Physitians knew the way to prepare it aright, to perform these admirable Effects. Nicander doth mightily cry up for an Antidote against Poyson, Fountain-water in which Gold hath been quenched; supposing, that it imparteth some of its Vertue to the Water in the extinction. Dioscorides, Paulus Aegineta, and Aëtius, affirm the same. Avicenna saith, That the filings of it helpeth Melancholy, and is used also in Medicines for the shedding of the Hair, in liquid Medicines, or reduced into very fine Powder; it is used in Collyriums, or Medicines for the Eyes, for the pain and trembling of the Heart, and other passions of the Minde. Pliny useth it burnt in an earthen Pipkin, with a treble quantity of Salt; whereby it will communicate its Vertue, but remain entire and untouched it self. He also makes a Decoction of it with Honey. Marsilius Ficinus saith, It is of a solid substance, and therefore must be attenuated, that it may penetrate the Body. But he is ignorant of the way of it, onely he adviseth to give it in Cordial-waters, being beaten out into thin Leaves; for so the Water will suck out the Vertue of it: or else by extinguishing it in Wine. There are some of Pliny's Scholars, who would have the parts of a Hen laid in melted Gold, until it consume it self; for the parts of a Hen are Poyson to Gold. Wherefore Ficinus mixeth Leaf-Gold in Capon-broath. Thus far the Grecians, Latines, and Arabians, have discoursed concerning the Extraction of the Tincture of Gold; but they have erred far from the Truth: for what a vanity is it to imagine, that quenching it in Water, can extract the Vertue of it? or, that the heat of Man's Body, though it be liquified and be made potable, can draw any thing from it, when the force of the most vehement fire is ineffectual, and cannot work upon it? I have made trial of it in a most violent fire for the space of three months, and at last I found it nothing abared in weight, but much meliorated in colour and goodness; so that the fire, which consumeth other things, doth make this more perfect. How then can it be concocted by the heat of Man's Body, which is scarce able to concoct Bread? And how can it impart its Vertue by Extinction, when neither Aqua Vitae, nor any strong Waters can alter the colour or taste of it? I will set down what I have seen. The later learned Men, and curious Inquirers into Nature, affirm, That the Magistery, Secret and Quintessence of Gold, consisteth in the Tincture: so that the Vertue, Power, Life and Efficacy of it, resideth in the Colour. Wherefore it will be no small Secret to know how to extract the Tincture; no small labor and pains: for those who pretend to speak of it, do it so intricately and obscurely, that they rather seem to obscure it, or not to understand it, then to discover or teach it. Know therefore, that the Tincture cannot be extracted, but by perfectly dissolving it in Strong Waters; and that it cannot be dissolved, as the work requireth, in common Aqua Fortis, or Royal Waters, because the corrosive Salts in them, are not perfectly and absolutely dissolved into Water. Wherefore you must learn by continual solution and immistion, so to distil them, that the whole substance of the Salt may be melted; which must be done by reiterating the Operation. I have informed you, what Salts are easie to be separated, the which must onely be used in this Work. After perfect solution, cast in that Menstruum or Water, which I have often mentioned for the Extraction of Essences or Colors. I have with great joy beheld it attract to it self the Golden, Yellow, or Red-colour, and a white dust settle down to the bottom. We must then separate the Salt from the Menstruum: dissolve it, and let the liquor evaporate away, and there will remain true potable Gold, the right Tincture, and that great Arcanum of Philosophers, disguised with so many Riddles; so thin, that it will easily penetrate the Body, and perform those wonders, which Antiquity could only promise.

Tincture of Roses.

Cut Red Rose-Leaves with a pair of Shears into small pieces; lay them in Aqua Vitae, and they will presently dye it with a sanguine color. After three hours, change those Leaves, and put in fresh ones, until the water become very much coloured: then strain it out, and let the Liquor evaporate quite away, and in the bottom will remain the Tincture of Roses. The same may be done with Clove-Gilliflowers. We may also do it another more perfect way, without Aqua Vitae. Fill a wide-mouthed Glass, with Red-Rose Leaves: set i[…] into a Leaden-Limbeck, and fill it with other Roses: then set on the Head, and kindle the fire; whereupon the vapours will arise, and fall into the Glass, of a sanguine-colour. This is a new way of extracting Tinctures, which may be used in any coloured Flowers. So the

Tinctures of Marigolds, Violets, Bugloss, and Succory-Flowers.

If you extract them the former way, the Tincture of Marygolds will be yellow; of Bugloss, Violets, and Succory-Flowers, Red; because the colours of those Flowers, is but thin and superficiary: so that it expireth with a little heat, and is red underneath.

Tincture of Orange-Flowers of an excellent sent.

Cut the Orange-Flowers into small pieces, macerate them in Aqua Vitae; and when the Water is turned yellow, and Flowers have lost their sent, change them, and put in fresh, until the Water become very sweet, and well-coloured, and somewhat thick: then strain it, and let it evaporate: it will leave behinde it a Tincture, enriched with the sent and vertues of the Flowers.

Tincture of Coral.

Beat the Coral to Powder, and with a vehement fire turn it into Salt; add an equal quantity of Salt-Peter to it: then extract the Salt with Aqua Vitae, and it will bring out with it, the Tincture of a wonderful vertue.

CHAP. XVI.

How to extract Salts.

SAlts do retain the greatest part of the Vertue of those things, from whence they are extracted; and therefore are used to season the sick persons meat: and otherways, because they have a penetrative quality. It was a great Question among the Ancients, Whether Salts retained the vertue of the things; or, whether they lost some in the fire, and acquired others: but it is row manifested by a thousand Experiments, that the vertues do not onely remain in them, but are made quicker and more efficacious.

Salt of Lemmons.

Distill the Lemmons with their Peels and Juice: reserve the Water, and dry the rest in the Sun, if the season permit it; or in an Oven. Put them in a Pot close luted, and calcine it in igne reverberationis. Then dissolve the Powder in the Water, and boyl them in a perfect Lye: cleanse it with a Feather, that the Dregs may settle to the bottom: purifie it, and let the Liquor evaporate: so the Salt will remain in the bottom; which is most excellent to break the Stone in the Bladder.

Salt of Pellitory of Spain.

Dry the Roots, and burn it in a close luted pot, for three dayes, until it be reduced into white Ashes: pour on its own Menstruum: distil it, and calcine i[…] again; so the third time: then cleanse it with a Feather, boyl it in an earthen vernished Pipkin, with the white of an Egg to clarifie the Salt: at length, a white grained Salt will appear.

Salt of Cumine.

Put the Roots, Leave, and Flowers in a close luted Vessel, and dry them, and put them into a Potters Furnace, till they be burned to Ashes. In the mean while, distil the Roots, Leaves and Flowers; or, if you please, make a decoction of them; and of that decoction, a sharp Lye: which, being strained very clean through a Linen-cloth three or four times, must be boyled to a Salt in a Glass-Vessel. If you desire it very fine and white, strow the Salt upon a Marble, and set it in a moist place with a pan underneath to receive it as it dissolveth: cleanse the filth still away; and do this three times, until it become of a Chrystal colour; so reserve. In this manner Sal Alchali is made.

Of Saxifrage.

It is made like the former: if you season your meat with it, it protecteth from all danger of poysoned bread or meat; conserveth from the contagion of pestilential and infections Air. The same may be extracted out of other Alexiphatmacal Bodies, which Princes may use at meals, instead of ordinary Salt; for they scarce differ in taste. A Salt may be made of Thapsia, very good to remove the Stone in the Bladder or Kidneys, and to dissolve the Tartar, or viscous Concrescency; to kill the Worms, and purge the Blood; to provoke sweat by being often taken, and is admirable in Venereal Diseases. The Salt of Pimpernel, being taken three days, and the third month, for a mans whole life-time, secureth him from the Dropsie, P[…]hisick, and Apoplexy. It also preserveth from infection and pestiferous Air, and helpeth digestion in a weak Stomack. But it is to be observed, That these Salts must not be eaten every day, left they become too familiar to the Stomack, and be taken for food. There may be a Salt also extracted out of the filings of Lignum Guaiacum, which is excellent in the French Pox, being taken as the former. By these you may learn to make other Salts.

CHAP. XVII.

Of Elixirs.

ELixirs are the Conservators of Bodies in the same condition wherein they finde them: for their Vertue is to preserve from corruption, not by meliorating their state, but by continuing it; and if by accident, they cure any Diseases, it is by reason of their tenuity. They have a double Vertue to preserve from sickness, and continue health, not onely in Men, but to preserve Plants also. They imitate the qualities of Balsam, and resort chiefly to the Heart, Brain, and principal Parts, where the Spirits reside. There are three kinds of Elixirs; of Metals, of Gems, and of Plants; as of Roots, Herbs, Flowers, Seeds, Woods, Gums, and such-like. An Elixir differeth from Essences, Tinctures, and the rest; because it is compounded of many things void of fatness: therefore it cannot be an Oyl, because it wanteth perspicuity and clearness; not an Essence, because it is a Compound; not a Tincture, but a mean between all, and of a consistence most like to Water; whence it had its name ab eliquesco, to be dissolved or liquified.

To make Elixir of Pimpernel.

Dig up the Roots in a convenient time, and macerate them in their Water, putting some weight on them to depress them under Water: when the Flowers are blown, gather them, and macerate them in the same manner, in a peculiar Vessel: the same must be done with the Seeds: Then put them in an Alimbeck, and draw out the Water and Oyl, until the Foeces remain dry: then separate the Oyl from the Water, and circulate it in a Pelican for two months: then take it out, and reserve it for your use.

An Elixir of many things.

Many Compositions of Elixir, are carried about, which are erroneous and false to my knowledge, and of so hard a work to extract the Oyl and Water, that you will more probably lose your time and cost, then gain any good by them: for they are made for pomp and magnificence, rather then for the benefit of man. Besides, I have found them often fail in the performance of what was promised from them, and cannot be made according to those descriptions: But here I will deliver one to you which will perform far more then is promised. Take the Flowers of Sage, Origanum, Mugwort, Savory, Elder, Sage-Leaves, white Mint, Rosemary, Basil, Marjoram, Peniroyal, Rose-buds, the Roots of Betony, Pellitory, Snake-weed, white Thistle, Aristolochy, Elder, Cretan-Ditany, Currants, Pine-Apples, Dates, Citron-Pill, of each an ounce and a half; Ginger, Cloves, Nutmegs, Zedoary, Galangal, white and long Pepper, Juniper-berries, Spikenard, Mace, Cubebs, Parsley-seed, Cardomoms, Cinnamon, Staechados, Germander, Granes, Rose of Jerusalem, Doronicum, Ammoniac, Opoponax, Spodium, Schaeinanthus, Bdellium, Mummy, Sagapenum, Champhire, Mastick, Frankincense, Aloes, Powder of Ebony, Bole-Armenick, Treacle, Musk, Galls, Mithridate, Lignum Aloes and Saffron, of each three drachms; of clarified Sugar, thirteen pounds; of Honey two. I exclude Pearl, Rubies, Jacinths, Saphires, Emeraulds and Leaf-Gold, from the Composition; because, as I have proved before, they have no operation; especially, thus exhibited: and therefore are used in Medicines by none but ignorant Physitians. Reduce all these into Powder, and put them into a Pelican or blinde Alimbeck, with twelve pound of Aqua Vitae, very well clarified, as though the whole work depended on it: let it circulate in Balneo a whole month: take off the yellow Oyl or Quintessence of all, with a Silver-Spoon, and add to it a drachm of Musk and Amber, and set it by for your use in a Glass-bottle close stopt. Distil the remainder, and it will afford a yellow cleer water: but you cannot extract the Oyl without a stink of burning. I have very exactly extracted Oyl of Gums, Roots and Seeds of the forementioned: and mixing them together have effected strange things with them. Most of their operations are against Poysons, and Pestilential Contagions; especially, those that are apt to seize on the Spirits; for a drop of it, being anoynted on the Lips or Nostrils, reviveth the Soul, and keepeth it in perfect Senses at least six hours.

CHAP. XVIII.

Of a Clyssus, and how it is made.

THat there may nothing be omitted, I will now shew what a Clyssus is, and how it may be made. A Clyssus is the Extraction of the Spirits of every part of a Plant, united in one common entity. There are in a Plant, the Root, Leaf, Flower, Fruit and Seed, and in every one of these parts, there is a peculiar Nature. The Operation is thus: Dig the Roots when they are full of juice, the Leaves when they are fresh and green, the Flowers when they are blown, the Fruit and Seeds in their due time. Extract the Spirits or Essences out of all these by Distillation, Maceration or Calcination, or any other of the former wayes. But when they are all extracted severally, one in the form of Oyl, another of Salt or Liquor; then mix them all together, so that the may be conjoyned and united in one body, which is called a Clyssus. Some mix them in Distillation in Vessels made for the purpose in this manner: They put the Water, Salt and Oyl in three several Curbicles of equal height and bigness; and tying their three necks together, and put them into one common Head, which may be fit to receive them all, close them, lute them, and kindle the fire under. The heat will elevate the thinnest substance in all of them, which will meet and mix in the Head, and run down by the Nose, or Spout, into the Receiver: so set them by for use. This Congregation of Essences, doth penetrate and search all the remote passages of the Body, and is very useful in Physick.

CHAP. XIX.

How to get Oyl out of Salts.

I Have declared many ways of extracting Oyl, now I will shew how to draw it out of Salts, that they may be more penetrative, and work more powerfully, which can be done no other way. They seem to have some kinde of fat in them, yet will not burn; so that it cannot be called a perfect Oyl.

How to extract Oyl of Tartar.

Burn the Tartar, and reduce it into a Salt, as I shewed before: then lay it on a Marble in a moyst place, and in a few days it will turn to Oyl, and run down into a dish, which you must set underneath to receive it. Thus you may easily make it into Salt: Beat the Tartar into Powder, and mix an equal quantity of Salt-Peter with it: when they are mixt in Iron Mortar, set them in the fire, until they be quite burned: grind the remaining Foeces, and dissolve them in a Lye, strain it, and let the Lye evaporate away, and the Salt will settle to the bottom: then boyl some Eggs hard, take ou[…] the yelks, and fill up their place with Salt, and in a little time it will dissolve into Oyl.

Oyl of Sal Sodae.

Dissolve the Salt in Water, and strain it through a cloth, then dry it, lay it on a Marble, and set it in a moyst place, and it will run down in an Oyl. So

The famous Oyl of Talk

is extracted onely by the vehement heat of fire: yet I knew not at first what it was useful for. But I perceive it is much accounted of by women in their F[…]cus. Beat it into fine Powder in an Iron-Morter, and put it into a very strong thick Pot, fasten the cover on with wire, plai[…]er it with Potters Clay, and set it in the Sun for three days: then thrust it into a Potters Furnace where the flames are most violent. After three or four days, take it out, break open the Pot; and if you finde it not sufficiently calcined, make it up, and set it in again. When it is burned perfectly white, lay it on a Marble, and place it in a moyst room, or in a hole dug in the earth: and there let it stand for a good while, until it dissolve into Oyl; then reserve it in a Glass-bottle. So also is made

Red Oyl of Sulphur.

Grinde live Sulphur into a small Powder, and mix it with an equal quantity of the former Oyl of Tartar: boyl it three hours in a Glass-bottle; and when it is dissolved, strain it through a Linnen-cloth into another Glass, and set it over a Gentle fire, till it thicken like clotted blood, and so dry. Then powder it, and lay it on a Marble in a moist Cellar; there it will dissolve, and run down into the under-placed dish. Set this Liquor, being first strained thorow a cloth in a Glass-bottle over warm Ashes, until the moysture be consumed, and there will remain a red Oyl of Sulphur.

Oyl of Myrrh.

Boyl some Eggs hard, cut them in the middle, take out the yelks, and fill their places with Myrrh, powdered and seirced: lay them in an earthen Pan upon long cross-sticks, that the Eggs may not imbibe the Oyl again, and shut them in a moist Cellar; so the Oyl will drop down into the Pan.