CHYMIATRICAL PRACTICE. The practical application of chemical medicine, a field known as "Chymiatry."

A most excellent Emetic Water.

X. A most excellent Emetic Water: Take Glass of Antimony Glass of Antimony: A translucent, reddish substance made by melting antimony ore; it was a potent and potentially dangerous emetic of a hyacinth color, prepared according to the manner of Matthiolus Pietro Andrea Mattioli (1501–1577), a renowned Italian physician and botanist. and reduced to a very fine powder, and Salt of Blessed Thistle original: "Salis Cardui ben.", 40 grains of each. Let them be infused in 5 ounces of Verona water and 30 drops of Cinnamon water in a warm bath original: "B. tepido," referring to a Bain-marie for 24 hours. Afterwards, let them be filtered through paper and preserved. Give to the patient 3, 4, 5, or 6 drachms of this, depending on how full, robust, or easy or difficult they are to purge.

Emetic Vitriol.

XI. Emetic Vitriol original: "Vitriolum vomitum"; likely a preparation of copper or iron sulfate used to induce vomiting is a most praised remedy in fevers for both vomiting and purging, as is the "Cold Purgative" of Angelo Sala A 17th-century physician who championed chemical remedies.. See the notes on Croll Oswald Croll, whose "Basilica Chymica" was a standard textbook of the era..

Preparation of Ruland's Blessed Water.

XII. Ruland’s Blessed Water original: "Aqua Benedicta Rulandi," a famous 17th-century emetic is also a distinguished emetic, which is prepared thus: Take Liver of Antimony Liver of Antimony: An opaque, brownish-red chemical made by roasting antimony with potash and sulfur and Vitriol in equal parts; let it boil for 5 hours in water, then let it settle. The clear water, separated from the dregs, should be strained through a woolen cloth and left overnight so that the redness settles at the bottom; otherwise, let a few drops of vinegar be sprinkled in so that the redness is precipitated to the bottom. Let the water impregnated with Vitriol be separated, and by pouring on other water, let it be washed so that the substance sheds all its saltiness. The water having been poured off, let the Saffron of Antimony original: "crocus" be dried. One scruple of this is macerated in 4 or 5 ounces of white wine, or another suitable liquor, in a warm place overnight. Or, if there is an immediate need, let it boil in the same liquor. Let the strained liquid be drunk either warm or cold. For its powers, use, and cautions, see the notes on Croll.

Extract.

XIII. Extract of Hellebore.

Take roots of Cyclamen and Bryony, 2 ounces of each.
White Hellebore, 1 ounce.
When they are thoroughly cleaned, washed, and dried in turn, grind them into a powder. Pour over this Spirit of Wine original: "spir. V." or Spiritus Vini; high-proof distilled alcohol to a height of 4 fingers. Let them be digested in a warm place for 3 days, then distill the Spirit of Wine over a very slow fire, taking care that the material is not burned by the intensity of the heat. Therefore, it is better to remove it when it has been distilled to the consistency of honey and dry it in a glass dish with gentle heat. Grind the dried material again and pour back the previously removed spirit of wine; leave it in the heat for 2 nights, then filter it and keep the filtered liquor for use. Six or 8 drops of this in a draught of warm water, wine, or—if you desire a stronger emetic—a decoction of radish seed with simple syrup of vinegar, are administered at will to excite vomiting without distress of mind.

Electuary of Antimony.

XIV. Electuary of Antimony. An electuary is a medicinal paste made by mixing powders with honey or syrup.
Take 2 ounces of Glass of Antimony, melted by itself without borax and reduced to a very fine powder; instill 2 drachms of Spirit of Vitriol Sulfuric acid and mix diligently in a mortar or upon a porphyry stone, and afterwards dry the powder in a dish over a slow fire. Mix this powder with the ingredients listed by Croll in his Electuary of Antimony.

Flowers and Glass of Antimony.

XV. The Flowers of Antimony Flowers of Antimony: The white oxide of antimony formed by sublimation (vaporizing and cooling) and the Glass of the same are endowed with a similar virtue, if half a scruple to one scruple is infused overnight in wine or another suitable liquor (for example, in 4 ounces of Blessed Thistle water and 1 drachm of Cinnamon water), and in the morning the clear, decanted wine is administered. If, however, one intends to have an emetic ready at hand, one drachm of the Flowers of Antimony, or the Saffron, or the Glass, may be infused in about 4 ounces of white wine or Blessed Thistle water, with a little Cinnamon water added, and kept in a well-closed vessel. When needed, 3 or 4 drachms of the liquor will be given. Let them be strained and administered either by themselves, or with syrup of vinegar or simple oxymel A mixture of honey and vinegar..

Gamboge.

XVI. Others administer a few grains of Gamboge original: "Gummi gutta," a potent plant-derived resin used as a drastic purgative with 2 drops of Oil of Cinnamon or its water in a fatty broth.
(Mynsicht’s Emetic Tartar original: "Tartarus emeticus Mynfichti"; Antimony potassium tartrate, a major chemical medicine popularized by Adrian von Mynsicht. is a most excellent emetic in chronic and confirmed diseases, especially in intermittent and chronic fevers. It is made, according to the author, thus:
Take 3 ounces each of very finely powdered Acid of Tartar and Saffron of Metals original: "Croci Metallorum," a form of antimony prepared with wormwood. Mix them well, put them into a vial, and pour on two pounds of the author's "Blessed Water of Wild Thyme." Being very well covered and tied, and placed in warm sand for three or four days, move it frequently so that the Acid of Tartar is perfectly dissolved. Afterwards, filter it while warm through a filter-bag according to the art, so that the Saffron of Metals, well separated from the solution, remains in the bag. Transfer the solu-

-tion, however, which passes through clarified, to a cold place to crystallize. Then take out these crystals of impregnated Tartar, and when dried and powdered, set them aside for use. When the author’s Blessed Water of Wild Thyme is not at hand, simple water or another distilled from an aromatic plant, with some part of white wine mixed in, can be substituted. The dose is from 3 to 6 grains, but I rarely ascend to 4 grains, with 10 grains of prepared Red Coral mixed in for a dose.)

If excessive vomiting or purging follows from these given medicines, an immediate remedy is a drink of boiled milk with bread, or a spoonful of Syrup of Mastic, or old Theriac original: "Theriaca antiqua"; a famous ancient "universal" medicine and antidote containing many ingredients, often including opium., and immediately administer food or bread dipped in thick wine. It is also beneficial to apply a plaster of bread crust to the stomach and to the soles of the feet. It is also an immediate remedy if one pill of Opiate Laudanum is offered. Sometimes it is helpful, if the patient is not very inclined to vomit, to assist nature by administering broth without bread, or barley water, or a mixture of honey and oil original: "hydreleo".

VEGETABLE CATHARTICS. Plant-based purgatives or laxatives.

Senna Powder.

I. Laxative Powder of Senna original: "Pulvis Diasenæ".
Take cleaned Senna leaves,
Cream of Tartar, 1 ounce of each.
Anise seed,
Cloves,
Cassia lignea A spice similar to cinnamon.,
Galangal,
Diagridium A preparation of Scammony resin, a harsh purgative., 1 drachm of each.
Powder them very finely. The dose is from half a drachm to 2.5 drachms in substance, at most, in a suitable liquor. In an infusion, the dose is up to half an ounce.

Vegetable Universal Purgative.

II. Croll's Vegetable Panchymagoga A "Panchymagogum" was a medicine intended to purge all the "humors" of the body simultaneously., and that which has been added by me, or another which is composed of both. The dose is from 16 grains to half a drachm; see the Crollian notes.

Extract of Rhubarb.

III. Extract of Rhubarb, which is made in no other way than with Chicory or Endive water, or Lesser Centaury, with a few drops of Oil of Tartar Potassium carbonate solution., without any other composition. However, it can be sharpened if necessity requires with Diagridium, or with drops of prepared Gum Elaterium A potent purgative derived from the Squirting Cucumber., namely by grinding it on marble with a few drops of Spirit of Vitriol and oil of Anise, Fennel, Cinnamon, Angelica, or Citron, according to the nature of the disease and the patient.

Extract of Senna.

IV. Such also is the extract made with Cinnamon water in the same manner as the Extract of Rhubarb. The dose of these is from 1 scruple to 2 drachms.
(Thus Hartmann in his manuscripts, and he calls it a SINGULAR PURGATIVE: Take the best excellent distilled whey of milk, in which a large quantity of Senna leaves should be infused. The extraction is precipitated with Oil of Tartar. NOTE WELL: The whey must be well impregnated a third, fourth, and fifth time; otherwise the precipitation does not succeed.)

V. Extract of Mechoacan A root from Mexico used as a purgative. made with vinegar and reduced to a pitch-like substance.

VI. Extract of the root of Lesser Spurge original: "Esulæ min." prepared in the same way. See the notes on Croll.

Extract of Black Hellebore.

VII. Extract of the root of true Black Hellebore with Marjoram water, or Hellebore, Lemon Balm, and Oil of Tartar. The dose is from half a scruple to 16 or even 20 grains. Some extract it with good wine; see Croll's notes.

VIII. To these are added Hellebore roots prepared by the Phlegm of Vitriol The watery, less acidic byproduct of distilling sulfuric acid., which is accomplished in this way:
Take roots of true Hellebore, sprinkle them with the phlegm of vitriol (specifically that which comes forth in the first place during the rectification of Spirit of Vitriol), and place them in a glass dish over the gentle heat of ashes. By stirring occasionally with a wooden spatula, the foul odor exhaling from the roots carries away their poisonous quality with it. Continue by sprinkling more and keeping them in gentle heat until all the stench is driven off and the roots are left with a pleasant odor and are extremely black. Let them be dried gently, although they may remain as if soaked with moisture. The dose is from half a scruple to one scruple.