THE PRACTICAL LAB OF JOHANN HARTMANN

...juniper, 1 dram symbol: ʒ of each,
nutmeg, 5 drams,
shavings of Sandalwood original: "S. ʒ ij", 2 drams,
Zedoary A root similar to ginger, half a dram symbol: ʒ ß,
White Sandalwood, 2 drams,
rue leaves,
wormwood,
water germander original: "scord.", half a handful symbol: M ß of each,
carnation flowers,
bugloss, 1 and a half handfuls symbol: M j ß of each,
Theriac of Andromachus A complex ancient polypharmaceutical used as an antidote,
Mithridate Another famous ancient cure-all, 6 drams of each.
After the ingredients that need crushing are crushed, let an infusion of them all be made in wine vinegar for 8 days; afterwards, distill it using a water bath A "Mariae Balneum" or double-boiler used for gentle heating.

DIURETICS

I. Water made from peach kernels macerated with Malvasia A sweet Greek wine or another noble wine for 5 or 6 days. Distill it via a water bath or ash heat. One spoonful of this exhibited is most effective.

Diuretic Wine

II. Let the whitest flints collected from a river be heated in fire and quenched in noble wine as many times as needed until they are reduced entirely to powder. One draft of the wine, passed through a filter, immediately drives out urine because of the "salt of the flints." For the salt stagnating in the body is cured by another salt This reflects the Paracelsian idea that "like cures like" or that mineral salts in the body must be balanced by external chemical salts.

III. Two, three, or four drops of Oil of Wax in water of the Greater Nettle root strongly drives out urine. At the same time, let the region of the kidneys be anointed with Oil of Bricks original: "ol. de lateribus", Oil of Scorpions, and Oil of Wax. Likewise, let the peritoneum be anointed with the same oil.

OIL OF WAX

Oil of Wax

Take 1 pound symbol: ℔ of Wax and 4 ounces symbol: ℥ of washed ashes. Distill in a low cucurbit A gourd-shaped glass distillation vessel or a retort in ashes with a slow fire. That which first distills out is coagulated like butter, by which the opening of the alembic or the beak of the retort is often blocked; this must be liquefied by applying a coal so that it descends into the receiver. Let it be rectified afterwards once or twice through the retort with common water added.

IV. Croll's Volatile Salt of Amber: see the notes on Croll.

SALT OF AMBER

Salt of Amber

Fixed Salt of Amber is made from the caput mortuum The "dead head" or solid residue left after distillation after the distillation of the oil, calcined in a potter's furnace, and the salt is extracted from the lime. The dose is from half a scruple symbol: ℈ ß to 1 scruple symbol: ℈ j in a suitable liquid.

V. Spirit of Salt, especially marine salt, with urine-moving waters, 3 to 6 or 10 drops with spring water, or parsley water, or winter cherry water original: "halicacab.".

VI. Spirit of Vitriol Sulfuric acid, just like the Vitriol itself. The dose is the same, with two parts of vinegar.

VII. One spoonful of Aqua Vitae Concentrated alcohol, literally "Water of Life".

VIII. Tincture or Sulfur of Tartar: 4 or 8 drops of this, exhibited with wine or another liquor, vehemently drive out the diseases of the lower viscera through the urine; and, what is a wonder, it miraculously restores a sluggishness of the bowels (whether contracted from the use of medicines or by nature). It is most suitable for the elderly. See my notes on Croll.

Diuretic Julep

IX. Diuretic Julep.
Take Salt of Prunella A mixture of potassium nitrate and sulfur from half a scruple to 1 dram,
water of restharrow original: "ononid.",
water of parsley, from 3 to 4 ounces,
Syrup prepared from restharrow flowers, or simply of violets,
or of borage juice, or
of Lemons, 2 ounces.

Diuretic Oxymel

X. Diuretic Oxymel A medicinal drink made of honey and vinegar is in very frequent use among some Physicians.
Take Valerian root,
swallow-wort original: "vincetox.",
Eryngo Sea holly, half a dram of each,
the herbs oregano,
hyssop,
Speedwell original: "Veron.",
scabious,
horehound, 1 handful of each,
fennel root,

parsley root, 6 drams of each,
anise seed,
fennel seed, 5 drams of each,
broom flowers,
elder flowers, 2 pinches symbol: p. ij of each,
clarified honey, 1 pound,
Vinegar of Squills, half a pound,
spring water, 3 pounds.
Mix. Let it boil slowly and stand covered in a warm place for 8 days. Boil and press it out. Let an oxymel be made according to the art. The dose is from 2 to 4 or 6 ounces when necessity is urgent.

STRENGTHENING MEDICINES

I. Salt of Pearls and Magistery of Pearls A "magistery" is a refined precipitate of a substance. Dose from 6 or 10 grains up to 20. (Note: in the notes on Croll, do not exceed 15 grains.)

II. Syrup of Pearls. Preparation: Quercetanus Joseph Duchesne, a famous French Paracelsian physician prepares a syrup from corals which is also considered strengthening; in imitation of which a syrup from pearls can be made, if the pearls are digested and dissolved with purified lemon juice according to the author's mind, and a syrup is made from the solution, just as he teaches regarding the syrup of Corals.

III. Arcanum of Pearls. Dose: 15 to 20 grains. (Because of the Spirit of Guaiacum with which it is prepared, it purifies the blood excellently in the "Venereal Pox" Syphilis.) See below under Venereal Cures.

IV. Salt of Corals.

V. Magistery of Corals.

VI. Tincture of Corals. Dose from 6 to 10 or 15 grains. See the notes on Croll.

VII. Elixir of Property by Paracelsus, from 6 to 25 drops in a suitable vehicle. See the notes on Croll.

VIII. Oil of Cinnamon. Dose from 3 to 4 grains.

Balsam of Cinnamon

IX. Strengthening Balsams, concerning which see the Crollian notes. Balsam of Cinnamon: Take as much as you like of Oil of Nutmeg by expression. Extract a tincture with spirit of wine until the oil remains at the bottom white and almost odorless. Take this and add to it 6 drams of extract of cinnamon. Leave it in warm ashes so that it may unite into one body; when this is done, add 2 drams of distilled oil of cinnamon. Mix very well and keep. The dose is 6 grains in balm water or another cordial, preserve, or cordial opiate. It strengthens all the principal members, especially a cold stomach, the heart, and the brain; it is also a singular remedy in fainting fits, where the heart can even be anointed with it.

X. English Potable Gold A "drinkable" liquid gold preparation, often highly expensive and touted as a panacea.

XI. Transparent Sun original: "Sol transparens", concerning which Rhenanus writes in the book The Sun Emerging from the Well.

XII. Strengthening Water.

XIII. Water of Magnanimity, concerning which see the Marrow of Distillation, book 2, treatise 8.

Rectified Ambergris

XIV. Rectified Ambergris, which they say the Emperor Rudolf often used. He received its composition from Elizabeth, Queen of England, which is as follows:
Take 8 parts of pure and approved gray ambergris,
1 part of the most fragrant musk.
Half a part of the whitest sugar.
Let all be pulverized and ground very well with "burning" spirit of roses Concentrated rose alcohol, pouring on more spirit of roses quite often for a long time, tempering it, and again gradually putting it aside so that it almost dries; then let it be ground again as before and kept for use. The dose is the size of a small pea in wine or another suitable liquid. It is the greatest strengthener of all the viscera and, in the first place, promotes the power of procreation.

Spirit of Soot

XV. Spirit of Soot with the oil of the same, which is thus: Take Spirit of Soot from the chimneys, elegant and shining like black amber (according to Spiegelerus, the closer it adheres to the furnace, the better). Take as much as you wish of it and fill a glass retort, well-luted Coated in protective clay/mud or even an earthen one, up to the neck. With a very large receiver attached, distill by degrees of fire, slow at first, then stronger, so that the phlegm, all the whitening spirits, and the oil (first yellow, then finally red) pass through together with the phlegm...