THE CHEMICAL BASILICA

[Book Five continued]

For if you were to use Antimony in the treatment of leprosy in the same way you use it for common ulcers, it would be a very great error.

Additions of Antimony for Leprosy. Take one ounce of this Antimony, one drachm of oil of wine lees original: "olei de faecibus vini," likely oil of tartar or a distilled essence of wine dregs, and enough oil of bitter almonds to match the weight of all the other ingredients. Let a mixture be made. If there is no hoarseness of the voice, the patient should be anointed once or twice a week. If, however, hoarseness is present, this remedy is of no help.

Preparation for Elephantiasis: This is the same as the preparation of Antimony for leprosy.

Preparation of Antimony for Morphea term: Morphea (a skin condition involving discolored, hardened patches); Take half a pound of the best-ground Antimony, and equal parts of calcined tartar and Alum. Create a layer upon layer original: "stratum super stratum," an alchemical technique where ingredients are stacked in alternating levels arrangement, then return it to a reverberatory fire term: Reverberatory fire (a furnace where the flame is blown back or "reverberated" onto the material being heated) up to the fourth degree. Afterward, distill it, and a thick red oil will emerge of its own accord. "Layer upon layer" means that one series of Alum and Tartar is placed down, followed by another series of Antimony.

Addition for Morphea: Take one ounce of this Antimony along with one Kist An ancient unit of measure—that is, Alcohol of wine—two drachms of Tragacanth, and two drachms each of mucilage of Royal Comfrey original: "Consolida Regalis," likely referring to Larkspur or a species of Comfrey, Psyllium seed, and Gum Arabic. Let it be made into the form of an ointment. The process for Alopecia hair loss or balding and Morphea is the same. The ointment should be smeared on while the patient remains in a heated room original: "hypocausto," referring to a room heated from below, similar to a sauna or sweat-room, once or twice a week. In this way, a crust will form; when this crust falls off, then continue the cure with this second ointment:

Take one and a half drachms each of Sperniola A term often referring to frog spawn or a specific alchemical preparation of lead and Camphor, and enough oil of ceruse oil of white lead to match the weight of the whole; let an ointment be made. After the crust has fallen away, the area must be smeared with this ointment for eight days.

Third Preparation for Wounds: Take half a pound each of Antimony and calcined Tartar, and one Kist of Alcohol of wine. Let a mixture be made: distill it through an alembic a chemical vessel used for distillation until it is resolved. Of this dissolved matter, take one drachm and four drachms of Alcohol of wine; dry it through coagulation, then reduce it into an oil upon a Porphyry stone A hard purple stone used by apothecaries for grinding and refining substances into fine powders or oils. There is no more excellent cure for wounds than that made from Antimony, except for wounds to the head. It must, however, be prepared so that the Antimony is distilled upward for as long as it takes for the substance remaining below to become watery.

Addition for Wounds: Take seven drachms of this prepared Antimony, and five drachms each of juice of white Tartar and oil of Myrtles. Let a mixture be made. Smear this once every other day, and no complications need be feared. Note: in the summer, add as much Camphor as you please.