BOOK FIVE

...once ground, you should soak original: "maceres" it often in vinegar and often pour it off. Alternatively, its impurities may be washed away several times with distilled vinegar, and finally with rain water. Once dried out, it no longer purges the body violently, neither through vomiting nor through the bowels, so that it may be safely given even to children. During the melting process, while the material is flowing, dross original: "scoriae," the stony waste matter separated from metals during smelting usually separates from it; if these are removed and calcined heated to a high temperature to cause oxidation or powdering again with saltpeter potassium nitrate, they can eventually be made to melt in a cellar meaning they become deliquescent, or liquid, by absorbing moisture from the air.

[His addition: Some practitioners melt the substance four times between two pots and then pour it into glass. Others melt it with saltpeter, which they add especially when it flows with difficulty. Sometimes, when it has achieved the appearance of ash, they add for every half-pound of antimony one ounce each of Chrysocolla original: "Crysocollæ," likely referring here to borax used as a flux and raw antimony. Others toss in sugar candy while it is already flowing, or common salt, etc. There is one who calcines it to a grey-white color until it no longer smokes. He then soaks the powder in spirit of wine ethanol poured to a depth of two fingers for 24 hours. After the spirit is strained through a cloth, he calcines it again three times as before. Afterwards, having added an ounce of borax to the remaining pound of antimony, he melts it in a crucible with a perforated lid, skims it with red copper, and pours it out. If it is not translucent, he melts it again. Thus far Libavius. For the melting of Antimony glass into various colors, seek instructions from Basil Valentine a legendary 15th-century alchemist; there follow the Electuaries a medicinal paste made by mixing powders with honey or syrup made with Antimony glass.]

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Croll’s Antimony Electuary.

Croll’s Antimony Electuary: Take glass of Antimony

melted while the Sun and Moon are in the sign of Aquarius or Pisces;
let it be ground finely, several times pouring on distilled vinegar and
drying it again in the ashes referring to an ash-bath for gentle, indirect heating: in this way you will have a white mass, which
you shall grind into a powder. Of this powder take two ounces, the same amount of Theriac of Andromachus original: "Theriacæ Andromachi," a famous ancient "universal" antidote containing dozens of ingredients, two drachms of Nutmeg, and the same amount of Mastic. Take two drachms each of Orange peels and prepared Red Coral. Take two ounces each of Cloves, Fennel seed, and prepared Coriander. Let these be very well powdered and mixed together, and let a mass be made with a sufficient quantity of quince jelly original: "myva Cydoniorum", from which pills the size of peas are to be formed. Its powers are as follows: They
Powers.

work miraculously against the Plague, Quartan fever a form of malaria where fever strikes every fourth day, Dropsy edema or swelling, long-lasting and stubborn diseases, chronic putrid fevers, Cachexia wasting of the body, Melancholy depression or an excess of black bile,
Insanity, Delirium, and the symptoms of swallowed poisons. To a weaker
Dose.

person, one pill is given; to a stronger person, two, having taken into account the strength of the patient.

Electuary

Electuary of Antimony by Theophrastus Paracelsi: Take Anti-

mony...