TO THE READERS.

The reasons brought forward by me, if they are not in everything consistent with philosophy, I have at least found to be in agreement with my own experiments, and I present myself not as a speculating philosopher, but as a reasoning chemist. I had determined to support the reasons with a greater number of experiments, but since it would have been drawn out too long, and many other operations would have had to be added, I have omitted that for the present; if it pleases God, I shall explain these further in the future. Since I have performed all the experiments and operations with my own hands, I offer you the circumstances with the most exact delineation possible. If an unfaithful success occurs for beginners or others, I am not the one to be blamed, since one does not write as well as one demonstrates. I have not stirred up many controversies and refutations, since the type of wrangling is tedious, which often distracts and tortures the reader. However, I sincerely propose my own opinion and the method customary to me, by which I seem to the fair reader to have satisfied him, perhaps to give more later when time and leisure permit, concerning the artificial Galenic mixture of natural bodies. Farewell.