The Fire-Stone of Basil, or the Golden Apple

would it not be better if the poison or malignant matter were first driven out of the stomach and those places while the patient still has strength by means of our crocus metallorum saffron of metals emetic, rather than drawing more of it into oneself through sweating? What use are bloodlettings when the disease does not arise from the will of the blood, but is first drawn into the stomach from the air through our magnet? Do you suppose the already infected blood, posito casu in the assumed case, is emitted? Not at all; the good flows out, and the bad remains in the body in its place. How many are plagued with emetics, purgatives, and diaphoretics, and yet it does not result in anything; a single bloodletting takes the affliction away. Advise one, then, whether there is no danger to be feared in this method, even among the most learned. You might, however, object and say that the art of medicine has come so far that such things are placed into certain aphorisms and rules, and are publicly taught, read, and written about at high schools endowed with many and great liberties; therefore, what the masters of this faculty and sworn doctors advise must be true, and nothing else. I myself believe that this particular science of the medical art has risen quite high; those experienced in it are also rightly to be respected. It is not therefore proven that this healing must not be performed with great danger.

In a dangerous and important condition, one should consult several or many doctors; surely not all, or few of them, will entirely agree with their advice and diagnosis of the disease. Is there no danger here? Are the magnificent anodynes and opiates not sometimes misused, or entirely omitted where they are most necessary?

Often the time for administering a medication is not considered, whether out of necessity or negligence; can great harm not be caused by this?

If a righteous physician comes into an apothecary and asks for something of properly prepared chemical things that he might lack, either it is not there, or if it is already present, it is bought for a small sum of money from the greedy materialists who have extorted it from every common laboratory worker; just the question: is there no danger there? Is there no danger when one gives a patient quid pro quo one thing for another, dung for musk, old for new, new for old, half for whole, whole for half, stale for fresh, rotten for sweet-smelling, mixed for simple, simple for mixed, soiled for prepared? Innocent people are not meant here; soon the time is over, and it is too late so that neither purgatives nor diaphoretics can be used for the patient; may nature...