Opera omnia medico-chymica

THE CHYMIATRIC PRACTICE OF DR. JOHANN HARTMANN.

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A small decorative initial letter I marks the beginning of the text.

Among the common Digestiva digestives, or medicines that prepare humors for evacuation used in traditional medicine, and sometimes requested by the patients themselves, Tartarus vitriolatus vitriolated tartar; potassium sulfate is most frequently used. It was first described by Crollius Oswald Croll (1563–1609), an important German alchemist and physician., from whom the digestive method is taken. Prepared as Crollius teaches—dissolved in wine and cooked with raisins and cinnamon—it is a unique remedy. When administered correctly, it is very effective in stubborn and chronic diseases that require the softening and digestion of humors.

Crystals of Tartar. II. Next is the Crystallus Tartari Crystal of Tartar, often praised by Quercetanus Joseph Duchesne (1544–1609), a French physician known for his chemical remedies. and confirmed by long use. It is commonly called Cremor Tartari Cream of Tartar. Its use is very appropriate for many diseases requiring digestion: it is especially suited for stones in the kidneys or bladder, which will be discussed below. The dose is from 6 grains to 1 scruple. In cases of melancholy, it is a supreme opener of blockages in both the bowels and the tartar A term for stony or hardened metabolic waste. lingering in the mesenteric veins. It is given in meat broth or wine, often repeating the dose.

DIGESTIVES.

Digestion is the disposition of matter, by nature's own powers, toward a state where the pure is separated from the impure. I call this natural digestion. However, if that matter becomes troublesome to the body and its region—either because nature is too weak or because the matter is hindered by complications—it is the task of medical art to make it ready for fermentation or movement, so the parts can be separated from one another. These medicines are called Digestiva Digestives, from the Latin dis apart and gero to carry or bear, signifying a division. Thus, to digest is to dissolve.

In a strict sense, these medicines specifically address viscous phlegm, which requires dissolution to become more fluid before purging. That is, it must be cut and thinned, according to Hippocrates The ancient Greek physician often cited as the father of medicine., who advises in his Aphorisms that "concocted things, not raw things, are to be purged." He warns that if one wishes to purge bodies, they must be made fluid. Other humors are more mobile and do not require this, and if they suffer any hardening, it is not from themselves, but from the phlegm in which they are immersed and inhabit. Therefore, while those humors require alteration, we must primarily consider the substances that make phlegm sticky. It becomes more viscous if volatile spirits are lacking, or if oil or lixivial alkaline or salty salt exceeds it. The more "earthy" this salt is, the more it will coagulate when an acid is added. Medicines called "incising" and "attenuating" dissolve this coagulated phlegm: these include fixed and volatile salts, aromatic oils, acids, and mixed substances.

Fixed salts are mostly made from plants through incineration and boiling, such as those of wormwood, blessed thistle, lesser centaury, scordium, juniper, and tartar. These are commonly called fever-reducers and diuretics.

Volatile salts are found abundantly in animals, such as in urine, hartshorn deer horn, human skull, and sal armoniac ammonium chloride. They are fewer in vegetables, though scurvy-grass is a primary source. One can easily make any fixed salt—even salt of tartar—volatile with the help of another volatile substance. I must also mention the volatile salt of amber, whose excellent powers I cannot praise enough. Oily volatile salts include all distilled oils, especially those prepared from aromatics, seeds, berries, woods, and roots.

Acids, such as spirit of salt hydrochloric acid, nitre nitric acid, sulfur, and vitriol, as well as raw and distilled vinegar, cut through phlegm powerfully. We see this even in the imagination: the mere thought of an acid taste makes saliva flow in the mouth. However, they should not be used indiscriminately. If a melancholic patient suffers from "acid juice," acids should be avoided, as they would cause further irritation. Instead, aromatic oils and volatile salts should be used. These are superior because they preserve the bile in its natural state. Gentler acids, like spirit of salt sweetened by distillation with spirit of wine, are safer. Among spirituous things, spirit of wine is primary, followed by spirits made from grain or other fermented vegetables, either simple or flavored with aromatics (various "waters of life" or brandies).

Mixed substances include all the Theriacal waters, oxymel of squills vinegar and honey mixed with sea onion, sal ammoniac, crystals of tartar, and vitriolated tartar.

Sennertus Daniel Sennert (1572–1637), a famous German physician. extends the definition of Digestives not only to the resolution of thick humors but also the thickening of thin ones. He defines them as things that remove whatever hinders nature in cooking In the medical sense of "digesting" or "ripening" humors.. This would mean they cool the too hot, heat the cold, moisten the dry, dry the moist, thin the thick, and thicken the thin. However, this is a poor definition; these should be called Alteratives. Digestion cannot properly refer to thickening substances given before purging. The material to be purged must be mobile. It would be contradictory to thicken it and then immediately try to dissolve or ferment it again. This is a common error among physicians who think humors are better purged when "precipitated." I confess I do not understand how making a substance more packed into the body and less mobile helps. Experience tells us that no one "precipitates" the dregs of wine or beer with salt to make them ferment again; rather, fermentation itself allows the thick particles to be expelled.

Hartmann begins with the digestives we have at hand, specifically those used to dissolve phlegm before purging. He limits the number to two medicines of a "hermaphroditic" of a mixed or dual nature nature, which are sufficient for most humors.

Otherwise, all medicines for the head, chest, and stomach—and especially those for the spleen, womb, and urinary tract—belong to the category of digestives, commonly sold as "heating" medicines.

Tartarus vitriolatus Vitriolated Tartar does not have a very pleasant taste because of the oil of tartar. This is corrected if flavorful water or cinnamon water is drawn from it, or if a few drops of cinnamon oil are added.

Cremorem Tartari Cream of Tartar is often wrongly confused by pharmacists with crystals for the sake of profit. "Cream" is properly collected from the surface after evaporation like a thin skin and is more volatile, while "crystals" settle more firmly at the bottom.

Spirit of Tartar also provides an excellent digestive and proves its strength in chronic diseases by resolving phlegm.

Above all, however, the True Tincture of Tartar excels. This is not the common version made merely by reacting with spirit of wine. Our author provides the preparation in his notes to Crollius, rightly advising that it must be made through a "homogeneous spirit." He remains silent on the necessary manual technique original: "encheirefin" by which the tartar is totally dissolved. If placed in digestion, it shows various color changes and, after about six months, turns into the desired tincture. If you do not know this technique, you will achieve nothing.

The Spirit of Sal Ammoniac and its "flowers" sublimated powder also deserve a high place. Distill it as follows: Take 5 ounces each of Sal Ammoniac and Salt of Tartar. Mix them exactly in a warm mortar. Put the mixture in a retort and, with a large receiver attached, distill in a sand bath with increasing heat. Soon a volatile spirit will come forth like a liquid, and a volatile salt will sublime, clear like camphor. Dissolve the salt in the spirit and keep it in a well-sealed vessel. The dose is 15 to 30 drops. Sal Ammoniac is composed of a fixed salt (common salt) and a volatile urine salt, yet the resulting taste is entirely different—a third nature acquired by internal reaction.

We must be content with the "flowers" which some produce from melted salt and others from iron dross. The dose is from 6 grains to 1 scruple.

I add here the celebrated Liquor of the famous Sylvius Franciscke Sylvius (1614–1672), a Dutch physician and chemist., of which various descriptions exist. The one I have at hand is:

Take:

• Rosemary water: 7 ounces
• Volatile hartshorn: 1 ounce
• Spirit of hartshorn: 2 ounces
• Sal armoniac: 1/2 ounce
  Mix to make the liquor.

For my own use, I prepare it this way: I pour "May Dew" Water collected from grass in the early morning, believed to have special properties. over aromatic seeds or roots.

Distilled water: 7 oz.

Volatile hartshorn: 1 oz.
Volatile amber: 2 oz.
Spirit of hartshorn: 2 oz.
Sal armoniac: 1/2 oz.
Mix and make a liquor by digestion. Dose: 20 to 30 drops.

VOMITORIA EMETICS

Among the emetics, the first place is held by the Aqua Benedicta Blessed Water named by Martin Ruland Martin Ruland the Elder (1532–1602), a physician known for using antimonial remedies..

This medicine is remarkably useful in "Hungarian Fever" likely typhus and pleurisy, especially at the beginning when strength is firm. If necessary, it can be given on the fourth or fifth day even if no signs of recovery appear.

II. The Syrup of Blessed Water, described in the notes to Crollius.

III. White Salt: This is used less often. 5 grains to 1 scruple dissolved in mint or barley water moves the bowels to vomit. It is White Vitriol Zinc sulfate. If you want it purer: dissolve it in lesser centaury water, filter, and let it harden. Repeat this three times. Finally, dissolve it in rose water, filter, and digest in warm ashes for 6 days. Separate the dregs at the bottom. Evaporate the clear liquid to dryness. The dose is 1 scruple with conserve of roses, wine, mead, or barley water.

IV. Gilla of Paracelsus Emetic made from vitriol, as found in Crollius.

V. Plater's Emetic, made from green walnuts, radish, and vinegar.

Plater's Emetic:

Walnuts collected around the feast of St. John.
Radish root, equal parts.
Distilled wine vinegar, 3 parts.

Crush the nuts and radish and digest in gentle heat for 5 or 6 days, then distill. The dose is 2 to 6 scruples. It can be made stronger with half a dose of Blessed Water.

VI. Conradine Emetic, found in Crollius.

VII. Nail clippings, in wine or another liquid. Also, burnt ox horn (or another animal's horn) extinguished in water.

Conradine Emetic.

Nail clippings.

Note: In cases of dropsy edema/swelling, it is said that if nail clippings from the fingers and toes are placed on the patient's navel, they miraculously expel water.

VIII. Coagulum of Asarabacca Asarum europaeum, a plant used as a potent emetic. A tincture is extracted from the whole plant (root and leaves) with spirit of wine. This is joined with its own purified salt. After digesting in a water bath, the spirit of wine is removed until it reaches the consistency of a "coagulum" or thick paste.

Coagulum of Asarabacca.

More clearly: On May 24, take the asarabacca root with the leaves. Dry them carefully in the shade. Crush one part and pour rectified spirit of wine over it in a vial so it covers it by four finger-widths. Keep it sealed in a warm place until the spirit turns a greenish-yellow. Pour off the liquid. Burn the remaining three parts to ash to extract the salt with hot water. Dry the salt and melt it in a crucible. Dissolve the melted salt in hot water, digest, and dry it again. Pour the previously filtered tincture over this salt and evaporate in a vessel until it has the consistency of honey. Give 1 to 3 scruples in barley water or broth for diseases where an emetic is needed. Others simply soak three leaves of asarabacca in wine for 6 to 8 hours and drink the wine; they vomit without distress.

Asarabacca leaves.

IX. Take 1 pound of Antimony and 6 pounds of Barberry juice. Let them sit in the sun or a warm place for one month. Pour off the juice and thicken it into a syrup (this is kept for drying out ulcers). Of the remaining "oil," 20 drops at most will cause vomiting without violence. This is frequently used by Wurtemberger in Basel.

Antimony of Barberry.