CHYMIATRIC PRACTICE BY DR. JOHANN HARTMANN

[It can be done] in a vial or a cucurbit a gourd-shaped chemical vessel, but cook it slowly so that you do not suffer a loss. Cook it until the spirit of wine alcohol is consumed. When the vessel has slowly cooled, pour out the Balsam. If you join this Balsam with oil of Antimony and oil of the microcosm substances derived from the human body, such as salts from urine, it will be of incomparable virtue. In this way, I prepare my Antimonial Balsam, which is very frequently used in this region.

ADHESION OF THE LUNGS

Adhesion of the lungs is difficult to cure in adults.

PLEURISY

In a true case of pleurisy inflammation of the membranes surrounding the lungs, before all else and certainly at the beginning, or even on the third or fifth day, I administer blessed water aqua benedicta an antimonial wine used to induce vomiting to provoke vomiting. In this way, the influx of humors and the inflammation are halted, and the chest itself is freed from impurities. The blessed water is given in a proper dose in the water of milk thistle original: "Cardui Mariae" or corn poppy original: "rhoeados". Sometimes I proceed to bloodletting if the disease does not seem to have resolved and the plethora excess of bodily fluids demands it. I do this either before or after the vomiting.

2. When nature itself or the patients shrink from vomiting, the letting of blood should principally come first, especially from the heart vein the basilic vein of the arm on the side that is afflicted. If the fever and symptoms do not become milder even then, I descend to other more appropriate remedies. The first of these is: spirit of nitre and spirit of wine (the spirit of wine is corrected by the spirit of nitre and is given in a very small dose, otherwise any use here is harmful) of each 1 dram, or half an ounce, or 2 drams at most. Mix this with a sufficient quantity of warm water of the corn poppy (for example, 1, 2, or 3 ounces) and arrange the patient in bed to sweat as much as possible.

3. Soon I administer a diaphoretic sweat-inducing medicine in acute cases, 1 dram with the water of milk thistle or corn poppy.

4. For peasants or those with more robust constitutions, I administer 1 to 3 ounces of linseed oil. After this, all things are administered in turn to promote expectoration.

Note: By a specific property, pleurisy is resolved by the scrapings of a boar's tooth original: "dentis apri", administered several times in appropriate liquids. Better yet is a magistery a precipitate or refined extract made from it (called Haevezeene likely a German vernacular term for boar's teeth).

Externally, for the mitigation of pain and stabbings, use anointings made from marshmallow ointment unguentum dialthaeae, oil of sweet almonds, and similar things.

An Epithem a liquid poultice made from honey and milk boiled together and applied warm in a pig's bladder to the painful side also helps. In this category are cataplasms poultices made from anodynes painkillers, of which many are found among practitioners.

The penis of a stag original: "priapus cervi" or a bull is also a specific remedy. See Joel, page 25, and the decoction of corn poppy flowers in Valleriol, book 5, observation 10.

In false pleurisy original: "pleuritide notha", the same things are generally observed, except that we abstain from the spirit of wine.

Externally, in flatulent pleurisy pleurisy caused by trapped gas, the powder of cumin seed sprinkled on cabbage leaves smeared with butter and applied to the painful spot works wonderfully. I used this on my little son, Christopher.

In Empyema a collection of pus in the cavity between the lung and the chest wall, especially arising from pleurisy, suppuration must be deliberately matured, and afterward the sanies bloody discharge or pus must be drawn out. Regarding all these matters, consult the practitioners, especially Rondeletius and B. Faventinus. In this area, chemical remedies seem to falter, as everything must be carried out with milder maturing agents externally and soothing agents internally. Nevertheless, a decoction of Guaiacum a medicinal wood from the Caribbean administered with pectoral herbs is very helpful. It will work more strongly if fixed flowers of antimony are administered several times—not every day, but every week—in a weight of 1 dram in the decoction of Guaiacum. In this way, both the maturation and the bursting of the abscess will be promoted. Once the abscess has burst, but the pus has not yet been coughed up through purging, one must return to abstergents cleansing agents. Among others, this is praised: 2 pounds of barley water (I mean distilled barley water), 5 ounces of honey of roses, and 1 ounce of marshmallow root. Mix and boil until 3 parts are consumed, then give the strained liquid as a linctus a syrupy medicine to be licked. (The marshmallow syrup of Fernel also works here). This cleanses the ulcer, and the pus is transferred to the lower parts of the body

and is purified through the spirit. While these things are being done, 3 or 4 ounces of ground ivy water original: "aquæ hedera terrestris" sharpened with its own salt should be given warm to the patient four or five times a day. Also, the leaves of ground ivy mixed into food heal suppuration skillfully. The progress will be successful if an arcanum a secret, powerful remedy is made from ground ivy, of which 2, 3, or 6 drams given in its own water resolve the entire condition.

The juice of Bryony draws out fluid fluctuating in the chest, as mentioned above regarding tightness of the chest. Also, the juice of our local iris original: "ireos noftratis", up to 6 drams, purges through vomiting.

See more below concerning the spitting of blood.

Tincture of Vitriol original: "Tinctura Vitrioli" from Mr. Timpler, a most experienced chemist and formerly my predecessor in this Academy of Rinteln, from his manuscripts:

original German: "Ich ziehe ex Minera..."
The following is a translation of a handwritten German laboratory recipe:
I extract from 2 ounces of ore a combustible sulfur in the usual manner. When this is well-purified and dried, I mix an equal weight of well-refined vitriol into it. Stir them well together and put this in a melting crucible that is solid and good. Place another crucible on top of it. Seal it with the best lute sealing clay, or even better, place both crucibles inside two other crucibles and seal them well. Let them dry, and then coat it with good lute. When dry, place it initially in a circular furnace until it is surely melted. Then I give it 24 pounds possibly a measure of heat or a large quantity of fuel of the strongest fire. Thus the vitriol is converted into a blood-red powder, which is used with the highest benefit in plague, pleurisy, malignant fevers, and in affections of the lungs, or the tincture can be extracted with spirit of wine.

IN TUBERCULOSIS AND HECTIC FEVER FROM PLEURISY

Take 1 dram of Glass of Antimony Vitri Antimonii made by itself. Grind it into a fine powder and pour its own oil over it. Let it stand in infusion, shaking it daily. Give 15 drops of this to the patient every morning and evening in Syrup of Poppy.

HOARSENESS

Hoarseness from shouting is healed by lozenges of Cold Diatragacanth a traditional gummy medicinal mixture smeared with oil of anise, if they are swallowed after being gradually dissolved in the mouth.

That which comes from cold is removed by a draught of warm wine tempered with sugar.

In hoarseness from distillation post-nasal drip or catarrh, even the most deep-seated kind, the compound Syrup of Hedge Mustard original: "Eryfimo Lobelij" is excellent.

COUGH

Vomiting procured by blessed water cures a cough, whether recent or long-standing, most of the time if not always. By this means, the first region of the belly is freed from all impurities, distillations are stopped, and if convenient internal and external pectoral remedies are applied afterward, it very rarely returns.

Internal remedies include all kinds of Loch thick, syrupy medicines or pectoral syrups, some expectorant if needed, others strengthening and preserving the chest and lungs from the falling down of humors.

Among expectorants, Oxymel honey and vinegar and Vinegar of Squill mixed with syrup of jujubes are praised.

Strengthening remedies are syrups of sorrel, hyssop, violets, and liquorice. Among all these is included the marshmallow syrup of Fernel.

External remedies are ointments.

NOTES

1. A wonderful preservation against cough is found in jujubes original: "zizyphis", which are those larger grapes the Germans call raisins Cibebey. They are soaked in spirit of wine, and when they are quite swollen, one or two of them taken morning and evening preserve one from a cough.

2. A Liquor of Sugar prepared with a composition of radish slices wonderfully resolves a cough, as mentioned above concerning asthma and orthopnea. Also, the so-called Magistral Oil of Sugar is made this way: pour spirit of wine, corrected once, over white sugar candy. Let them sit

Handwritten German script

together for several hours in a quiet place. Afterward, ignite the spirit of wine, and the sugar, with the remaining phlegm watery residue, turns into a thick liquor. This, when taken even for long-standing coughs, promotes expectoration and strengthens the windpipe and lungs by soothing them, especially if a few drops of extract or essence of saffron are mixed in. Likewise, an extraction of Elecampane original: "helenii" made through spirit of wine and mixed with sugar (the spirits are burnt off by fire) remains a very useful liquor for a cough. Refer here to that powder of R. Julandus mentioned before under asthma.

In small children and infants, lozenges of Cold Diatragacanth resolve coughs. Also, if the feet are washed two or three times daily, especially when going to bed, in warm beer, and afterward the soles of the feet are anointed with the fat of a pike fish. Added to all these are Flowers of Sulfur and Milk of Sulfur.

Persistent coughs caused by thin distillations are stopped by Opiate Laudanum, which is also useful in other coughs provided it is applied skillfully—that is, when the chest is not entirely choked by thick and sluggish phlegm, but is free.

SPUTING BLOOD

The spitting of blood from the lungs is primarily cured by Henbane seed original: "Hyofcyami" mixed with other pectoral and astringent remedies and made into tablets. See Plater in his practice and observations.

If, however, copious blood is excreted at once, stronger astringents are necessary.

Take 2 ounces of distilled water of nettle root and a sufficient quantity of oil of vitriol sulfuric acid to reach a moderate sourness.

Make a mixture and let it be given cold. This mixture also successfully cures the vomiting of blood. See below concerning vomiting. Or:

Take half a dram of oil of vitriol and 2 ounces of plantain water.

Mix and make a small potion. It suddenly stops the flow of blood from the lungs (take care that the throat is not ulcerated) and copious vomiting of blood.

Also this powder:
Take prepared white Amber,
Prepared burnt Hartshorn,
Marrow of the Eagle Stone original: "lap. aët.",
Prepared Hematite,
Prepared Carnelian,
Solution of Red Coral,
Sealed Earth Terra Sigillata medicinal clay,
Nutmeg,
Prepared Lodestone, 1 dram of each.
Mix and make a powder.
Of which the patient should take half a dram to 1 dram in the morning and evening in the water of plantain, pimpernel, burnet, or tormentil. Experiment of Mr. Timpler.

In the case of a fall from a height, if fevers occur, it is a sign that blood is putrefying outside the vessels in the body.

In this case, nothing is better than blessed water given in a vehicle of chervil water. It suddenly removes the fever and inflammations (a vein can also be cut) and frees the whole body from impurities. Afterward, the same should be administered even if no fever is yet present, right from the beginning. This ensures that fevers do not easily follow, provided other things are done to dissolve coagulated blood, such as Essence of Goat, blood of a wolf, and especially mummy mummified human remains were a common early modern drug. See also the magistery of crab's eyes. Also, 1 or 2 drams of lime-tree charcoal in chervil water or vinegar. Give chervil in food. A powder is very useful in this case:

Take lime-tree charcoal, crab's eyes, and chervil herb in equal parts. Make a powder according to the art. Dose is half a dram in vinegar.

Likewise, the diaphoretic for acute cases or the "Simple Mixture" (or other Treacle water) is singular in this case, if...