Liquor Alchahest, &c.
I am come now to the discovery of the great Circulate, or immortal disolvent of Paracelsus, and Helmont, not laying here the foundation of its Use and Excellency, which I presume is sufficiently believ'd in the World already, who had rather now hear tidings how it may be attain'd, then be tantaliz'd with a large Encomium [Page 2]of its worth and value. I elsewhere taught its Nature, Nativity and Efficacy, although briefly I shall here come to a more large handling of it, yet with caution as well as candor. It is (as I said) a Spiritual Salt, or Saline Spirit, which by reason of its transcendent purity, cannot be corruptively dissipated, and not finding any body so noble (at least more noble) then it self; disdains to be wedded unto any, nor is it capable of a diverse ferment from it self, and so not liable to transmutation: the knowledge and preparation of it, is the work [Page 3]of most abstruce Philosophy, the hope and crown of the adepti. O immortal Ens or Liquour! which penetrates all bodies, and perfectly reduces them to their first Ens or matter, without any loss of virtue, or pondus, but remains in number, weight, and measure, the same after a 1000 times acting upon bodily concretes; only one conquers and subjugates it, and is in it self destroyed in its destruction. It is vile and yet precious, it costs nothing, every man hath it, the poor as well as the rich; Adam carryed it with him out of Paradice, it is most [Page 4]secret in Microcosme, most potent in the Macrocosme; it destroys and conquers all bodies, and subjugates the most rebellious nature. 'Tis the product of Urine, then which nothing more common to come by, nothing more difficult to work on, well therefore said Helmont, that its preparation was most tedious: And most truly wrote he of such as contemn so vile and sordid a thing, and disdain to learn by the fire what its contents are, That true Wisdom doth and will despise them. For the plainer unfolding the mystery of its nativity and preparation, I [Page 5]shall recite my own broileries, how I hunted after it, and how after many years search, and and infinite errors, I at length attained it, if there be any thing deserving imitation in my example, follow it, and perhaps (God blessing your studies, labours & watchings) you may at last attain your desires, as I, through the undeserved mercy of God, at last attained mine. I had not been long conversant in the writings of that noble Phylosopher; but I soon (from some of his expressions) gathered a strong presumption, that Urine was the subject. Especially from [Page 6]that place in his Trac. de Lith. where he thus speaks, Est in Natura universi, &c. There is in the whole nature of the Universe, but only one fire, (which is our consuming Vulcan) and so likewise there is but one only Liquor which is of power to dissolve all solid bodies into their first matter, without being its self in the least changed or weakned in its virtue; which those that are adept know and can testifie. But in the activity of other Spirits, the dissolvable bodies can never radically mix themselves with the dissolving Liquor; and therefore, though [Page 7]they are corroded, yet is not this to be esteemed an intire dissolution, for every acid Spirit (being corrosive) by corroding another body, is coagulated, and in a manner fixt, and becomes transmuted into the form of a condensed Salt, not that the body, which (without alteration) endured what the pontick Spirit could work upon it, acts any thing towards its coagulation, but it self by its proper corrosive activity, is Coagulated of its own accord. Thus far Helmont in that place, who elsewhere speaking of his examination of all Salts, by way of Analyzing them, found [Page 8]by all trials possible, that their Spirits were still acid, except only Alcalizate Salts, and those of the Essential Sulphurs of vegetals. The Spirit of Mans Urine, notwithstanding, was neither Acid nor Alcalizate, but meerly Saline, also the Spirit of the Urine of Beasts. Hence I concluded, that in one of these two the Immortal Liquor must find its primitive original, having on good reason, excluded all acid Spirits; (and by consequence the Spirits of all other Salts in the World) Nor was the controversie long deciding between Alcalizate [Page 9]and Urinous Salts, considering the words of Helmont: when (saith he) I distinguished between the ☿ies, and the Salts and 🜍s of Concretes, by an analytical resolution of them, I wondred at the sluggish, inactive nature of the ☿ial compared to the dignity and excellent activity of the other two principles (to wit Sulphurous and Saline) Moreover I found, saith he, those Salts more dull and languid, which partaked of the nature of 🜍, but of Acalizate Spirits, and those of Essential vegitable Sulphurs, he saith definitively, that their saline [Page 10]Acrimony is fat and Sulphuerous, nor easily or speedily reducible into Salt, unless by a tedious inversion of their whole substance; whence I observed, that Alcalyes were not to be volatized (duely and truly) but by means of essential vegetable Oyls or 🜍s. Secondly, That being volatized, they retained their Sulphureous fatness a long time, till by a tedious inversion of the whole substance, the Sulphureous nature was turned into a Saline. Thirdly, Yet (even then) those saline Alcalizate spirits could not give the immortal Liquor, because [Page 11]Meretriciously addicted to wed any subject, and by dissolution thereof, to be reduced into a Coagulative volatile Salt, as Helmont expresly teacheth in his Tract. de Feb. as also in his Tract. de potest Medicam, his words are these, If, saith he, you cannot attain to the Arcanum of our Fire, learn ( as a succedaneum thereto) to make Alcalyes volatile, and with their Spirits perform your dissolutions; which, although they leave their dissolved Bodies (when digested in our Stomacks) yet have they by their Dissolution of, and Coagulation upon them, borrowed [Page 12]so much of their virtue, as by it to be able to overcome most Diseases. And in another place he saith, If Spirit of Salt of Tartar dissolve Quick-Silver, Silver, Ʋnicornes Horn, Crabs Eyes, or any other simple; it will cure (not only all Feavours) but most Diseases indifferently. And without making distinction; not that I expect the Quick-silver, Silver, &c. should pass with the Spirit into the Veins; but it is sufficient that the Alcalizate Spirit is by means of these Bodies, reduced into the nature of a Volatile and Coagulable Salt; and in the [Page 13]Stomack being first digested, (as other Meats are) it it passeth into the Meseraicks, being carried thither by the Urine; and in its passage resolveth and loosneth whatever obstructing filth it meets with, by virtue of its Exotick qualities, borrowed in dissolution, from the bodies whereon it was coagulated. And in his Tract. de potest Med. speaking of Alcalyes, I perceived or felt (saith he) that they are utterly void of all seminal power, or properties, and have only a Saponary, Abstersive, and resolving nature, wherewith they are contented; [Page 14]except they be made volatile, and then I was sensible that they re-assumed Balsamick seminal Vertues, and the radical principles of these concretes (by whose volatile 🜍s they were revived and made volatile.) But adds, ‘I was sensible how easily these volatile Alcalyes are transmuted into new and various forms, since they unite most readily to any Bodyes, and wed therewith: acting according to the native disposition of the Bodyes, to which they are thus conjunctively associated.’ By these testimonyes of this noble and [Page 15]most acute Phylosopher, whom I felt understandingly, having first often read him, and seriously consider'd his words, I was wholly confirmed in my opinion concerning Urine, as the only subject in which this secret Liquor was to be sought and attained. Which opinion of mine was dayly more and more strengthned by several expressions of his concerning this subject, one of which I recited before, namely, That Wisdom did (and for ever will) despise all such who think scorn to learn by the fire what the contents, nature, and properties of [Page 16]Urine are, how sordid and contemptible a thing soever it seem and appear to be. Therefore in his Tract. concerning the six digestions in man, he useth this expression concerning the Salt of Mans Urine, that in the whole systeme of the Universe it had not its fellow or peere. Neither Sea nor Fountain Salt, Salt Peter or Gemme; In a word, not any natural Salt whatsoever, nor yet the Salt of the Urine of Beasts, was comparable to it. The same he affirms in his Tract de Lith. And instances in the Urine of a Horse, which he found far [Page 17]to fall short of the dignity of Mans Urine, not having in it, or by any preparation, yielding that noble Spirit, which in Mans Urine was to be found, which Coagulated Spirit of Urine in an instant, not into a fixed body, but an Aetherical subtle, spiritual Salt, then which nature hath not a more spiritual penetrative Creature; of the Salt of Urine he before said, That he knew not if or no the whole World afforded any thing of a more subtle nature: comparing which with that Paragraph concerning the Immortal dissolvent in his Tract. de Medicam potest: he [Page 18]calls it the highest and most noble of Salts, which hath attained its utmost pitch in nature of subtilty and purity, penetrating all things, and is the only agent in the World, which acting upon Bodyes, remains always immutable, and with ease resolves all things, and brings them into ready obedience, liquefying and (at the same time) volatizing them, as Snow is melted in warm water. I observed, I say, in the works of this Philosopher, the Liquor Alchahest, and the Circulated Salt of Paracelsus, otherwise called the greater Circulate, [Page 19]were Synonimous, and indifferently used to signifie this fire of Hell, or immutable dissolvent; and where is it to be found but in that subject whose Spirit is even saline, never Acid or Alcalizate? Not without cause therefore (by way of incouragement) he thus allureth the studious searchers of truth; seek (my Brethren) and as many of you as are sedulous and diligent shall find truth ready to meet you with open arms, to embrace you, and crown your searches with unspeakable joy. First learn to dissolve the Duelech, or Stone of the Bladder [Page 20]or Reins, or the Gravel of either, in a Glass with a Tepid Liquor, inoffensive to either Stomack or Bladder, rejoyce, for you are near the great secret, then learn to dissolve the Ludus, and reduce it into a volatile Salt, &c. Now this Spirit or Liquor which will thus resolve the Duelech, is the second, which is drawn from Urine (putrified by long digestion.) The former Coagulating Spirit (of Aquae Vitae rectified) being some dayes before taken away by distillation. From the testimonyes of this most acute and truly adept Philosopher by the fire, [Page 21]I set my mind to consider the thing it self, and found it a subject of great wonder. My Experience convinced me, that it was an Anomalous Coagulum, which being it self a most subtile Spirit, was yet the Coagulation of other (and none but) Spirits, and those only vinous, for although it seems to Coagulate, it destroys utterly all acid Spirits, and returns them into Water insipid, or rather the acid Spirit, attempting by its Corrosiveness, to destroy this tender Spirit, which is most exquisitely volatile and flying: It the better to defend it self, [Page 22]assumes the form of a coagulated Body (as Water to withstand the active force of the Cold which would turn it into a Gas, crusts it self by its own action, into an Ice) And so this most fugacious penetrative Spirit, plays under the Maske of a far more fixed (yet totally volatile) Body of Salarmoniack, while the Spirit (to avoid whose tyranny it thus disguised it self) is by its own fretting activity totally destroyed from what it was, and becomes a mere elemental Water: That this Coagulation, and disguised fixation, with a total suspension [Page 23]of the acute Urinary odour and tast, i [...] from it self, and not the acid Spirit (effectively.) I demonstrate, first in that upon any Acidity, fixt or volatile, it will do the same thing, and become the same Salt, and so the acid Calcinate of Vitriol, as well as its acid volatile Spirit will cause the same saline product. But Secondly, were the Urinous Spirit coagulated passively, it would be really and actually transmuted, and become another thing, whereas the same Urinous Spirit (identically and numerically) is (in this action) but veiled under a [Page 24]Larva, or masked under the disguise of a more fixed body (as Water still remaining the same, counterfeits a body of appearing Glass, being indeed but the same water identically, in the disguise of Ice.) And this the affusion of a Lixivium of Salt of Tartar, or any other Alcaly, will easily discover, when in the twinkling of an eye, or the space of the same quickest thought, the same Spirit of Urine, in the same pondus & qualities, and with the same formal properties, will distill over as before, re-assuming the same subtlety of odour, fieryness of tast, being equally Volatile, [Page 25]coagulating also Spirit of Wine, speedily, powerfully, and solemnly, as if it had never been coagulated. Whereas the acid Spirit is turned into an insipid Water; having spent it self in vain upon this disguised Body of Sal Armoniack. And Thirdly, were the coagulation and semifixation actively from the Corrosive Spirit, which is most fiery, and in its tumultuous action, causeth a sensible insufferable heat to the touch, it could not upon a Spirit most exquisitely hot and fiery, actually imprint that Lunar Blas, which is apparent in Sal Armoniack: [Page 26]For it being in nature and quality hot, and materially and really (although hiddenly) containing the most fiery Spirit of Urine, of which a drop in an instant will vesitate the Toung or Lips, as powerfully and speedily as the most fiery potential cautery; and the Spirit by its most acute sharp odour (arguing the most exquisite heat of it when rectified) being so volatile and penetrative, scarce any stopple can keep it confin'd to the Vessel which contains it; and so piercingly acute, that no humane, or other Animals Organs of smelling can long [Page 27]endure its odour, without a threatned Syncope, if not an Apoplexie for the time doth yet so powerfully operate by a Lunar Blas, that if Sal Armoniack be put in an Urinal, or other thick Glass, and water poured on it, straightway it causeth such an extremity of Cold, as will actually freeze Water on the outside of the Urinal, yea although (antimony), or 🜍, or ☿, be sublimed with it, which are of a hot fiery Nature; And this Lunar Blas is insperable from it as long as it appears in the form of a more fixed Body of Salt, where observe by the by, that [Page 28]Cold is a real positive Ens or Being, and not a bare privation of heat, as the Schools most coldly teach. (It is I say) a Being which in the twinkling of an eye, can by the irradiating Blas of moistned Sal Armoniack be sent through the impervious sides of a strong Glass, so as in an instant to produce Cold in its glaciating extream, which was not so the moment before. Therefore Secondly, this cannot be an impression stampt upon the most fiery Corrosive; but is done by the activity of the Urinous Spirit upon it self, which it is so sollicited too by [Page 29]the excitation of the Corrosive Spirit, as Water actually crust it self with Ice, by the Irritation of extream Cold, which otherwise threatens ruine to its present form of Existence. And Thirdly, By a peculiar priviledge the Creaator hath given this Spirit, the most Cold Lunar Blas, marries it self to this (naturally hot in quality) subject, which it influentially imprints on whatsoever it toucheth; so soon as moisture (over which the cold Moon by its Light is president) is poured on its Body; that the Atomes of Water and Salt do embrace [Page 30]each other. Fourthly, no marvell, since the Lunar influence (having dominion over moisture) is the main instrument of reducing things to their first matter (as is evident in Inke, Broth, Jellies, Flesh, or Fish, once throughly Frozen) that the acid Corrosive Spirits, (which acting their fury upon Bodies, are variously coagulated into fixt coagulated Salts, of times very Corrosive) are in this action, by a retrograde reduction, brought into mere insipid Elemental Water: For let the Corrosive Spirit be of what kind soever, Acetous, Vitriolate, [Page 31]Nitrous of Salt Gemme, Sea Salt, or any other acidity, the product of Sal Armoniack is still the same, as also the Lunar Blas inhering in it, if not appearing with the same countenance at first coagulation, yet by sublimation of the coagulated Salt, the identity is soon perceptible; and the same reduction of the Corrosive Spirit to insipid Water, is as well the end of one acidity as another; By which the action of the Spirit upon it self, (not suffering a passive coagulation from the acid Corrosive) is beyond dispute, and out of question.
So then this is the original and production of Sal Armoniack the most subtle acute penetrative Urinous Spirit, meeting with an acid Corrosive; this s [...]eks (by a furious assault, to destroy that; which to prevent, the Urinous Spirit, counterfeits a Body by a spontaneus Coagulation, which (as more permanent) it opposeth to the fury of the Corrosive spiritual Acidity. Into this Body the Lunar Blas concenteates, and joins it self, dwelling in it invisibly, yet acting visibly.
The acid Spirit, fretting it self in vain upon this wonderful body, receiving a determination from its Cold Lunar Blas, ends in the total extinction of its saline seminal virtue, and that which in other actings, receives from various bodies, various coagulations, into divers forms of Salts fixed from this counterfeit body (guarded by a Lunar Blas (or influence) receives its final destruction, and b [...]comes insipid) Elemental water; thus that the Spirit through itr own activity is exantlated (by a frustaneous acting on this larvated body) is from [Page 34]it self; But that the end of this fury, and excandescence, should be the total extinction of its saline life, or being, is wholly to be attributed to the Lunar Blas, which is intimately and inseparately wedded to the form of Sal Armoniack; whose coagulation into that disguise of a body, is by its own action, on it self, according to an unerring instinct by which the wise Creator hath injoyn'd it to act.
This I have described the more at large, that the studious might lay this true relation of this anomalous Generation, as a sure foundation to [Page 35]work upon in the most seeret discovery of what only a true mental man will intellectually apprehend, and intuitively behold, with the clear sight of the Soul or mind. For as there is a Sal Armoniack Vulgar, which scarce any Fool but knows; so is there also a Sal Armoniack of Philosophers, which only true elect Sons of Learning know: In the circulation of which, is the perfection of the hope of all true adept Brothers of Art, so far as concerns this sire of Hell, which is Fire and yet Water, Water, and yet no Water, Air, and yet [Page 36]condensible, not Corrosive, yet the most sharp and perpetual Corrosive: A choice Medicine, cleansing and purifying Nature, yet the destroyer and conquerour of Bodies. But vinous Spirits are actually and actively coagulated by Spirit of Urine, and it self is actually con-coagulated with them, of which coagulation Helmont gives not an unlike Elogium, to that of the Immortal Liquor it self; namely, That it is not made by a bare association of parts, but a marrying of each to other in the bond of indissolveable unity, a production [Page 37]of a new Ens, which is a neutral, most subtle, spiritual body, distinct from either parent. Here is a spiritual body arising from two, yet without any diversity of ferment, for a vinous Spirit is intimate, and centrally one with the Spirit of Mans Urine, by virtue and efficacy of which, it coagulates Spirit of Wine, and is coagulated it self, which cannot happen to any Urinous Spirit, unless by the influential power of a vinous; which is the only coagulable object (primarily) of Spirit of Urine. With which, if it meet with any other volatile [Page 38]Spirit, essentially united, it coagulates it self therewith, so the Oils of Spices, and odoriferous Vegetables, being first intimately associated to a Urinous Spirit, are with it coagulated together into one spiritual body by rectifi'd Spirit of Urine; and truly, upon serious consideration, the universallity of the nature and energy of Urine in its Spirit, cannot sufficiently be admir'd. For (mediately at the least) there is nothing in the whole universe (except the central heart of ☿, and one thing which alone is its compere, the one destroying it, the other [Page 39]untoucht by its activity) which is not either by it transmuted into its own nature, or else absolutely destroy'd, and reduced into clear and elemental water.
For demonstrating this, it will not be amiss to take an exact survey, at least briefly of all sublimary Concrete Bodyes. In the Mineral Kingdom, the central heart of ☿, (as was abovesaid) excepted, all Sulphurs, mettaline and mineral, yea even of ☉, ☽, and ☿ themselves, are by reiterate cohobations, turned into saline Liquors, or Spirits, and they at last return to insipid [Page 40]elemental Water; so all Stones not calcinable by this sire of Hell, are made into Salts, which by oft circulating or cohobating with this Liquor, are volatiz'd, and by addition return a [...] last into Water. All calcinable stones and shells, yield an Alcaly, which being by essential Oyls volatized, unite with rectifi'd Spirit of Wine, and are concoagulated by an Urinous Spirit; which subtle Coagulum, being by a convenient acidity made into a more abiding bodily Salt, and sublimed, whatever will not formally abide therewith, is separated [Page 41]straightway in form of an Heterogeneous Liquor, and by an easie art is robb'd of its seminal Crasis, and returns to insipid water. All Animals, their Flesh, Bloud, and Bones, besides a Mercurial Liquor (which is soon turn'd to elementary water) give a fat Sulphur, and an urinary Salt, if not by immediate distillation, yet by a previous maceration by ferment and putrifaction. The Caput Mort becomes by the cohobation of our Circulated Salt, a mere Salt, and at last becomes Water, as all Earths, Stones, or the like, the Urinary Salts [Page 42]being purified by rectification, and semifixed into a more permanent body by proper Acidities, become a Sal Armoniack; which in sublimation (losing its Heterogeneityes) arises univocally the same with other of the same kind. The fat by distillation is volatized, and by an Alcaly becomes susceptible of union with Spirit of Wine, and consequently of con-coagulation by an Urinous Spirit, and by acidityes proper is made a Sal Armoniack.
The Urine of all Creatures giving a Spirit, is by an acidity made a tractable body [Page 43]of Salt, and by subliming with other Sal Armoniack; what is not made one identically therewith, is separated as Heterogeneus, and by an easie art totally destroyed. All horns and hoofs, either immediately, or being before buried, yield an Oyle, and an Urinous Salt; and may be handled, as I said before, in the like case, of the same products of Flesh, Bloud, and Bones. All Trees by burning, give a fixt Alcalid Mercurial Liquor, a volatile Sulphur, and a volatile Salt in the soot, which is plainly and truly Urinous; some Spices, Flowers, [Page 44]Seeds, Barks and Roots of Trees, give an Essential Oyle, others exprest Oyle: at least, all exprest Oyles by reiterate distillations, being rectifi'd and cohobated with Alcalyes, become capable of union with Spirit of Wine, and consequently of coagulation by, and subjugation too, Urinous Spirits; which with whatever will not hold coagulation and sublimation, is separated as Heterogeneall, and easily reducible to insipid Water. The destruction of all acid Spirits (by urinous) I taught before. In a word, whatever in the World is (beside [Page 45]the cential Nut of (arsenic)) is either fixt or volatile, the fixt, either saline or not, what is not saline, by art is made so, and both (by art and pains) become volatile; and being volatized, are soon reduced to Elemental Water, robb'd of all seminal virtue; fixt Alcalyes are volatized, marryed with vinous Spirits; and coagulable (together with them) by means of Urinous: Oyles become Salts Volatile, and so commiscible with Spirits of Wine, and so transmutable by Urinous: Vinous Spirits are most universal, all Herbs, Roots, Barks, Fruits, [Page 46]Honey, Suggar, Leaves, Grainseeds, Flowers, &c. yielding (by fermentation) a true vinous Spirit, which (by reiterate rectifications) loosing the qualities of the (media vita) of its concrete, is not discernable from others, and is (pari jure) coagulable in Spirit of Urine, (exquisitely deflegmed) which being then reduced to a more fixt Sal Armoniack, if not by it self, yet by subliming (together) with that which is the product of humane Urine, becomes one (homogeneally) with it, and whatever (with it) abides the test of sublimation, in that [Page 47]more fixed bodily form, is ever after univocally, homogeneally, and identically the same, hath the same Lunar Blas, and being reviv'd with an (Alcaly, or otherwise) gives the same coagulating Spirit, which will coagulate Spirit of Wine. Behold here the admirable nature of the Spirit of Mans Urine, how it plays its part among all other Concretes, Spirits, Acetous, Oleagenous, Vinous, Alcalizate, and Urinous; As Aarons Rod did with the Rods of Pharaohs Inchanters, it devoured them all, either assimulating them to it self in [Page 48]matter and form, or destroying and reducing them (at last) to mere insipid Elemental Water. Here you have a body at last of an admirable product (not Vulgar but Philosophical Sal Armoniack) concerning which, I have very much yet to write, howbeit, my writings will be more knotty then Apollo's Oracles, till you learn to distinguish between Sal Armoniack Vulgar and Philosophical.