MINERALOGIA: 
Or, An Account of the 
Extraordinary Virtues 
And 
Manifold Uses 
OF A
Mineral Salt,
Both in Physic and Sur-
gery, by Land and by Sea;
Which is so safe, 
Pleasant and effectual in its Operation, that 
it may be taken by those of all Ages and 
Constitutions with great Benefit, and with 
out Danger of the least Prejudice. 
The whole 
Exemplified by the Testimony of several e- 
minent Physicians and Surgeons from 
their own Experience. 
The Fourth Edition. 
By Edmund Packe, M. D.
LONDON: Printed by D. Pratt, in 
the Strand; and sold by the Author, at 
his House, at the Golden Head in South- 
ampton-Street, Covent-Garden. MDCCXXX. 
(Price Six Pence.)



TO THE 
READER.
THE first Account of this Salt was pub- 
lished by my Father, Dr. Chr. Packe, 
in that Memorable Year 1688: A second 
Edition of it came out in 1694, and a 
third Account was given of it in a Book he published 
in the Year 1708, entituled Medela Chymica. He 
was the Translator of Glauber’s Works, and wrote 
several Tracts in Physic and Chymistry, of no little 
Use to the Age he liv’d in. His Skill in preparing 
Genuine, Spagyrical Medicines in deplorable Cases, 
especially his Probity and Judgement in admini- 
string them, and his undistinguish’d Humanity to 
Mankind were so well known and acknowledged 
by all that knew him, as they still are by his sur- 
viving Friends; that I may easily excuse my self 
the Province of delineating him in in his full Cha- 
racter. All I shall say is, that I should be very glad 
to be carried with so good a one to my Grave. 
As he would advance nothing but what he knew, 
or firmly believed to be Matter of Fact, concerning 
this or any other of his Medicines, so have I. Many 
more Virtues than are here enumerated, might 
justly be ascrib’d to this Benign Salt; but I forbear 
to put them in one View together, because those 
who ought to know better, have given the unthink- 
ing a Prejudice against any Medicine offer’d as use- 
ful in many Cases as Quackish, tho’ it never was 
recommended (or is now) in any Case, but those 
wherein

To the Reader. 
wherein purging is necessary or proper: And as to 
its general Agreeableness to all Constitutions and 
Ages, I my self can answer for that; having never 
observed nor heard of (after 24 Years intimate Ac- 
quaintance with the Use of it) the least Disadvant- 
age attending any one Person from the taking it. 
In a Cure or two historis’d in the Tract, Mention 
is made of some other Medicines administred with 
the Salt, an Account of which has been published 
in Medela Chymica, which is now out of Print, and 
therefore with all Expedition shall be republished 
with Additions, that so many valuable Medicines 
may not be lost to the Republic of Physic, nor the 
Author’s Expectation ungratefully frustrated, in 
committing the Promulgation of them to my Care 
and Industry. 
I have received several Letters from His Ma- 
jesty’s Plantations abroad, commending the Virtues 
of this Salt in the Cure of many Distempers, pe- 
culiar to those Climes; but especially the Bloody- 
Flux, in Barbadoes, Jamaica, Antegoa, Maderas, 
and other Parts, in which Case I am allured it has 
sav’d more Lives in Proportion to the Use of it, 
than any one Medicine yet known. I cannot but 
recommend it therefore to all who visit those Parts, 
as a comfortable Branch of Store. If carried in a 
Glass, it will preserve its Virtues unalterable to 
numberless Years. 
I have only to add, That those who shall have 
occasion for Chymical or Galenical Medicines, may 
at any Time be faithfully furnished with them at 
my House, in Southampton-Street, Covent-Garden.
An

[1]
An Account of the Vertues and Use
of Sal Solutiviun, 
Prepared only by Dr. Edmund Packe,
at his House at the Golden-Head, in 
Southampton-Street Covent Garden.
AFTER many years Experience 
of the vertues and worth of this 
Medicine, in helping and curing 
many Diseases, to which the Body 
of man is subject, which of late I have also 
much improved and exalted in its Vertues; I 
have determined at length for a Publick Be- 
nefit (and to excuse my self from Writing 
many Letters) to Publish the following Ac- 
count of it. 
I. It is a Salt prepared of Mineral Sub- 
jects, by apt Mediums purify’d and reconci- 
led to the Archeus, or Auravitalis, of the Hu- 
man Body, (which is the adequate object of 
Medicine) and thereby becomes a Salutife- 
rous remedy ennobled with Vertues sufficient 
for the curing of many Diseases. This De- 
finition ariseth from its subject, Object and 
End. 
A II. It



[2]
II. It is neither an Acid nor an Alcaly, but a 
Salt of a middle Nature, being able to pass the 
several Digestions unchanged, and in its pas- 
sage to resolve and absterge all Preternatural 
Coagulations, for which Reason I call it Sal 
Solutivum. 
III. It is endowed with those Four general 
Properties, viz,. Cathartic, Diuretic, Deob-
struent, and allaying of all Preternatural heat and 
Acrimony: Besides which, as I have now ex- 
alted and improv’d it with the noble Sulphur 
of Venus, it is a general easer of Pain, and 
Extinguisher of Venereal Venoms, that are 
not grown to a confirm’d Pox, as is manifest 
by what it effects now in alleviating the 
Pains of the Gout, Rheumatism, Tooth-ach,
Colick, Griping of the Guts, Virulent Gho- 
norrhea's, &c. beyond what it could have 
done heretofore. 
Having thus briefly premised its Nature 
and Qualifications in general, for the satisfa- 
ction of such Physicians as may desire to 
make use of it; I shall now Address my self
more particularly to shew its Virtues and 
manner of using. 
1. Sal Solutivum purgeth the gross Excre- 
ments and most viscid Humours of the first 
passages without Nauseating the Stomach, or 
the least griping Pains. 2. It is singular in
opening Obstructions of the Vessels and Vi- 
scera. 3. It purifies and invigorates the 
whole

[3]
whole Mass of Blood, and restores it to its 
natural State; for being an amicable Salt, it 
hath admittance into the Blood, and reach- 
eth, as Helmont saith, of fixed Alcalyes made 
Volatle, usque ad limen quarta Digestionis. 
But this is deny'd to all ordinary purging Me-
dicines, which if through any inadvertency 
of the Archeus, they chance to slip into the 
lacteal Veins, and so into the Blood; they 
cause griping, Convulsive pains, Stitches, Flux 
of Blood, Faintings, &c. till Nature hath a 
gain discharged her self of them; and so in- 
stead of Purging the Blood, too often both 
corrupt and exhaust it. And these two Pro- 
perties are well worth the observing, being 
not to be met with even in the mildest of the 
common Catharticks. For this cause it is of 
great use in Fevers, neither disturbing the 
Juices, nor accending the Blood. I have 
seen many Fevers proceeding from Surfeits, 
both in eating and drinking quickly cured by 
it, and even Hectick Fevers themselves in a 
longer time, but such as I judged to proceed 
from a Scorbutick or venereal Cause: As for 
those which are wont to accompany a Phthisis 
I have had no Experience of it in them, yet 
I doubt not but even in those it would allay 
the Preternatural heat. 
But that this Medicine may be given to the 
best advantage, it is necessary in the Admi- 
nistring it, to have regard to two special In- 
tentions which Physicians are wont to ob- 
serve in the curing Diseases, viz. 1. The
A2 purging

[4] 
purging the first passages, the Stomach and 
Intestines of gross Excrements and Filths. 
2. To open and dissolve all Stagnant and ob- 
structing matter in the Viscera, as the Pan- 
creas, Mesentery, Liver, Spleen, Reins and 
Womb, and to correct and purifie the Blood, 
when it declines from its natural Crasis. The 
ordinary Dose of this Salt to purge accor- 
ding to the first Intention (which only is pur- 
ging according to common Acceptation) is 
from half an Ounce to six Drams, Dissolved 
in a Pint, or a Pint and a half of warm 
Posset-drink, new Whey, or pure Water, and 
drank in the Morning fasting. Those that 
cannot take such a quantity of Liquor, may 
dissolve their Dose in a half Pint (which will 
presently dissolve if it be warmed) and 
drink another half Pint presently after it, and 
a third half an hour after that, and fast till 
Dinner-time, except the Patient have a mind 
to take a Porrenger of Water Gruel, or thin 
Broth; neither will a draught of Ale, or a 
Dish of Tea at all hinder, but promote the 
working of it, Those who like neither Posset- 
drink, Whey or Water, or want the Conve- 
niency of getting them, may take, it in Ale, 
and it will do well enough; altho’ in some 
few Persons I have known it cause a Drow- 
siness when taken in spirituous Liquors; the 
Reason of which is its partaking of the Ano-
dyne, Narcotick Sulphurs of Mars and Venus,
which readily associate themselves with the 
vegetable Sulphureous Spirits, by which they 
are

(5) 
are quickly carried to the Brain: Yet the 
Use which may be made of this in some 
Cases, is not inconsiderable, as is well known 
to Physicians. 
This Medicine doth not only gently dis- 
solve and expurge the Excrements of the Sto- 
mach and Guts, but it also corrects the vio- 
lence of all Preternatural Purges, if you put 
but two Drams of it in their infusion, or drink 
the same Quantity in a Draught of warm 
Posset-drink after Pills which gripe and ope- 
rate Churlishly; It hath also a Power of stop- 
ping the Working of Vomits, some of which 
greatly incommode the Stomach, by Velli- 
cating its Membranes, and impressing them 
with a Nauseating Character; to prevent 
which, let two or three Drams of the Sal So- 
lutivum, be dissolved in half a Pint of cold 
Water, and drank about half an Hour before 
the Vomit is taken. Or in case a Vomit be 
taken which worketh too violently, or too 
long, (that is when the Stomach is wholly 
emptied, and yet the Patient continueth to 
reach,) let a Dram and an half, or two Drams 
of the Salt be dissolved in a large Glass of 
warm Posset-drink, or rather warm Water, 
(because Posset-drink may at that time be 
disgustful) and be drank off. Do the same 
when a Vomit hath done working, and yet 
the Patient finds a swimming or Giddiness in 
the Head, or a Nauseousness, or Disposition 
to Vomit, for the Salt will free the Tunicles 
of the Stomach, and contract and corroborate
A3 them,

(6)
them, precipitating the offending Particles per 
inferiora; but I add not this to encourage 
any Body to meddle with such Physick with- 
out due Advice, but to shew the safety and 
efficacy of the Medicine. N. B. This Salt 
never leaves the Belly bound as the common 
Purges do, but always soluble, and is the 
best Remedy, that I know against a Costive 
Temper of Body. 
The second Intention is to alter, and open 
Obstructions in the Liver, Spleen, Pancreas, 
Mesentery, Reins, Bladder, and Womb; from 
which proceed many tedious and stub- 
born Diseases; as the Scurvy, Dropsy Jaun-
dies, Hypocondriack, Melancholy, Vapours, 
Greensickness, Rheumatism, inveterate Head- 
ach, Restlesness, Sleepiness, Vertigo, Phrenzy, 
Cramps, Convulsions, Internal Inflammations, 
and Aposthumes, Piles, Exulcerations of the 
Kidneys and Bladder, Gravel, stoppage of 
Urine, &c. together with many others a- 
rising from Obstructions, and Acrimony of 
the Blood, and vital Juices. 
In all which the chief end of this Medi- 
cine being to resolve and attenuate the thick 
and stagnant Juices of the Excrements of the 
several Digestions which lye in the smallest 
passages, to contemper any excess of Quality 
in the Bile, Lympha, and Blood, by mingling 
it self with the Chyle and Blood, and insi- 
nuating it self into the more inward recesses 
of the Body, this method is to observed.
First, 

(7)  
First, purge the Body, with half an Ounce, 
five or six Drams of the Salt (according to the 
Patients Age and Strength) dissolve it either 
in Posset-drink, Whey, or Water as you please, 
to carry off the gross Excrememts of the 
first Passages, and to make a Way for the better 
Penetration and Distribution of the Remedy 
into all the Parts of the Body. If the first 
Dose purge not to your Mind, take another 
the next Day, that the aforesaid End may 
be answered. Then dissolve the same quanti- 
ty of the Salt you gave to purge, in a Quart or 
three Pints of pure Water, and let the Pati- 
ent take a third Part of it the same Night 
after the Purge three Hours after Supper, 
another third Part he next Morning early
before rising, that he may sleep upon it, and 
the remaining third Part in the Day-time 
between Meals, and this to be continued 
for a Week, Fortnight or three Weeks, &c. 
as occasion shall require: But because some 
Patients cannot drink any considerable quan- 
tity of Water, without Nauseating or other 
inconveniency to their Bodies, the Physici- 
an may accommodate the quantity of Water 
to his own liking, provided he order but 
enough to dissolve it well, that it may not 
taste too strong. 
This Salt answers all the Ends of the Mi- 
neral-Waters, both purging and Chalybeate; 
besides, and beyond which it hath some Ad- 
vantages, one of which is the certainty of its 
Nature and Operations, the which cannot
A4 be

(8) 
be affirmed of any of the Mineral Springs;
seeing that there may be a Growth, or acci- 
dental Concourse of various matter in the 
passages of the Earth, which may variously 
impregnate the Waters passing through them, 
and make some Alteration in their Properties. 
Besides the Patient is oblig’d to drink a large 
quantity of the Mineral-Waters, or they will 
not work; which if they do not, they cause 
Griping, Stitches, Sleepiness, Feverish Dispo- 
sitions, and other inconveniences, arising from 
the Crudity of the Minerals, as well as from 
the quantity of the Waters (especially the 
Chalybeate) which also require purging before 
and after a Course of drinking them, to pre- 
vent some hurts, which otherwise might 
arise by their use; which every one is excus- 
ed from in the use of this Salt, for where a 
large quantity of Water is not convenient for 
the Patient, a Quart, a Pint and a half, yea even 
a Pint may serve, this being also its own 
purge: Besides it being free from Mineral 
Crudity, and wholly pure and friendly to 
Nature, can never do hurt, but always good, 
by being long retained in the Body. Nor is 
it to be reckoned amongst the smallest Ad- 
vantages to those who are confined to a 
Place by Business, or by the Narrowness of 
their Fortune, that they may take this arti- 
ficial Mineral-Water, at all times of the Year, 
and in all Places, without loss of time, hin- 
derance of Business, or the charge of Coach- 
hire to and from the Wells, or more charge- 
able maintaining themselves there. 
If


(9) 
If you would use it instead of the purg- 
ing Waters, as Epsom, Dulwich, Northall, &c. 
dissolve six Drams, or three quarters of an 
Ounce of the Salt, in the same quantity of 
pure Spring-water, as would be fit for the 
Patient of any of the purging Waters, viz. 
from three Pints to three Quarts, ordering 
him to drink it by degrees in the Morning, 
in the space of an Hour and a half, or two 
Hours, and to walk, or use some Exercise in 
the open Air (provided it be in the Summer 
time) and to order himself as if he were 
drinking the Mineral purging Waters. 
But if you would have it answer the End 
of the Chalybeate Waters; as the German- 
Spam, Tunbridge, Islington, &c. viz. to purge 
but little by Stool, but to alter and open 
Obstructions, then use it as in the second 
general Direction already given. 
Now although this Salt be of great use and 
service in very many Diseases, yet I have by 
long Experience observed, that in some it is 
specifically potent; as in the Scurvy, Jaundies, 
Dropsy, Hysterical Suffocations, Melancholy 
Vapours, Greensickness, stoppage of the Menses,
Piles, Ghonorrhœa, Colic, Diarrhœa, Bloody 
Flux, Griping of the Guts, Worms of all sorts, 
old Head-ach, Inflammations and Rheumes of the 
Eyes, Itch, and Cholerick Eruptions of the Skin, 
stoppage and heat of Urine. In all which 
Cases I may truly say, it hath signalized 
it self, and often exceeded my Expectations.
And although from the Directions already 
given,

(10)
given, any one may easily collect the Way 
of giving it in those Diseases, yet for the 
publick Good I shall be somewhat more 
particular. 
In the Scurvy, I first purge the Patient with 
a Dose or two of Sal Solutivum, as at the be- 
ginning of the second general Direction; then 
I dissolve an Ounce of it in a Quart of pure 
Water, by shaking them together in a Bottle 
till all the Salt is dissolved, and then order 
the Patient to drink half a Pint of the same 
at Night going to Bed, and another half Pint 
early in the Morning, so that half an Ounce of 
the Salt is taken in a Day, and this I continue 
daily for a Month or six Weeks, according 
to the Age and Strength of the Disease, or- 
dering the Patient besides to drink a pure 
and well rectify’d Volatle Spirit of Salt, in all 
his drink as well at Meat as at other times, 
ten or twelve Drops at a time or more, so 
that he may drink the quantity of forty or 
fifty Drops in a Day, (which Spirit of Salt 
may be had at my House sealed up in Glasses 
with printed Directions for its use: Price of 
each Glass a Shilling) for such as have the 
Scurvy, manifested in their Mouths, by Sore- 
ness of the Gums, and their Readiness to 
bleed upon every light Occasion; I order an 
Ounce of the Salt to be dissolved in a Pint 
of warm Water, and the Mouth to be well 
washed with some of that Water warm two 
or three times a Day. 
In

[11] 
In the Jaundies I give it in Summer in 
Water or Whey, in Winter in Warm Posset- 
drink, every other day five or six Drams, or 
two days together (according as it works) 
then intermit a day and give it again, and 
on the intermitting days half the Dose, con- 
tinuing the use of it, till the Yellowness and 
Faintness cease. 
In the Dropsie, I give it in the same man- 
ner as in the Jaundies, only in a less quantity 
of the Vehicle. I have cured both the Ascites 
and the Anasarca with it, but whether it will 
do ought in a Tympany, I know not; having 
never given it that I remember in that Di- 
sease, for in that I am wont to use my Arca- 
num Universale, Species Universalis, and Tinctura 
Regalis. But in an Ascites, whether it pro- 
ceed from an Obstruction of the Liver, Kid- 
neys or Ureters, or from a Rupture of the 
Vasa Lymphatica, from their two great Reple- 
tion; (from which last I persuade my self 
more Dropsies to arise than from any other 
cause) this Medicine answers all the Inten- 
tions of cure, because it not only opens all 
Obstructions, and pleasantly reduceth the 
water, but also by its strengthning and Bal- 
samick Virtue, Conglutinates the breaches of 
those Vessels, and Remedies the too great 
laxity of the Viscera, having all the Vertues 
of a compleat vulnerary Medicine, as I shall 
have occasion to shew by and by, when I 
come to speak of its external use. 
In


[12]
In Hysterical Suffocations, commonly called 
Fits of the Mother, and Melancholy Vapours, 
I give two or three Drams dissolved in a Pint 
and a half, or a Quart of pure water up- 
on the approach of the Fit, or if that cannot 
be, as soon as the Fit is off, and in the time 
of the Fit (when greater quantities cannot 
be got down) I order the dissolution of the 
Salt in water to be given by Spoonfulls. The 
next day I purge with the whole Dose dis- 
solved in a Quart of water: And for as much 
as those suffocating Fumes are caused by Ob- 
structions, and Fuliginous matter remaining in 
the small Vessels, where they ferment from 
time to time, causing a puffing up, and Sense of 
fullness (especially sometimes after eating) it 
is necessary to take the Salt daily for some- 
time, to open and carry off the Obstructions 
as in the second general direction; by this 
means their frequent returns may be pre- 
vented, by extirpating the Evil which fre- 
quently (in those dismal oppressions to the 
poor female Sex) is but only palliated. 
In the Green-Sickness in Maids, it is neces- 
sary to dissolve an Ounce of the Salt in a 
Quart of pure water, and to take half a Pint 
of the water at night going to Bed, and the 
same quantity early the next Morning, con- 
tinuing this course daily for three, four or 
five Weeks if need be, not omitting to purge 
the patient first with a full Dose or two at 
the beginning, as in the second general Di- 
rection, as also two or three days before the 
full

(13)
full of the Moon, that Nature may be the 
more effectually helped in this way of ope- 
rating. Where the Menses are only stopt, it 
is to be taken as in the second general Di- 
rection for Obstructions; besides which, the 
Patient is to be purged once or twice with 
the full Dose, two or three Days before her 
monthly Time of Expectancy. This Medi- 
cine is also of singular Use for those Women 
whose Months are about to leave them, in 
preventing many Disorders which are occa- 
sioned thereby; in which case it is to be ta- 
ken once or twice, to the Quantity of half 
an Ounce, or five or six Drams, for three or 
four Months successively, about the Time 
when they ought to flow. I have known some 
Women of fifty Years of Age, who have by 
the Use of this Medicine seemed again in 
that respect to grow young. I have also easily 
and effectually with this Salt, deliver’d some
Women of false great Bellies. 
About two Months since, I gave three 
quarters of an Ounce of Sal Solutivum to a 
Maid about twenty one Years of Age, who 
had a very ill Habit of Body, and a pale sick- 
ly Complexion; having never had the Course
of Nature in due Order or Quantity, and 
for some Months past totally suppressed. She 
was now seized with a grievous Pain in her 
right Side, emulating an illegitimate Pleu- 
risie, which (as she told me) had frequently 
assaulted her for some Months past, for the 
removing which Pain, I gave her the Salt, 
B which


(14) 
which gave her seven or eight Stools before 
Noon, without any Sickness or Griping, by 
which time her Pain was quite gone out of 
her Side: She eat some Dinner, and about 
two Hours afterwards discharged her Stomach 
by Vomiting of a great Quantity of filthy 
green Matter, after which she had two or 
three Stools more, with which her Menses 
came down plentifully, which, with her often 
going to the Vault, occasioned her catching 
of Cold, and a sore Throat. I ordered she 
should have somewhat warm’d and comfort- 
table, and go to Bed, and keep very warm the 
next day, which she did: The Night fol- 
lowing (she still complained of her Throat, 
and a Soreness over all her Bones, (as she
phras’d it) I order’d her ten Grains of my 
Pillula Balsamica, which sweat her very plen- 
tifully; during her sweating, her natural Pur- 
gations were but little; but as soon as that 
was over, they return’d again, continuing for a 
due time, since which she hath remained well. 
It is a singular Remedy for the Worms of 
all sorts, killing them and resolving them in- 
to Slyme, and purging their putrid Matter 
out of the Body. To Children from three 
Years of Age to seven, I give from a Dram 
and a half to three Drams; from seven to 
fourteen, half an Ounce; from fourteen to 
twenty or more; from half an Ounce to three 
quarters of an Ounce, or six Drams dissol- 
ved in fair Water, Whey or Posset-drink, 
and continued every day for a week together. 
Where


(15) 
Where it is difficult to get Children to take 
it, a little Sugar may be added to the Disso- 
lution, to make it the pleasanter. My Vo- 
latle Spirit of Salt, also effecteth the same in 
a longer Time, in those Children which can- 
not be persuaded to take the Salt, which 
they may take in all their Drink, and not 
discern it. The Salt and this spirit used to- 
gether are still more effectual. 
In the Piles I give a quarter of an Ounce 
of the Salt, dissolved in half a Pint of Water 
in Summer-time; or warm Posset-drink in 
Winter, which justs keeps the Belly soluble, 
and by dulcifying the Acrimony of the pro- 
truded Blood, takes away the Pain and In- 
flamation; besides which, if the Piles be out 
ward, I order them to be often embrocated 
with my Aqua Phagadenica, and fine Rags to
be laid upon them, wet in the same Water:
But if they be within the Anus, then I order 
the same Water to be warmed, and injected
by a Syringe twice or thrice a Day, and a Rag 
thrice or four times double, well wetted in 
the same to be applied outwardly; and by this 
Course, the Piles by degrees, dwindle and 
shrink up like dry’d Grapes. This Course
hath never fail’d me; but hath been effectual 
even when the Piles have been inveterate and 
fistulated. To those who are subject to the 
Piles, I advise the daily Use of my Volatle
Spirit of Salt, in all their Drink, to the quan-
tity of thirty or forty Drops a day; it is far 
better in this Disease than any Diet-drink. 
B2 In


(16) 
In Virulent Ghonorrheas or Claps, I give first 
six Drams of the Salt dissolved in fair Water 
in Summer, or in a Pint of warm Posset- 
drink in Winter, ordering the Patient to drink 
another Pint within an Hour after, then I 
give half an Ounce so dissolv’d every Morn- 
ing, in a Pint of the Vehicle, continuing it till 
all the Heat and Sharpness is gone, and the 
Gleet fit to be stopt, which sometimes will be 
in a Week, sometimes a Fortnight or three 
Weeks, according as it is of shorter or longer 
standing, or the Diseasifying Power milder 
or stronger; for it pleasantly and effectually 
educeth the venereal Venom, purifieth the 
Seed, and strengthneth the Spermatick Ves-
sels. But when the Issuing is fit to be stopt, I 
give my Balsamum ad Ghonorrhœam every 
Night at going to Bed, from twenty to forty 
Drops, mixt with a little Sugar, and half an 
Ounce of the Salt every other Morning, 
But where a Ghonorrhœa hath not been taken 
in Time, or hath been unduly stopt, so that 
it be turned into an incipient Pox, and I find 
by giving six or seven Doses of the Salt that 
it cannot reach it, then I have recourse to 
purging and sweating, alternately with my 
Astrum Mercurii, and Aurum vita Bezoardi- 
cum, which usually effects the Cure to Satis- 
faction. But in a Ghonorrhœa unduly stopt 
(known for the most part at the first, by a 
painful Tumour in the Groin) when it hath 
not exceeded a Month, three, four or five 
Doses of this Salt will set it a running again,
and

(17)
and afterwards cure it, being used as above 
with the Balsam; but in longer time I have 
known some who have fallen into the Hands
of Men, either unskilful in this Matter, or 
worse, who have endeavour'd to discuss
those Tumours, which themselves have 
made, by their unreasonable stopping of a 
Ghonorrhæa; and have sometimes effected it 
so well, as when the Patient hath thought 
himself cured of a Clap, he hath soon after 
been attacked by the Symptoms of a Pox, 
and so the last Error of the Physician was 
worse than the first. 
In the Cholic or Griping of the Guts, where 
there is great Pain, I dissolve six Drams or 
three quarters of an Ounce of the Salt in a 
Quart of hot Spring-water, and order the Pa- 
tient to drink three, or four Glasses in the 
Space of half an Hour, as hot as he can: But 
if there be vomiting, let it be drank more lei- 
surely, viz. a quarter of a Pint once in a quar- 
ter of an Hour, till the Vomiting cease, then 
take notice how much of Medicine hath 
been vomited up, and give so much again, 
that the Patient may have the full Dose. If 
in the Water you intend to dissolve the Salt 
in, you first boyl the bruised Seed of Auise,
sweet Fennel, Caraway, and Coriander, a Dram 
or two Drams of each, to a Quart of Water;
it will be the better, because those Seeds
have a peculiar Virtue of pacifying the ex-
orbitant Fury of the Pylorus; you may put in 
the Salt in the boyling, which will extract
the Virtues of the Seeds, sooner and better 
B3 than

(18) 
than Water alone can do. But beware that 
you neither boyl, infuse or warm any Liquor 
in which the Salt is, in Brass or Copper Ves- 
sels, but in Silver Tin or Earth, left it at- 
tract from the Metal somewhat disagreable 
to the Stomach. It usually easeth the Pain in 
two or three Hours time, sometimes sooner; 
but where the Stomach will not retain it, or 
it doth not overcome and expell the obstruct- 
ing Matter, in a few Hours time, I give a se- 
cond Dose, and if that fail (as I have some 
few times seen in the dry Gripes and Wind Cho- 
lic) then I have recourse to my Arcanum U- 
niversale, which blessed be the Almighty)
hath not, that I remember ever failed me. 
Note, that after the Pains are allay’d, it is ne- 
cessary to purge the Body divers times, with 
the Salt dissolved in the aforementioned De- 
coction of Seeds, to carry off the remaining 
Excrescence, which otherwise, retaining a 
diseasy Ferment, may soon cause a fresh Dis- 
order. But in a bilious Cholic, known by Bit- 
terness of the Mouth, Vomiting, Yellowness 
of the Skin, &c. you may leave out the 
Seeds and give it in Water only, the Seeds 
being more precisely adapted to the Help of 
the Wind Cholic, Gripes, Iliac Passion, &c. yet 
they are endowed with a general Virtue of 
pacifying the Pylorus. 
In a Diarrhea or common Looseness, boyl 
some Bran in pure Water, strain the Decocti- 
on, and in a Pint of it dissolve three Drams 
of the Salt, and drink it up at twice, at three 
or

(19) 
or four Hours Distance; do this three or 
four times over if need be. But in a Dysentery 
or Bloody-Flux, I give the Salt dissolved in a 
Decoction of red Rose Leaves; half an 
Ounce a Day as long as is required, after 
both which, the Patient must be purged with 
the whole Dose dissolved in a Quart of the 
same Decoction, in which it was given before 
to sweeten the Acrimony. In the Bloody-Flux,
I have given six Drams of it Clyster-wise in 
the aforesaid Decoction, besides giving it at 
the Mouth by two Drams at a time, twice a 
Day, and that with great Success. 
In Head-Achs, Inflammations and Rheums in 
the Eyes, I give five or six Drams every o- 
ther day, so long as there is need, many of 
which it hath taken away at three or four 
times taking. But as an auxiliary Topick,in 
Inflammations and Rheums of the Eyes, I order a 
few Drops of my AquaOpthalmica, to be dropt 
into the Eyes, two or three times a day. 
In the Itch, Botches, Boyls, and other Cho- 
lerick Eruptions of the Skin, I give half an 
Ounce or five drams every day, dissolved in 
a Quart or three Pints of Water or new 
Whey, in the Morning, as the Mineral-Wa- 
ters for a Week, Fornight, three Weeks, or 
a Month together, as the Greatness of the 
Disease requires: In those Cases it cannot be 
enough commended. I have cured some 
that have been adjudged Leprous: In those 
Diseases I order together with it, my Volatle 
Spirit of Salt, to be taken inwardly, as in the
Scurvy, 

(20) 
Scurvy, and my Aqua Phagadenica to be 
used outwardly, by washing with it twice 
a Day. 
In Heat or Gravel in the Kidneys, or Stop- 
page or Heat of Urine; first I purge the 
Body with one whole Dose, then dissolve an 
Ounce in a Quart of Water in Summer, or 
warm Posset-drink in Winter, and let the 
Patient drink half a Pint at Night going to 
Bed, and also early in the Morning; besides 
which, I order thirty or forty drops a day 
of my Volatle Spirit of Salt; continuing the 
Use of those, till the preternatural Heat be 
gone, the Obstructions opened, or Gravel 
ceaseth to come away. 
Thus I have in as brief a manner as I could, 
set down my Experience of the internal Use 
of this Medicine, wherein I am not conscious 
to my self, that I have in any thing com- 
mended it beyond its just Merit. I shall in 
the next Place add something concerning its 
external Virtues and Use: To which by 
way of Conclusion and Confirmation, I shall
subjoyn the Observations of some learned 
and skilful Physicians concernmg its Virtues, 
which they have been so kind to communi- 
cate to me for the publick Good. 
Of the external Use of Sal Solutivum. 
THIS Salt hath its peculiar Excellen- 
cies in Chirurgery, as well as in Phy- 
sick: It presently stops Bleeding; cures an 
ordinary Wound, whether incised or con- 
tused,

(21) 
tused, at one single Dressing; but if the 
Wound be large and lacerated (provided it 
be timely and duly applied) at two or three 
Dressings, as I my self have divers times 
seen. It takes away all Inflammation and 
Pain from the Wound, in half an Hours 
time, never suffering it to come to Suppura- 
tion, but cures it by the first Intention. 
There are three Ways of preparing it, to 
apply it to Wounds. 
The first is to take some of the Christalline 
Salt, in the Summer time, and spread it thin 
In a broad Glass dish, or earthen one glazed, 
and expose it to the Sun all day, stirring it 
now and then, and covering it with a clean 
Paper, to keep any Dust from falling into it, 
and in a few days you will have it come to a 
Powder like fine Flower; when it is brought 
to this State, I believe it will perform all 
things which are rightly ascribed to the Sym- 
pathetick Powder: But this I leave and re- 
commend to the Tryal of the ingenious; 
among which, if any shall be so generous to 
communicate to me any Effects of this Salt, 
which may be of further Use to the publick, 
they shall be thankfully received, and again 
improved to that End. The second way is to 
put some of the Salt in double Papers, about 
half an Ounce or less in Paper, and wear it 
sometime it the Pocket, that the Warmth of 
the Body may supply the Place of the Sun’s 
Heat, and in like manner bring it to an im- 
palpable Powder; and this may be done in the 
Winter


(22) 
Winter-time without Attendance or Trouble. 
The third way is to dissolve four Ounces of 
the Salt in a Quart of warm Water, put into 
a Bottle, and shaking it till it is all dissolved, 
and keeping it close stopt up for Use. The 
first way it is most powerful; the last of the 
least Efficacy; but either way will well serve. 
For a small Wound or Hurt, take a little of
the Powder of the first or second Preparation,
and lay it upon the Wound pretty thick and 
bind it on close, so that no Air may come in, 
and let it continue on till ’tis healed, which 
will quickly be; but it is convenient to let it
remain on for two or three days, that it may 
be confirmed: If at any time when you take 
off the dressing, you find in a Cut that it is not 
sufficiently consolidated, or in a Bruise, that 
all the Soreness and Blackness is not gone, 
presently apply a little more of the Medicine, 
and let it lye till the Hurt is quite well. But 
if you have not the Powder of the first or se- 
cond Preparation, then take a Pledget of Lint 
or fine Tow, or a fine Linnen Rag three or 
four times double, which let be well and 
throughly wetted with the water of the third 
preparation, and apply that to the Hurt as 
the other, which once in twelve Hours or 
oftner, if need be, you may moisten all over 
with some of the same Water, without open- 
ing it, if the Wound be large. Where the 
Wound is large or lacerated, first let it be clean 
washed with warm Urine, so that it may be 
freed from Dirt or other extraneous Matter, 
then


(23)
then take such a Quanity of the Powder, as 
you think necessary well to cover the Wound, 
and mix it with so much of the white of an 
Egg (first well beat till it be thin) as will 
make into the Consistency of a pretty thin 
Liniment, which spread upon fine Tow, or 
fine Linnen, and apply it to the Wound with 
convenient Bandage, letting it remain two or 
three days before you open it; except in that 
time you find any considerable Pain, which 
if you do, it is a Sign that the Air hath ac- 
cess to the Wound, and then open it, and 
presently apply a fresh dressing, as close as 
possible you can. Note, that If there be in 
the Wound such torn ragged Flesh, that hath 
taken Air, and you judge uncapabie of Con- 
glutination, take it off with your Scissers 
before you apply the dressing. If you have 
not the Powder, then use the Water as above 
directed. The Powder will answer all the 
Intentions of Cure in an Amputation, being 
duly apply'd with good Bandage. 
It cures Ruptures in Children, if the Rup- 
ture be first put up, and then the Powder 
mixt with the white of an Egg (as for a 
Wound) and applyed to the Scrotum or Na- 
vel, (as the Rupture is) with convenient Ban- 
dage, and renewed every fourth Day, and 
the Salt daily taken inwardly dissolved in a 
Decoction of Comfry Roots, so much as 
may just keep the Belly loose, but not purge; 
for the straining of the Abdominal Muscles 
in going to Stool is a great Hinderance to 
the


(24) 
the Agglutinating of Ruptures. Suppose the 
Child be two or three Years of Age, dissolve 
half an Ounce of the Salt in a Pint of the De- 
coction, and give the Child three Spoonfuls 
of it Night and Morning, renewing the De- 
coction and Salt against that is done, and con- 
tinue the Course for six Weeks, and by 
God's Blessing the Cure will be effected. If 
the Child be younger, two Spoonfuls may be 
enough, if Elder, you must give it more ac- 
cording to the Rules before given, varied 
with Discretion. 
It also effects the same in Fractures of 
Bones, being used in the same manner, both 
inwardly and outwardly, for it powerfully 
assisteth Nature, in forming the Callus, 
and also preventeth Fevers, which not sel- 
dom happen upon those Accidents. 
Half a Grain, or a Grain at a time, of the 
Powder may be blown up into the Nostrils 
daily Night and Morning, to serve as an Er- 
rhine, or sneezing Medicine; for it pleasantly 
and copiously evacuateth superfluous Moi- 
sture, by which it cureth Catarrhs, it being 
also taken inwardly every other Day for some 
time, in such a quantity as may give three or 
four Stools, which is ordinarily done with 
half an Ounce. It giveth present ease in the 
Tooth-ach, about a Dram of the Powder, being 
tied up in a Rag, and applied to the pained 
Tooth; but this is to be understood when 
the Tooth-ach proceeds from a sharp Hu- 
mour, irritating the Nerves which are inser-
ted 

(25) 
ted into their Roots, but not of the Pain of a 
hollow or rotten Tooth, excepting that in 
those it may give some short Ease: But it is 
necessary besides to purge 2 or 3 times with 
the full Dose of the Salt, to dulcifie and carry 
off the Sharpness which causeth the Pain. 
I could here set down many more Uses of 
this benign Salt; but because they are not 
precisely useful to a Physician or Chirurgeon, 
I shall leave them to some other Opportuni- 
ty, till I see what Reception the things I have 
already published concerning it, will meet 
with; and subjoyn the following Accounts, 
which I have received of it from others. 
SIR,
‘I have only this day received your Let- 
‘ter; and if you wrote a former one to 
‘me, I assure you that it never came to my 
‘Hands, and therefore must have miscarried;
‘neither have I had any Notice of your In- 
‘tentions, in making of your Sal Solutivum 
‘more publick; only your old Acquaintance, 
‘and my worthy Friend Mr. T. did lately 
‘acquaint me that you design’d to afford it at 
‘a lower Rate than hitherto you have done. 
‘I could have wish’d, that you had always 
‘sold it at a more easie Price; for then it 
‘had been no small Advantage to the meaner 
‘sort of People, amongst whom the happy 
‘Effects of it might have been more largely 
‘experienc’d, than their mean Purics could
C admit

(26) 
‘admit of; it being one of the most general, 
‘safe and useful Medicines that ever I have 
‘prescribed; not only in those Cases where- 
‘in you so much recommended it, but like- 
‘wise in divers others, in which it may be, 
‘yon have not hitherto made any Trial of it. 
‘In Cholics and Griping of the Guts, where 
‘few purging Medicines take place, it is 
‘scarce credible, with how much Ease it car- 
‘ries of those peccant fermenting Humours 
‘out of the Bowels; removes Pains, and in- 
‘deed, instar incantamenti, affords more sure 
‘Relief than Galen's Cupping-glass ever did. 
‘It is of excellent Use in the Strangury, 
‘Gravel, and Nephritic Pains, if continued 
‘for some time, and given in a proper Diet 
‘for the usual Drink. 
‘Against Worms, in all Persons, and of 
‘any Age, it is a Medicine of singular Effi- 
‘cacy; and no less powerful than pleasing 
‘to Children, when sweetned with a proper 
‘Syrup to promote its quicker Operation. 
‘It is the very best Medium to prepare 
‘Chalybeate Medicines by, that I yet could 
‘ever find; and when intimately join’d with 
‘Mars, which by a proper Medium is easily 
‘and readily performed: It affords the best 
‘and most effectual Remedies, in Cachexia, 
‘affectione Hypocondriaca, Mensium suppressione, 
‘chlorosisive pallore Virgineo, etiam in ipso scor- 
‘buto Multiformi. 
‘In excessive Costiveness, where the Bowels 
‘are parched up and inflamed, their Motion 
‘inverted, and thence those miserabie Pains 
of

(27)
‘of the Iliac Passion; and where other Glisters 
‘tho' often repeated, have no Effect; a suf- 
‘ficient Quantity of this Salt, dissolved in 
‘decocto communi pro clystere, will certainly 
‘and happily effect the Cure. 
‘Externally in all Wounds and Ulcers, it is 
‘the most gentle and best Mundifying and 
‘cleansing Medicament that I think is ex- 
‘tant; and all Men of Learning and Expe- 
‘rience will assent, That that is the great, if 
‘not the only Intention required in these 
‘Maladies; and that he who can happily 
‘answer that one Indication, without Cor- 
‘rosives or doloriserous Medicines will easily 
‘keep off all evil Attendants, and then Na- 
‘ture it self will prove the surest and swiftest 
‘Digestive, Sarcotic and Epulotic Medicus. 
‘There is one Distemper, which it seems 
‘was very rare in Galen's Days, and which 
‘he relates only twice to have seen, tho’ then 
‘arrived at a very great Age, viz. a Diabetes; 
‘but the Debaucheries of our Times have 
‘rendered it more common amongst us. I 
‘having been sufficiently puzled in two of 
‘my Patients afflicted with it, notwithstand- 
‘ing my utmost Care, in prescribing the best
‘of Medicines, and exactly following the 
‘Methods of the most learned Physicians, 
‘tho’ wholly without Success; till at last 
‘I began to consider of Sal Solutivum, and its 
‘constituent Parts; and then by a very dif- 
‘ferent Method from the usual Way of ex- 
‘hibiting it, it had in both Cases that happy 
‘Effect, which gives me some hopes, that if 
C2 rightly

(28)
‘rightly and du1y order'd, it may prove al- 
‘most as effectual in that deplorable Distem- 
‘per, as the Cortex in intermitting Fevers. 
‘I shall only give you this one more of my 
‘Observations about it, and it is in a Dis- 
‘ease which Cathartics instead of relieving 
‘generally render more violent, and tho' ad- 
‘ministred even in the Intervals of Fits, and 
‘after a long time of Cessation; yet they 
‘usually with greater Violence cause their 
‘Returns: I mean Hysterics, vulgarly call'd 
‘Fits of the Mother, in which I have scarce 
‘ever known this Salt to fail; being given 
‘in a large Proportion of a very easy, tho'
‘most proper Vehicle; it is then strangely 
‘grateful, and even in the taking, as well as 
‘in the Operation, doth with mighty Ease, 
‘yield an incredible Relief in that trouble- 
‘some and vexatious Distemper, both to 
‘the Patient and Physician. 
‘Thus Sir I have, tho' very concisely an- 
‘swer'd your Request; and amongst my Ob- 
‘servata passim rariora, tam Medica, quam Chy-
‘rurgica, (which as my Time will permit, 
‘I am preparing for the Press) I shall say 
‘much more concerning this Salt, both 
‘as to its Doses, proper Vehiculi, Ways of 
‘exhibiting, Times of administring; and 
‘rightly applying it to diversity of Consti- 
‘tutions, for without a due Consideration of 
‘all these, the greatest Physicians would 
‘scarce differ from Empirics, and must only 
‘act like-old Women. I am,
Warwick, March  
11th, 1692.
Sir, Your humble Servant.
W. Johnston.


(29) 
An Abstract of a Letter touching Sal
Solutivum.
‘I Have much to say in the Commendation 
‘of Sal Solutivum in general; but espe- 
‘cially on its transcendent Effects (by the 
‘Blessing of the Almighty) on two late Pa- 
‘tients of mine; the one in a putrid Fever, oc-
‘casioned by a Surfeit; the other of an Ath- 
‘letick Habit of Body, being Asthmatick, and 
‘afflicted with a painful Tumour in Ano. 
‘The first of these patients had been un- 
‘der the Hands of two other Physicians, for 
‘seven or eight Days; who after they had 
‘skinn’d him alive, left him to combat with 
‘Death, as impossible to be cured. The Me- 
‘thod they took was this; first they pre- 
‘scribed him a Sudorifick, ordering the 
‘Sweat to be promoted for several Hours: 
‘The same Evening they gave him a Cly- 
‘ster; the second day another Clyster; the 
‘third Day another; after which they o-
‘pen’d a Vein in his Arm, not omitting Cor- 
‘dials, Night-draughts, &c. After his se- 
‘cond Clyster, he fell into Gripings of the 
‘Bowels; then they followed him with 
‘more appropriate Clysters, and other Me- 
‘dicines inwardly adhibited for that Pur- 
‘pose. After bleeding he fell delirious, even 
‘to a full Distraction; to remedy which, 
‘they blistered him in divers Places, but all 
‘in vain, which they seeing, put him under 
‘the Sentence of Death, and so left him. In 
‘this Condition he had remained several 

(30) 
‘days, when I was sent for to him. When I 
‘came, I greatly blamed the Physicians to 
‘their Faces; for that they judging his Dis-
‘ease, to arise from a Surfeit, had not in 
‘the first Place discharged the Viscera of 
‘Concoction, and not to have drawn the 
‘Crudities by Clysters into the Guts; and 
‘then for their impertinent and ill-timed 
‘Sweating of him, but above all for their 
‘Bleeding him, which soon suck'd in the 
‘Defilements of a corrupted Chyle, into the 
‘Veins, and put the whole Mass of Blood 
‘into a Ferment, They made little Oppo- 
‘sition to the Charge, and the sole Care of 
‘the Patient was put upon me. He was still 
‘in a distracted Condition, and his Eye sight 
‘quite taken away; yet finding by his Pulse 
‘that he had Strength enough to bear the 
‘Sal Solutivum, I gave him a Dose, which in 
‘an Hour gave him a Motion to stool, and 
‘within four Hours gave him six Stools, to 
‘my great Satisfaction; about the end of 
‘which time, the Patient fell into a sound 
‘and quiet Sleep: I then again feeling his 
‘Pulse, told his Relations he would have no 
‘more raving Fits, which (praised be the 
‘Almighty) accordingly happened; nor did 
‘I besides this administer any thing, but a 
‘little Cordial impregnated with your E- 
‘lixir proprietatis volatile to his full Recovery. 
‘Being just now sent for to visit a Patient, 
‘I have no time to write more concerning 
‘the two Cures abovesaid, but the Persons 
‘are now both in good Health. 
Aug. 4th 1602.

(31)
An Abstract of another Letter from the 
same Physician.
‘AS touching the Virtue of Sal Soluti- 
‘vum: If I could say no more in its 
‘Commendation, than what I have already 
‘written you, touching the Case of the 
‘young Man in a Fever with Distraction; 
‘even that alone were worthy to be pub- 
‘lished for the general Service it might do 
‘in such Case. Yet whether it might al- 
‘ways have the same good Effect, is to be 
‘doubted; if he that administers it be ig- 
‘norant of Nature’s Inclinations, and the 
‘true timeing of Medicines. For when I 
‘came first to the Patient, my Design was 
‘to have administred a Dose of your Arca- 
‘num Universale, by reason of his great 
‘Complaint of his Head; but finding him 
‘very weak, and that his Eye-sight was al- 
‘most lost, by reason of the Violence of his 
‘Fits; and hearing a croaking Noise in the 
‘Intestines, I presently changed my Inten- 
‘tion, and instead of the Arcanum, gave a 
‘Dose of Sal Solutivum, which had the bles- 
‘sed Effect before written. Note that this 
‘was done on the eleventh day of his Disease 
‘The Salt had the like Success in the Di- 
‘stemper of a young Woman, occasioned 
‘from a Fright by a Fall from her Horse: 
‘In the first Place, she was seized with Con- 
‘vulsions and Hysteric Passions, which retur- 
‘ned three or four times every day, for se- 
‘veral Days together, with a continual Pain 
‘about the Region of her Spleen, but during

(32) 
‘the time of her Fits only a great Pain in 
‘her Head. A neighbouring Physician’s Ad- 
‘vice was taken, who endeavoured with 
‘pearl Cordials, Anti-Convulsive and Hysteric 
‘Remedies to appeas the Fury of the Spi- 
‘rits, but without Success; for on the con- 
‘trary, the Fits came on with greater Vio- 
‘lence, and she also in the Interspace grew 
‘gradually so melancholy, till at last she 
‘became as dumb to almost all Discourse. I 
‘being sent for, after Enquiry into the Na- 
‘ture of her Disease, and the Remedies 
‘which had been administred; I found that 
‘she had a Suppression of her Menses for 
‘some Months before; she also being of a 
‘sanguine Complexion: But soon after I 
‘came, perceiving one of her Fits a coming, 
‘I gave her thirty Drops of your Elixir Epi-
‘lepticum, which no sooner was warm in her 
‘Stomach, but the Fit gradually remitted;
‘and thereupon her Fits of both sorts whol- 
‘ly ceased: But the Pain of her Spleen, Ob- 
‘struction of the Womb, and the abound- 
‘ing of Melancholy remained; neither had 
‘she the Benefit of Stools as usual. I consi- 
‘dering it was near the prime of the Moon, 
‘advised a Clyster for that Evening, and the 
‘next Morning six Drams of Sal Solutivum, 
‘And whereas she was before confined to her 
‘Bed, lying with a melancholy Eye fix’d 
‘upon the Wall, I order’d her to rise, and 
‘to be imploy’d in some Houshold Business, 
‘or to walk with a Companion in the Fields, 
‘which she accordingly did. The third day
‘after 
 

(33)
‘after, coming again to see her, and enqui- 
‘ring of the Operation of her Physick, I was 
‘inform’d, that the Salt had given her two 
‘or three Vomits, (which way of working 
‘is usual with it) with several Stools; and 
‘yesterday (said her Mother) her Terms 
‘came down in abundance, more than ever 
‘she had at once in her Life, and still flow; 
‘and the continual Pain in her Side is aba- 
‘ted. Notwithstanding things promis’d so
‘well, I advis’d her to take two or three 
‘Doses more of the Salt, (as knowing it an 
‘efficacious Medicine both for the Spleen 
‘and Womb, and also in Melancholy Ca- 
‘ses) and also prescribed her a small Cor- 
‘dial of Cephalic, Splenetic, and Cardiac Wa- 
‘ters, with an Addition of one Dram of 
‘your Elixir Proprietatis Volatle, I order'd a 
‘Dose of the Salt every Morning, and the 
‘Cordial four or five times a day on the In- 
‘termitting Days. And so by the Blessing of 
‘God by the Use of these only, she was in 
‘a short time, restored to perfect Health. The 
‘Convulsive and Hysteric Passions being occasio- 
‘ned by an Idea of Fear, were the more exci- 
‘ted from the defect of the Womb, which 
‘only being restored to its right Office by 
‘the Salt, and the Pain of the Spleen remo- 
‘ved, the Idea gradually vanished, for which 
‘reason I do attribute the Cure chiefly there- 
‘unto, believing since, that Sol Solutivum 
‘would have perform’d the Cure alone, if the 
‘Drops had not-been used. But for Diseases 
‘of the Womb, I have observ’d it to be ex- 
‘traordinary

(34) 
‘traordinary successfull, when given about 
‘the Change or full of the Moon, whose In- 
‘fluence upon that Part is very remarkable. 
‘I have by me near forty Observations 
‘more of Cures (wherein Sal Solutivum 
‘hath been used) in different Constitutions, 
‘Ferments and Diseases, as well complicate 
‘as simple; but because other Medicines 
‘have been used, together with the Salt, I 
‘shall forbear to add any of them except you 
‘desire it. But as to Particulars let this fol- 
‘lowing Account serve for all; it being a 
‘Cure perform’d by it upon my own Body, 
‘and for the Greatness of it, deserves to be 
‘put as a Frontispiece before the rest. Take 
‘it thus. At first I had a small Pain for some 
‘Hours, with a gentle Inflamation, which 
‘encreasing after one day, broke forth into 
‘Pimples, and some Pustles, near the Spina 
‘Dorsi on the right Side, with a gradual and 
‘daily boring as with an Auger, inwardly 
‘from that Part, untill by the third day it 
‘had reached in a strait Line, the right side 
‘of the Umbilicus: The Superficies of each 
‘pained part, I could have covered with a 
‘Crown piece. I concluded these to be the 
‘Symptoms of an imposthumous or ulcerous 
‘Ferment, to me almost equally dangerous; 
‘for considering that my Stomach frequently 
‘abounded with a Scorbutic Acidity, I was 
‘apprehensive of Danger, in promoting Ma- 
‘turation if Aposthumous, and that the A- 
‘cidities of the Stomach would be as vexa- 
‘tious to an Ulcer, if not in the first Place al- 
‘tered.


(35) 
‘tered. Under this Thoughtfulness, I called 
‘to mind the Nature of Sal Solutivum, the 
‘which altho' I had often administered to o- 
‘thers, yet had not taken four Doses my self 
‘for divers Years: However, because of its 
‘general solutive Quality, and the rather for 
‘that I know by Experience, that in a Saline 
‘scorbutic Habit, it hath abated the Salt- 
‘ness and Sharpness of the Lympha: There- 
‘fore (God me so directing) I resolved forth- 
‘with to rely upon the sole use of Sal Solu- 
‘tivum (at the which my Distemper had not 
‘exceeded four days) and presently dissolved 
‘a Dose thereof in warm Posset-drink, being 
‘early in the Morning, which wrought very 
‘little, nor was my Pains lessened, but rather 
‘encreased for that day. At Evening there- 
‘fore I swallowed four Pills of Species Univer- 
‘salis, and the Pain for that Night (the Pills 
‘having no Action) became almost intole- 
‘rable. The next Morning I took a large 
‘Dose of the Salt, and felt in its Operation 
‘some Ease before Noon: The same day at 
‘Evening I took another dose, which after 
‘two or three Motions gave me far greater 
‘Ease than the former, so that I rested pret- 
‘ty well that Night. The next Morning I 
‘found more of Soreness and Tenderness 
‘than Pain. Thus I continued to take the 
‘Salt every Morning and Night, (except the 
‘first Night that I took the Pills) till my 
‘whole Stock was spent, which was but five 
‘doses, which I made up six by borrowing 
‘a dose of one of my Patients, to whom I 
‘had

(36) 
‘had before prescribed some doses of this 
‘Medicine, by which time all my Pain was 
‘happily and totally removed. First, the 
‘Pain near the Navel gradually remitted 
‘inwardly as it encreased, and afterwards 
‘that near my Back. For the first three days 
‘my Excrements continued Fœtid, Crude 
‘and Slimy, the fourth day the Ordure be- 
‘came laudable enough, nor have I had ever 
‘since the least Symptom of Pain in those 
‘Parts. 
‘One thing worthy of Observation hap- 
‘pened in the curing of this Distemper by 
‘the Salt, which is, that it also met with 
‘another at that time altogether unthought 
‘of, which I hope it hath eradicated, I ha- 
‘ving been free from it ever since: It was a 
‘Tetanus or Cramp, an old and frequent Con- 
‘comitant of the Scurvy: I either had it in 
‘my Fingers when writing, in my Throat 
‘when yawning, or in my Thighs, when 
‘stretching them down in the Bed; once in 
‘almost all the musculous Parts of my Body, 
‘occasioned by the taking of a Vomit many 
‘Years since. When on Horseback by turn- 
‘ing my self about, it would presently seize 
‘either my Neck, Shoulders or Side, so fre- 
‘quent and troublesome was it to me; al- 
‘though by things inwardly taken and out- 
‘wardly applyed, it would perhaps remit its 
‘Vigour for a Week or more at a time some- 
‘times, nevertheless it would at other times 
‘within that Compass give me fresh On- 
‘set

(37) 
‘sets to my exceeding great Trouble and 
‘Pain: But now (blessed be the thrice glori- 
‘ous Name of God) I am freed from it, with 
‘a Restoration and renewing of my Health. 
‘One thing more worthy to be observed, 
‘which I had almost forgot, is this; I had 
‘long had a Carnous Tumour, occasioned at 
‘the first, as I suppose, by a Wrench or 
‘Strain of my Back; this continued some 
‘what after the Beginning very painful, 
‘after that, a small Tubercle, like a Wen, a- 
‘rising from the Spine, near the upper Verte- 
‘brœ of the Loins, on the left Side. Some 
‘Months after this, a stretching Pain with 
‘a Tumour, from that Part reached streight- 
‘way the Length of the Spleen, which gra- 
‘dually tumify’d to the Magnitude of a 
‘Child’s Arm, in a pyramidal or conical 
‘Figure, whose lesser End began from that 
‘Tubercle in the Back, and the greater Part 
‘stretching over the Spleen, ended in the Hy- 
‘poconder of that Side. This Tumour was 
‘some Years since mitigated by the Use of 
‘Aperitives and Emplastrum Nigrum; never- 
‘theless it still continued painful, when I 
‘lay on that Side; besides which it would 
‘increase and decrease with the Moon: But 
‘since my taking the six Doses of Sal Solu- 
‘tivum, no Symptom of that Nature hi- 
‘therto appears, nor any thing like a Tumour 
‘remains. The Cure of this, as also of the 
‘Cramp, was indeed unthought on by me 
‘then, whose Trouble and Pain were in 
D ‘considerable

(38)
‘considerable to that other contained in the 
‘Part of this Account, but (by the Bles- 
‘sing of the Almighty) all things wrought 
‘together for the Benefit of, 
Your Loving Friend to use,
Wivlescomb, Decemb. 
17th, 1693. 
Fra. Brayne. 
Dr. Packe, 
‘I Have very often been Prevented in my 
‘design of answering yours. As to the So-
‘lutive Salt I have found it effectual in heat 
‘of Urine more than once; I have given it 
‘to several Persons, and to Children in a 
‘Tertian Fever, and the second Dose has 
‘put by the Fit; I seldom gave less than 
‘half an Ounce unless to Children under 
‘ten years; I cured a young Woman of Qua- 
‘lity, in dolore & fluxu Hæmorrhoidum, or 
‘bleeding Piles, when all Remedies proved 
‘ineffectual, with six Doses of it, half an 
‘Ounce to each Dose without any return; 
‘the same I did for a Gentleman of Quality 
‘of this Country, it being an old and obsti- 
‘nate Disease; I give it to Children for the 
‘Worms; and to Persons in continual Fevers 
‘before any Signs of Concoction, if they be 
‘restringed, or there be any occasion for a 
‘Solutive; because it does not disorder the 
‘Humours, yet I have known it Purge 
‘some Persons very much, who have Lax 
‘Bowels and are of a weak habit of Body.
‘A 


(39) 
‘A young Maid who bad a Tumour broke 
‘in the intercostal Muscles of her Breast, 
‘which I perceived by her complaint, and 
‘by the pus that she Cought up, I cured, 
‘by giving her three Doses of these Crystals; 
‘they cleans’d, and heal’d the Ulcer, as I do 
‘believe. For want of Appetite, I have gi- 
‘ven it to very many, and it always pro- 
‘cur’d an Appetite to all, in two or three 
‘Doses taking. One remarkable Experiment 
‘of the Sal Solutivum I had almost forgot, it 
‘is this: A Gentleman in Hampshire had a 
‘Son about four Years of Age, whose Face 
‘soon after his Birth was wholly encrusted 
‘over with a Scab, which continued not- 
‘withstanding all the Physicians Endea- 
‘vours, and old Womens Medicines in the 
‘Country, till it was by me totally cleansed 
‘by Sal Solutivum. I dissolved half an Ounce 
‘of the Salt in four Ounces of Spring-water, 
‘and ordered the Child’s Face to be washed 
‘therewith three times a day; and at the 
‘same time the Child took the Salt in his 
‘Milk from one Dram (by degrees) to two 
‘Drams every Morning for three Weeks to- 
‘gether, by which means the Scab vanished, 
‘and the Child’s Face became perfectly 
‘smooth, which I look upon to be an ex- 
‘traordinary Effect. I cannot at present 
‘think of more, because I am in haste, but 
‘I should be glad to hear what Improve- 
‘ment you, and some other Practitioners 
D2 ‘ have


(40)
‘have made of it; I have some of it by 
‘me: When I want you shall hear from, 
SIR, 
Your affectionate Friend
Chichester, Novemb. 
10th, 1692.
and Servant, 
F. Howse. 
Sir, 
‘YOU having acquainted me with a 
‘Design you had to advance the Re- 
‘putation of wholesome and Salutiferous 
‘Medicines, that they might be brought into 
‘more common use, in the stead of those 
‘crude and ill prepared ones too much in 
‘Vogue, not only with the meaner Sort, 
‘upon whom Custom hath prevailed; but 
‘all those of a higher Form, whose Pro- 
‘fession obliges them to do better, the Health 
‘and Lives of their Patients depending up- 
‘on it. I must needs acknowledge, there is 
‘great Reason for all Physicians who design 
‘the Good of their Neighbours more than 
‘their own private Interest, to study the best 
‘Remedies they are capable of, and the best 
‘Methods for the Administration thereof; 
‘because, next to the Cure of Souls, that 
‘of a Physician is the most careful and wor- 
‘thy Employment under Heaven: And 
‘there is as much reason to endeavour a sin- 
‘cere Reformation therein, as in any thing 
‘we can set about. Now although this pre- 
‘sent Undertaking of yours cannot be sup-
‘posed

(41) 
‘posed to effect so great a Good; yet seeing 
‘all prudent Men know, that the greatest 
‘things in this World are not attain'd o- 
‘therwise than Gradatim, I am not without 
‘some hopes, that the publick Knowledge of 
‘of the Use and Virtue of your Sal Solutivum, 
‘may do some Service that way: For when 
‘by repeated Experiments it shall be found 
‘that this is one of the best and safest of 
‘purging Medicines hitherto made use of; 
‘it may not only serve to stop the Mouths 
‘of those who abuse the World, by telling 
‘them, that Chymical Remedies are dange- 
‘rous; but may excite the more ingenious, 
‘to bring into use, those more excellent and 
‘Salutiferous Preparations your self and o- 
‘thers, who are Philosophers by Fire, can 
‘supply them with, for the Good of their 
‘Patients. I shall therefore give in Evidence 
‘some few of those many Testimonies I 
‘have to offer in its just Defense. 
‘About seven Years since I had a Patient, 
‘whose Legs were much swell'd and pitted, 
‘with other Symptoms, which commonly 
‘attend that sort of Dropsy call’d, Anasarca.
‘I order d him to take half an Ounce of 
‘your Salt, which purged him very kindly; 
‘after that, six Drams of the same, with the 
‘like Operation; and after that he took a 
‘whole Ounce, and by those three Doses, 
‘he was perfectly cured, and so continued 
‘without any other Medicine. 
‘A Gentlewoman about fifty Years old, 
‘being troubled with a general Indisposition 
D3 ‘of

{42) 
‘of Body, a great Oppression at her Sto- 
‘mach, with want of Appetite, after other 
‘Medicines had prov’d ineffectual, I order’d 
‘her to take a Dose of Sal Solutivum every 
‘Morning in a Draught of Water, which 
‘she did, and was cured in about ten Days.
‘I have Reason also to commend its Use, 
‘in those who are troubled with Heat and 
‘Sharpness of Urine; it commonly giving 
‘them Relief as soon as most Remedies 
‘that are used, if it be timely and prudently 
‘administred. 
‘For the Yellow Jaundies, I believe there 
‘are few better Remedies, as will appear by 
‘the Tryal I made upon my self. Last Sum- 
‘mer I was sorely afflicted wich a deep Me- 
‘lancholy, and after some time fell into the 
‘Yellow Jaundies: I used those Remedies 
‘with which I cured others, but to me they 
‘proved ineffectual: But at length I took 
‘three Doses of your Sal Solutivum, by which 
‘(through the Blessing of God) I was per- 
‘fectly cured. And perhaps it may not be 
‘ungrateful to the Sons of Art, to give a 
‘brief Account of the Modus operandi. The 
‘first Dose did vomit and purge from Mor- 
‘ning, till about four or five in the After- 
‘noon, which indeed was an unusual and 
‘extraordinary way of Operation, I having 
‘never known it do so before, either in my 
‘self or others: But when I saw that the 
‘cMatter ejected by Vomit was as yellow as 
‘Saffron, I was well pleased with its Opera- 
‘tion.

(43) 
‘tion, I opened a Vein about six that Even- 
‘ing, and the Serum Sanguinis was as yellow 
‘as the Matter of the Vomit: I adventured 
‘notwithstanding in two days time to take 
‘the same Dose as before; It did not vomit 
‘me at all, but only gave about four or five 
‘Stools : the last I took gave me about 
‘three or four Stools, without the usual gri- 
‘ping and Sickness, which commonly at- 
‘tends ordinary Cathartics; and so I was 
‘freed from that afflicting Disease, as also 
‘that Melancholy which attended me. The 
‘Dose I took was about half an Ounce at a 
‘time. I thought good to add this as an 
‘Encouragement to those who understand 
‘true Medicine, that they may not think o- 
‘therwise of it than they ought; for by 
‘this it is manifest that your Salt hath Va- 
‘riety of Ways to exert its Virtue, where it 
‘meets with Variety of Matter: And altho’ 
‘I have for some considerable time, been in 
‘the Persuit of some Arcana, in which I 
‘have not been wholly frustrate in my In- 
‘tention; and therefore cannot be supposed 
‘fond of any single Remedy, so as to take 
‘up with it: Yet I must confess (where pur- 
‘ging is necessary) I would for its Safeness 
‘and Utility, recommend your Salt be- 
‘fore any thing I yet know; because it doth 
‘Good, and no Hurt to whomsoever it hath 
‘been administred, as by reiterated Expe- 
‘riments hath beeen found, 
By Your Friend and Servant, 
From my House in Barbican,  
Febr. 17th, 1692-3.
W. Rutsel. Worthy

(44) 
Worthy Sir, 
‘I Here present you with what I have re- 
‘marked (and can bring to Memory) 
‘touching your Sal Solutivum in general. 
‘It hath always been highly approv’d for 
‘that excellent Property, beyond all other 
‘that it leaves the Body laxative, and when 
‘taken in a sufficient Quantity, worketh 
‘certainly and copiously without Sickness, 
‘Gripings or any Discomposure, leaving the 
‘Stomach sensibly stronger, &c. not liable 
‘to taking of Colds, or any Necessity of Con- 
‘finement, as is usual with other Purgatives.
‘I have found it of excellent Service in the 
‘Iliac Passion, making way through, or ra- 
‘ther dissolving the most indurated or stub- 
‘born Obstructions of the Intestines, being 
‘given in a large Dose, &c. 
‘For the Itch I have never known any in- 
‘ternal Means to equal it, being taken daily 
‘for a Fortnight together. 
‘For Uterine Obstructions, I have prov’d it 
‘of very great Service, and sometime speedy 
‘to a Wonder, effecting the Work the very 
‘first Dose 
‘I have also known it to resolve very large 
‘Tumours of the Neck (supposed to arise 
‘from Cold; but I am well assured, that 
‘in one it was scrophulous, by taking one 
‘or two large Doses in the Morning in their 
‘Water-Gruel, in which it always works best. 
‘And

(45)
‘And as a Crown to all other its excellent 
‘Virtues, I have proved it of very great 
‘Use and Advantage in Melancholy Mad- 
‘ness, viz. where Nature was stubbornly 
‘propense to a solitary Retirement, and 
‘Constringency, and would not hearken to 
‘the Gists of any other Remedies, especi- 
‘ally Resolutives. All Specificks, as well as 
‘Universals, were unavailable; yet by the 
‘constant Use of this Medicine for eighteen 
‘or twenty Days, Nature became effectually 
‘reclaimed from that Error, and Inordinancy, 
‘and brought to a proper and due Freedom 
‘(or Enlargement) of Action, which was 
‘soon obvious in more found and regular 
‘issues of the sensitive Faculties, &c. This 
‘is all that I can at present recollect of it re- 
‘markable, which I intreat you to accept 
‘of, with the hearty Respects of, 
Your much obliged and 
Feb. 17th, 1692. 
Faithful Servant, 
George Deane. 
APPENDIX, 
THOUGH many and various Kinds 
of purging Salts have been recom- 
mended since the first Publication of this to 
the World (which is fifty three Years since) 
yet none of them has kept up that solid Cre-
dit

(46) 
dit which this still maintains with all who 
use it to this Day, as well judicious Physici- 
ans, as private Gentlemen, &c, For allowing 
these Salts to be-well prepared at the first, 
and that they were then no despicable Me- 
dicines; yet so many have been the preten- 
ded Preparers of them, who to undersell each 
other, have invented the most accurate Ways 
of disguisihg or imitating rather than of pre- 
paring them, that now the mere Name of 
them only is left, (which these dext'rous 
imitators know very well, will content the 
Generality of their Purchasers) while their 
Properties are only Presumptive, and their 
Virtues in Nubibus. 
When once the Use of this Sal Solutivum 
had somewhat obtained in the World, Dr. 
Nehemiah Grew, and after him most Chymists 
about the City, expos’d to the Publick a 
Salt by the Name of Sal Catharticum and A- 
marum, giving out that they made it from 
Epsom and other Purging Waters; the Truth 
of which is much to be doubted, considering 
the Nature of that Mineral; and how low a 
Price they first sold it at tho’ now five times 
lower. Be that as it will; I know such a Salt 
as the best of Dr. Grew's, when he sold it for 
fourteen Shillings per Pound, may be prepared 
without any of the Mineral Waters, thus: 
Take of the Liquor of Salt which runs 
from the Heaps of Salt in Salters and Oyl 
Mens Shops (which most of them save, by 
setting Vessels to catch it) two Pounds, put 
it


(47)
it into a Glass retort or low Body, and pour 
upon it by degrees twelve Ounces of well de- 
phlegmated Oyl of Vitriol; apply a pretty 
large Receiver, and lute it well; then distill 
in Sand till all the Spirit of Salt is come over, 
giving after that a strong Fire for two Hours, 
to drive out any of the Oyl of Vitriol that 
may remain unsalificatced: When the Glass 
is cold, you may add warm Water to the 
Salt to dissolve it. Filter the Liquor whilst 
warm, after having evaporated about a third 
Part of it in a clean GJass or earthen Pan, let- 
ting the Remainder in a cool Place for forty 
eight Hours to chrystallize. This doth not 
assume such a Figure in the Shooting, as the 
Sal Mirabile Glauberi, but differs much from 
it: This shoots into fine Needles; is white 
and soft, much resembling Snow, and is of a 
bitter Taste. ’Tis a gentle Purge, but not so 
universally agreeable to the Stomach, as Sal 
Solutivum, for which Reason the latter had 
the Preference, when the Sal Catharticum was 
at the Height of Repute: But how much 
these latter Salts which they call Epsom, are 
degenerated from that of Dr. Grew’s, Lyming- 
ton, whence they are sent by Hoy Loads, and 
other Parts where they are forced up from 
the very Refuse of the Salt Pans, will inform 
any Enquirer. 
Then upon my Father’s Translating and 
Publishing Glauber's Work, several Chymists 
and others fell hard to work, in making the 
Sal Mirabile taught in that Book. This be- 
cause

(48) 
cause it somewhat resembled the Sal Solutivum 
externally; and in degree imitated its Tast 
to those who gave their Judgement from a 
superficial Comparison, these forward Gen- 
tlemen would needs force to be the very same 
with it; though to any considerate Observer, 
there is a manifest Difference between the ve- 
ry Figure and Complexion of the Chrystalls, 
the Figure of theirs being piramidal like Ni- 
tre, of this, Cubical; their Christalls being 
of a dirty muddy Cast, and these perfectly 
bright and transparent. These differences may 
be easily perceived by any who will but com- 
pare ’em both together, which are suficient 
(one would think) to silence those who still 
have the Assurance (either thro’ Knavery or 
Ignorance) to abuse the World with a Notion 
that my Sal Solutivum and the Sal Mirabile 
Glauberi are one and the same Medicine. 
Could any of these Pretenders make this Salt 
of Mine, they could no more keep to the true 
Preparation of it, than they do to that of the 
Sal Mirabile, which they as slovenly disguise, 
as they presumptuously compare with mine. 
But not to insist upon external Distinctions, 
the difference is vastly wider between the vir- 
tue and efficacy of ’em, as those that have 
try’d both have abundantly testified. And in- 
deed this is the only way to determine of 
the goodness of a Medicine: For as we cannot 
judge so well of the Virtue of an Agent acting 
upon the Body, from the Power and Force of 
the Agent consider’d in itself, as by the effect 
or


(49)
Consequence, of that Action; so one can- 
not properly say such a Medicine has or 
has not such a Virtue, till it has frequently 
been taken into the Body. Now the con- 
stant Use of this Sal Solutivum by eminent 
Physicians for above thirty Years together, 
when they might have had the Sal Mirabile, 
for a sixth Part of the Price, together with 
their giving it the Preference to all other 
Purges whatsoever, will soon determine any 
impartial Judge. Among many Letters I 
have to produce concerning this Particular, 
I shall offer one which the late Dr. James 
Thorowgood of Halesworth in Suffolk, wrote my 
Father, about eleven Years after he had us'd 
this salt, and seven after the Publishing of 
Glauber translated. It runs thus;
Worthy Sir, 
‘I Understand yon have pleasur'd a Bro- 
‘ther of our Faculty in the same Town 
‘where I live, with some of your Sal Solu- 
‘tivum, who (I'm inform'd) speaks but un- 
‘worthily of it, and may do so by the rest 
‘of your Preparations, if you procede. 
‘Whether he obtain'd them by his own 
‘Letter, or had them procur'd by Dr. H- 
‘–(I suppose) or some other Friend in 
‘London, I know not; I must say I have 
‘found it to answer abundantly what you 
‘have said of it, and shall Persist in the 
‘Use ot it, though he thinks to lessen the 
‘Repute it deserves, judging his Anger to 
E ‘be

(50)
‘be as much levelled against me as it, though 
‘grounded upon no reasonable Disgust that 
‘I know of, or care for; I thought fit to 
‘let you know this as a Caution, and shall
‘remain, 
Your Real Friend, 
Halesworth, May 
15th, 1695. 
J. Thorgwgood.
This Gentleman was allow’d the most E- 
minent Physician of his Time, in the Coun- 
try; he had used some of these Medicines 
twenty Years before, therefore was a more 
qualified Judge of them, than one who had 
not try’d them so many Days. He continued 
using very great Quantities of them to the 
Time of his Death, which happen’d in 1711;
at which Time he had corresponded with 
my Father near Forty Years. 
The following Letters were receiv’d since 
the last Edition of the Mineralogia. 
An Abstract of a Letter from the Reve- 
rend Mr. John Hunt, Vicar of Thorp, 
near Colchester in Essex. 
July 30th, 1709. 
Dr. Packe, 
‘HAVING read your Medela Chymi- 
‘ca, I am much confirm’d in my O- 
‘pinion of the Power of Chymical Prepara- 
‘tions; and am much persuaded you have 
found

(51)
‘found out such as are most Proper for the 
‘general prevailing Maladies of your Coun- 
‘try Meu. I have a great Desire to try your 
‘Medicine for the Scurvy, with which I 
‘have been afflicted these three Years, tho’ 
‘not to a violent Degree; but within this 
‘twelve Month have had more grievous 
‘Symptoms; as a Pain in the Knee, with 
‘Urine as black almost as Ink, which Ri- 
‘verus from Eugallenus observes proceeds 
‘from a Scorbutic Cause; and now I am 
‘much troubled with an Itching (especially 
‘when I undress) all o’re my Body, which 
‘is very troublesome. I had sent at this 
‘Time for a certain Quantity of your Sal So-
‘lutivum, with Money for that and your 
‘Elixir Antiscorbuticum; but I was first will- 
‘ing to know whether you receiv’d this 
‘safe, and to have a Line from you; after 
‘which, I shall enclose half a Guinea in a 
‘Letter, for a certain Quantity of yonr Me- 
‘dicines, humbly begging you will be plea- 
‘sed to assure me of the Receipt of this; 
‘and that if I send Money, you will send 
‘what I write for, to 
Your Hum. Ser.
J. Hunt.  
E2 The

(52)
The 26th of August following, he sent half a 
Guinea; and had returned Sal Soluti
vum, eight Ounces, and Elix; Antiscor- 
buticum, half an Ounce, to be taken as di- 
rected above. 
The following came Novemb. 3d, 1709. 
Dr. Packe, 
‘IF you received the inclosed half Gui- 
‘nea, I desire you would send what fur- 
‘ther you think proper. I must say, I think 
‘your Medicines do answer their Character:
‘I am very much the better for what I have 
‘taken; but having not continued it regu- 
‘larly and long enough, I find there is Oc- 
‘casion to renew them, or proceed with 
‘your Species Universalis and Tinctura Me- 
‘tallica, which you think fit. The greatest 
‘Trouble I now have, is my Gums, which 
‘are very sore, and half eat away in some 
‘Parts; therefore hope you will let me have 
‘some more of your Aqua Phagadenica (hav- 
‘ing applied all I had before to another 
‘Use) I have a little Boy aged about five 
‘Years, on whose Body the Chrystalls did 
‘not work so freely as usual, tho' he took 
‘three Ounces; nevertheless they did him 
‘Abundance of Good; for at this Time of 
‘the Year, 'tis usual for him to have his 
‘Head break out all over, which was now 
‘begun; besides which, he came out with 
‘Pushes and little Scabs on the Body, all 
‘which


(53) 
‘which I believe to be the Scurvy, and tha' 
‘your Sal Solutivum would help him: He 
‘used it three Weeks together, and the Aq 
‘Phagadenica outwardly; all the Sores an 
‘Scabs dry’d up and fell off in Scales, an 
‘he is now free from any the leai 
‘breaking out, Sore or Itching. I had al- 
‘most forgot to tell you that the Pain in my 
‘Knee, aud Blackness of Urine are intirely
‘vanish’d, and the Itching is not comparable
‘to what it was: I have nothing further to
‘acquaint you with, or ask of you, than 
‘that you would be pleas’d to send the fol- 
‘lowing (the first Opportunity) by the King’s 
‘Arms Coach, in Leadenhall-Street, to 
Your Friend and Servant, 
JOHN HUNT.  
Jan. 19th, 1709. 
SIR,
‘I Received yours with the Bottle of Aq. 
‘Phagadenica, and took'em as directed, 
‘of the Success of which I shall now give 
‘you an Account. My Willingness to hus- 
‘band so small a Quantity of the Water, 
‘put me not only upon washing my Mouth 
‘as you ordered, but dipping little Pleagets 
‘of pint in the water, and putting them by 
‘a Quill between those Teeth, from which
‘I perceived the ill Smell to come, which
‘was with good Effect though flow; for by 
‘that Time two thirds of my Bottle were
E3 ‘spent,

(54)
‘spent, I had not overcome that ill Smell 
‘in more than the two further Teeth of my 
‘upper and lower Jaw; The rest I was obliged 
‘to reserve for a Sore in one of my Child- 
‘ren's Legs, left by the Itch, which suffic'd 
‘for the Cure of that. I resolved to apply 
‘you Tincture of Myrrh, as I had done the 
‘Water between every Tooth, both of the 
‘lower and upper Jaw: by this Means I 
‘easily discover’d where the Gums were 
‘most vitiated, which I found to be much 
‘more than I suspected. I discover’d upon 
‘some Teeth (just at the closing of the Bone 
‘and Gum) a darkish strong Matter, which 
‘after some Difficulty, I scrap’d off with the 
‘Point of a Pen-knife: It seem’d very like 
‘the Tartar of Urine and (when pulveriz’d) 
‘had a urinaceous Smell, and so I found se- 
‘eral of the little Pledgets, after the Ex- 
‘rementitious Flavour had been overcome, 
‘to smell more like new Urine, than any 
‘thing else. Now ’tis no Surprize to me, 
‘that any thing of the Urine should come 
‘there, nor that the Urine should after some 
‘Time acquire any Excrementitious Smell; 
‘having been fully convinc’d of these Truths 
‘for some time, Matter of Fact, you will, 
‘I believe. Dr. upon these Observations 
‘(which may be depended upon, I think) 
‘pronounce the Fault of the Breath to be 
‘only in the Gums, and that occasion’d by 
‘some Defect in the Secretory Functions, 
‘which Fault, (to finish this Digression) 
‘your

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‘your Medicines and Advice (by the Bless- 
‘ing of God) have happily amended, for 
‘my Teeth and Gums are now firm and 
‘tight, and no longer infected with that 
‘stinking calculous Matter, since I clear'd 
‘them of it (which is now three Weeks 
‘since) and all the other Symptoms in the 
‘other Parts, are totally vanished: However, 
‘I should be very willing to continue my 
‘Medicines a Month or six Weeks longer, 
‘which I entirely submit to your Judgement 
‘and Discretion; for the great Experience 
‘of your Tinctura Metallica, and Species Uni- 
‘versalis (which are indeed peculiarly asist- 
‘ing to Nature, in the making its regular 
‘and necessary Seperations) makes me have 
‘a great Esteem for them. 
‘I have now Dr. no further to add, but to 
‘ask your Pardon for this long Letter, and 
‘to assure you, that for whatever Medicines 
‘you send down, you shall be very honestly 
‘and faithfully paid, by 5ir, 
Your most humble Servant, 
John Hunt. 
In the next Letter, which was about three 
Months after this, he declares himself clear 
of any Scorbutic Symptoms, that he had 
taken all the Medicines, and adds, that be- 
fore the first taking of these Medicines, he 
was frequently attack’d with sharp fits of the 
Gravel, at which time, several white Blisters 
would rise up about his Body; but since he 
took them, he has not the least Symptom of 
the Gravel. 
Abstract


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Abstract of a Letter from Dr. Francis Brayne, 
dated April 1709.
‘THE 12th of March 1709, a Gentle-
‘man committed his Son to my Care 
‘for the Evil, which he had labour’d under 
‘for six Years past, and try’d several sorts of 
‘Remedies (among which, one was the stro- 
‘king of a certain Famous seventh Son) but 
‘all to little Purpose; for the Symptoms 
‘would return with full Strength, namely 
‘the Swelling of his Lip, to an excessive 
‘Magnitude and very hard, his Right Eye 
‘very much swell’d and inflam’d (as were 
‘both his Nostrils) his Countenance pale 
‘and muddy. 
‘The first and second Day he took three 
‘Doses of Sal Solutivum in a Liquorise De- 
‘coction; and the third Day a Pill of Astrum 
‘Mercurii, two Gr the fourth Day three Pills, 
‘the fifth Day four Pills, the sixth Day a 
‘Dose of Sal Solutivum in the Decoction, the 
‘seventh Day two Pills of four Grains each;
‘the eighth Day two Pills of three Grains 
‘each, and so continued at six Grains a day 
‘till the twentieth day; after which, I gave 
‘him one Day, one Pill, and another day 
‘two Pills of three Grains each, till the 
‘Month was completed; at about a Fort-
‘night’s End, his, Lip began to abate of the 
‘Swelling, and the Sores in the Nostrils to 
‘heal; his Eye also began to amend. The 
‘Medicine

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‘Medicine always work’d by Stool within him 
‘viz. three or four Stools a day, two Nights 
‘only by Sweat, but never offer'd to salivate
‘or give the least Disturbance to his Sto- 
‘mach. To help to divert the great Afflux 
‘of the Lympha to the Eye, I applied a Plai- 
‘ster of Pix Burgund. To the Neck, I also 
‘applied to his Face an Ungent made with 
‘Tops of Rosemary, one handfull boyl’d 
‘with four Ounces of fresh Butter. After 
‘the Month’s End, I gave daily one Pill of 
‘three Grains for a Week, after that, a Dose 
‘of Chrystalls, then one Pill of two Grains 
‘every day, and at the Conclusion two Doses 
‘of Solutive Chrystalls. These perfected the 
‘Cure, for his sore swell’d Eye was as well 
‘and as clear as the other; his Nostrils 
‘healed, and Lips softned and reduced, and 
‘his Complexion wholly chang’d to be clear 
‘and ruddy. 
A Letter from Mr. Thomas Kerrich Apothe- 
cary in Harlestone, Norfolk. 
SIR, 
Nov. 23d, 1710. 
‘I Have a Patient of a Sanguine Complexi- 
‘on and a full Habit of Body, complains 
‘of an approaching Fistula in Ano. The Signs 
‘that cause his Suspicion, are extreme itch- 
‘ing, with a continual Gleet from the Part; 
‘he is aged about 55. Now Sir, I not being 
‘much acquainted with Surgery; yet hav- 
‘ing some Encouragement from the good 
‘Effects I have found in the Tryal of your 
‘Medicines

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‘Medicines, have undertaken this Patient 
‘and intend to put him into a Course of Sal 
‘Solutivum cum Sulphure Veneris, and Astrum 
‘Mercurii, alternately. I crave your Opinion 
‘and further Advice about it: He has had 
‘it upon him ever since Christmas last, but 
‘never applied himself for Cure till now. I 
‘think to use the Aqua Phagadenica exter- 
‘nally, as directed in your Medela Chymica, 
‘He is a Man of sober Conversation, and my 
‘very good Friend; therefore would have 
‘your Opinion of the Case: The Cause of 
‘this his Trouble, I suppose, proceeds from 
‘the External Piles, which he is mightily 
‘subject to. I desire you to send Astrum 
‘Mercurii, two Drams; which is all at 
‘present, from 
Yours to command, 
THO. KERRICH.
Harlestone, April 12th, 1711.
SIR, 
‘I Have made a Cure of the Person I men- 
‘tioned in my last, with the Fistula in 
‘Ano, with the Use of your Sal Solutivum 
‘cum Sulphure Veneris and Astrum Mercurii. 
‘I must needs add, that all your Medicines, (I
‘have yet made use of) answer all the In- 
‘tentions that can be desired from such small 
‘Doses, and 'tis great Pity the Art of mak- 
‘ing such useful Medicines should die with 
‘the

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‘the Author. But I hope Sir, you will be 
‘so charitable to Posterity, as to prevent 
‘that. 
I am,
Your humble Servant, 
Thomas Kerrich. 
Abstract of a Letter from the Rev. Mr. George 
Fetherstonhaugh, Rector of Bintry, Norfolk. 
Bintry, June 15th, 171O. 
‘A Man near thirty five Years old, was 
‘above twelve Months since, from 
‘taking a Cold, seiz’d with great Pain on 
‘one Side of his Neck, reaching up to his 
‘left Ear, which after some time turned in- 
‘to a Catarrh or Destillation upon his Lungs, 
‘that Organ by the Sound of the Coughing 
‘seeming to be dry; for though his Cough 
‘was pretty frequent, yet nothing was ex- 
‘pectorated. At length the Catarrh devolv’d 
‘to his Stomach, and there weakning its 
‘concoctive Faculty, his Flesh soon fell away. 
‘Hereupon he had Recourse to me for Ad- 
‘vice. Examining into the Cause, I adjudg’d 
‘it to be a Destillation from the Brain, and 
‘thereupon I advis’d him in the first Place 
‘an Issue in his Arm, and to have his Head 
‘shav’d, then cover’d with a Quilt of Cepha-
‘lics, sewed into a Cap. I likewise bathed 
‘the Neck and pained Part of the Head with 
‘your

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‘your Powers of Amber and Lavender several 
‘Times. During these Things, I omitted 
‘not inward Help, as well to fortify Parts 
‘as to allure Sleep, which at this time began 
‘to forsake him. Now tho’ those Potestates 
‘did mitigate his Pains for the present, yet 
‘in a few Hours they would return again. 
‘Besides this, notwithstanding all I had at- 
‘tempted for altering the Styptic sharp Hu- 
‘mour, his Cough was very little abated. 
‘Tho' he had us’d Lubricating Pectorals, 
‘gentle Purging Potions, and other Liquors 
‘proper in his Case, as Juleps of Cephalic and 
‘Pectoral Waters, the Balsam and Flowers 
‘of Benjamin, with the Balsamic Syrup &c. 
‘Those would relieve him for a little time, 
‘but still his Cough continu’d. At length 
‘his Eyes began to be watery and very sore; 
‘upon which I try’d what a Blister applied 
‘to the Head would do, but perceived little 
‘or no Benefit from that: However, I con- 
‘cluded that his Blood too much abounded 
‘with the Serum; therefore I ordered the 
‘Sal Solutivum to be given him in Barley 
‘Water, Morning and Night, three Drams 
‘at a time for five or six Days, by which 
‘time his Cough was lessened and his Ap- 
‘petite to Food very well restored. Much 
‘joy there was for this. A Fortnight after- 
‘wards he came to me again, to inform me 
‘that his Cough began again as before; his 
‘Appetite beginning to decline, and his Belly 
‘costive. I advised him to repeat the Use of 
‘the

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‘the Chrystals as before. ’Twas done, and
‘a like Effect succeeded, with more visible 
‘and durable Advantages than at first, to 
‘the Admiration of many who saw it. For 
‘it’s now two Months since he took his 
‘last Dose, the Cough is entirely removed;
‘the Issue runs freely; his Appetite is whol- 
‘ly restored; his Flesh recovered; his Eyes 
‘clear and dry, and whatever we wished for 
‘answered to our Comfort. Upon this Bles- 
‘sing of the divine Goodness upon our En- 
‘deavours, for the Relief of our miserable 
‘Neighbour, 
I congratulate You, good Dr. 
And remain your affectionate 
Friend and Servant, 
George Fetherstonhaugh. 
A Letter of Dr. Bettsworth's of Bath, to Mr. 
Basset Apothecary there. 
My Esteemed Friend, 
‘I Have at last received an Account of 
‘those more noble and admirable Me- 
‘dicines; a Catalogue whereof I have sent 
‘thee, with the Quantities I'd have you 
‘write for this Post, because we want some
F of 


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‘of them. They are indeed in final Quan- 
‘tities; but as their Doses are small, their 
‘Virtues are powerful; innocent in Opera- 
‘tion, admirable in their Effects. I had al- 
‘most forgot another Medicine that will of- 
‘ten come into Use, which pray omit not;
‘it is Sal Solutivum. I would not have you 
‘neglect the Post, because I do actually stand 
‘in need of some of these at present. They 
‘are a complete Set of Medicines, wanting 
‘only Vehicles aptly suited to them; 
I am, 
Yours to serve you in all the 
good Offices I am capable, 
John Bettesworth. 
BATH, July 24th, 1711. 
Dear Dr Packe, 
‘I Began to use your Medicines the 13th 
‘of the last Month, and have found 
‘them successful in several Cases, one of 
‘which I think well deserves Notice. The 
‘Case was tne Flatus Hypocondriacus; the 
‘Gentleman aged about 38, of a Studious 
‘Inclination, costive Habit, exceedingly 
‘Scorbutic, subject to Hectic Disorders, espe- 
‘cially as soon as any Food was taken. 'Tis 
‘worth remarking, that he has not had the 
‘usual proper Sensation on the Approach of 
‘a Stool (as is common to others, and was 
‘to


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‘to himself) these two Years. I forbear to 
‘enumerate many other considerable Symp- 
‘toms that generally attended this Case. 
‘but to tell you a Thing almost incredible! 
‘In the taking no more than three half Oun- 
‘ces of your Sal Solutivum cum Sulphure Ve-
‘neris, and drinking the Bath Waters in the 
‘Operation thereof, this Gentleman is be- 
‘come a new Man, and that in the Space of 
‘seven or eight Days Time. The Symptoms 
‘(that are most of them above ten Years 
‘standing) are greatly abated, and one of 
‘them totally vanished. For a bad, a good 
‘Stomach is exchanged, the Hectic Heat 
‘little or none, the Flatus gone, Stools regu- 
‘lar, and to his Admiration and mine also, 
‘he owns, That the proper Sensation arising 
‘from the Impression of the Acrimony of 
‘the Choler in his Stool on the Fibres of the 
‘Rectum (which, as I said, was lost) is re- 
‘turn'd; so that now he says, 'tis a Pleasure 
‘to him to ease himself. From this and se- 
‘veral other Cases, I find the Salt agrees far 
‘beyond any other thing I have hitherto 
‘us'd with the Waters, and there is no room 
‘for Comparison between the common Sal 
‘Catharticum, amarum and Sal Solutivum, ac-
‘cording to what I have prov'd. 
I am Your hearty Friend 
and Admirer, 
John Bettesworth.