A complete history of drugs / Written in French by monsieur Pomet, chief druggist to the late French King Lewis XIV. To which is added what is further observable on the same subject, from mess. Lemery and Tournefort, divided into three classes, vegetable, animal, and mineral; with their use in physic, chemistry, pharmacy, and several other arts. Illustrated with above four hundred copper-cuts ... A work of very great use and curiosity. Done into English from the originals.

  • Pomet, Pierre, 1658-1699.
Date:
1748
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A complete history of drugs / Written in French by monsieur Pomet, chief druggist to the late French King Lewis XIV. To which is added what is further observable on the same subject, from mess. Lemery and Tournefort, divided into three classes, vegetable, animal, and mineral; with their use in physic, chemistry, pharmacy, and several other arts. Illustrated with above four hundred copper-cuts ... A work of very great use and curiosity. Done into English from the originals. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    means of a gentle Fire wrought into a very white light Salt, This way of making it is very different from that of all Authors who have treated of it, who recommend a Crucible made red-hot by keeping a Fire about it for three or four Hours. I will not fay this Procefs is not good ; but the Impofli- bility there is of felling it when it is heavy, and of divers Colours, is the Reafon why it cannot be difpofed of when made thus : And 1 believe my Method will be preferred, fince with two or three lighted Charcoals, and in the fpace of one Hour, a Salt may be made both white, bright, and well qualified ; alfo more faleable, and that cofts lefs. And fince I difapprove the Ways of making the Sal Polychrejlum hitherto ufed, it will not be ami is to declare the manner of fucceeding heft in it. Take therefore equal Parts of Sulphur and fine Salt-petre, and having heated a Crucible, not gla¬ zed in the lnfide, and placed it upon f}ve or fix lighted Charcoals, fo that the bottom be red-hot, throw into it a Spoonful of the Mixture of Salt¬ petre and Sulphur ; and when the Detonation is over, and the Sulphur and Salt-petre are fufficient- ly burnt, another Spoonful in like manner mull be thrown in, and fo till all is calcined ; then take the Pot off the Fire, and after it is cool break it, and therein you w’ill find a Sal Polychrejlum, both white, light, and very faleable. And what I fay {lands to Reafon, fince this Salt cannot be made heavy, and in a Mafs, but by the great Violence and Strength of the Fire, They that would be {till more curious, and would have a Sal Polychrc- Jlum purer and more beautiful, that is to fay, cry- ifallized, let them diffolve it in Water ; and after having filtrated, and evaporated to a Pellicle, it muff be put in a Cellar, or fome other cool Place, to fhoot into Cryftals ; which, when dried, ought to be in fmall Plates, moderately thick and brilliant, or {hining like Diamonds, and of a clear White, and folid, that is, hard to break ; for that which is eafily reduced to Powder, is not well made. This Sal Polychrejlum cryftallizcd, is preferable to the firft fort, how well fuever made, being free from that ungrateful Tafte and evil Quality which the Sulphur, that is infeparable from the other by any other means, gives it. In felling of this Salt there arc great Cheats and Abufes committed ; inftcad of it, many who trade in it, expofe to fale only the Salt-petre it- lelf melted and caff into a Mafs : Put it is eafy to difeover the Impofture, for as much as the true Sal Polycrejl neither cracks nor flafhes in the Pire, but will become red-hot ; whereas the Counterfeit flames and crackles as Salt-petre itielf, and is alfo to be known by its exceeding Whitenefs, and the cheap Rate it is fold at. Sal Polycrejl, as it comes out of the Crucible, or cryftallizcd, v/as fome Years fince much in vogue in Phyfick ; but at prefent being out of fafhion (as there is a Mode in Medicine, as well as in every thing befides) is now feldom made ufe of, lofir.g, as it were, its Virtue with the Opinion of the World. To fay the Truth, thofe of our Nation love no¬ thing but what is new. This Salt has had the Appellation of fufible Sul¬ phur or fixed Nitre given it, as Penotus deferibes at large, and which {hews it to be no new Com- pofition, fince it has been known a long time by the Name of Fixed Nitre. It is aperitive, provokes Urine, and is good in Obftrudfions of the Liver, Spleen, and Mefentery ; the Dofe is from a Drachm to two Drachms. Of the Antifebrifick Salt. The Sal Jntfebrilis, or Salt againft Fevers, is made of the fineft Salt-petre, Flowers of Sulphur, and diftilled Urine, all mixed together, proceeding after the Manner directed in Treatifes of Chy- miftry, whither the Reader may have Recourfe. This Antifebrifick Salt is efteemed an excellent Remedy for Fevers, taken at the Beginning of the Fit, or upon the Return of it, from eight Grains to half a Drachm in any agreeable Vehicle. Of Nitre Vitriolated. Variolated Nitre is made of Salt of Nitre dif- folved in Spirit of Vitriol ; to which are attributed the fame Qualities as to the vitriolated Tartar. It ought to be white, light, and in fmall Stria or Needles, like Sal Saturni. There is alfo a fort of Butter prepared of Nitre, by the means of Tartar; the Procefs whereof may be feen in Monfieur Char a s' s Chymiftry, p. 85 3. [The Nitre or Natrum of the Antients was en¬ tirely different from onrs ; and in all probability, our Salt-petre was wholly unknown to them, as their Nitre is at this Time almoft unknown to us. The Nitre of the Antients was an acrid alka¬ line Salt, found in Egypt and other Places, which made an Effervefcence with Acids, was ufed in cleanfing Cloaths, and making Glafs, as alfo in Baths and Wallies : lt is evident that this was very different from our Salt-petre, and it is now in a manner unknown among us, though the Antients ufed it very much, both in Medicine and the com¬ mon Occaffons of Life ; and even at this Time in die Fields of the Lejfier Afia, near Smyrna and EphefuSy