The PREFACE.

concerning the Subflances and Principles of which each Vrugg is compost,and its Quality, and as fuccinft as pofjible, to give any Idea of the Thing treat-ed of, that might le fatisfatlory. Now all Druggs are taken from Animals,Vegetables, and Minerals, their Tarts and what proceeds from thence; astheir Hair, Mails, Horns, Milky Blood, and Excrements: Under Vegeta-bles are comprehended Trees, Shrubs and other Plants, with what comes fromthence; as Roots, Barks, Flowers, Fruits, Seeds, Mu/hromes, Mcffes, Gums,Rofins, Pitches, Turpentines and Balfams. Under Minerals are underftoodMinerals, Metals, Marchafites, Stones, Earths and Bitumens.

All Animals, according to the mofl probable and mofl received Opinionscome from Eggs, and are there enclosed, as it were, in Abridgment, 'till theSeed of the Male penetrate their Covering, and Jlretches them fufficientlythat they are ready for Hatching them: There enters into their Veffels a chy-lous Juice, which being pufh'd forwards by the Spirits, circulates thro' thewhole Habit of the little Body, nourifhes and dilates by little and little,which makes what we call Growth. This Circulation, repeated feveral times,makes the nutritious Juices fo refined and attenuated, that they gain a redColour, and are converted into what we call Blood. This natural Operationhas a great Refemblance tofeveral Cbymical Operations, by which, in attenu-ating and diffolving thefulphureous or oily Subflances, we can make a red Co-lour, which notwithflanding has a great deal of Difference : For Example jIf we boil in a Matrafs one Part of Chyle or Milk, with two Parts of Oil ofTartar, per DeJiquium, the white Liquor will become red, becaufe the Salt ofTartar being rariped, diffolves and exalts the untiuous Part of the Milk, andreduces it into a Kind of Blood. If we boil together in Water one Part ofcommon Sulphur, and three Parts of Salt of Tartar, the white or yellowifh Li~quor that was before acquires a red Colour according to the Quantity of theSulphur dtffolvd. If we digeft upon the Fire Flower of Sulphur in Spirit ofTurpentine, the Liquor gains a red Colour.

The Circulations that are made perpetually in Animals, exalt fo much theirSubflances, and render them fo difposd for Motion, that the Principles whicharifefrom thence are almofi wholly volatile i But indeed thefe Principles arenot equally volatile in all Animals : For Example: Vifh afford lefs volatileSalts than terreftrial Animals. The Scorpion, the Crab, and the Eel, yieldlefs than the Viper, Earth-worms and Snails, afford lefs than Serpents,Ivory lefs than Hart's-horn ; andfo of the reft.

x The different Degrees of Volatility that are in Animal Subflances give 'emdifferent Virtues one from the other ; fo thofe which have very volatile Salts,are ufually reckon d Cephalick and Diaphoretick; as the Viper, HumanSkull, Hart's-horn, Goat's-Blood, Elk-Claw, becaufe the Matter being

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