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Prunella:, 'tis faid, from its fpecifick Quality of curing Inflammations of the Throat,and the Quinfy, which fome call Prima, o»Prunella : And according to others, from theeffential Salt, which is drawn from the Pru-nelle, or She, refembling Cryflal Mineral jor becaufe it is much made ufe of in inflam-matory Fevers, compar'd to a Fire, whichthe Latins call Pruna ; or laftly, becaufe theGermans give it the Figure of a wild Plum.

Of Sal Polychreftum.

The Sal Polychreftum, fo call'd from its-nany and great Virtues, is made of the finedSaltpetre, and Holland's Sulphur, powder'dtogether, and by Means of a gentle Firewrought into a very white light Salt.

This Way of making it is very differentfrom that of all Authors that have treated ofit, who recommend a Crucible made redhot, by keeping a Fire about it for three orfour Hours : I will not fay this Procefs isnot good, but the Impoflibility there is ofSelling it when 'tis heavy, and of diverfeColours, is the Reafon why it can't be dif-pos'd of; and I believe my Method willbe prefer'd, fince with two lighted Charcoals,and in the Space of one Hour, a Salt maybe made both white, bright, and well qua-lified, alfo more faleable, and that cofts lefs.And fince I difapprove the Ways of makingthe Sal Polychreftum hitherto ufed, ir will notbe amifs to declare the Manner of fucceed-ing beft in it. Take therefore equal Parts ofSulphur and fine Saltpetre, and having heat-ed a Crucible, not varnifh'd in the Infide,and plac'd it upon five or fix lighted Char-coals, fo that the Bottom be red hot, throwinto ir a Spoonful of the Mixture of Saltpetreand Sulphur ■> and when the Detonation isover, and the Sulphur and Saltpetre are fuffi-dently burnt, another Spoonful in like Man-ner muft be thrown in, and fo 'till all is cal-cin'd j then take the Pot off the Fire, and.-.iter i: is cool break it, and therein you'lliind a Sal Polychreftum, both white, Ugh:,and very faleable, and what I fay ftands toReafon enough, fince this Salt cannot bemade heavy, and in a Mafs, but by the great

General fflflory of D R U G G S. Vol. IF.

tiful, that is to fay cryftalliz *d, let them dif-folve it in Water; and after having filtratedand evaporated it to a Pellicle, it muft beput in a Cellar, or fome other cool Place, to(hoot into Cryftals; .which when dry'd,ought to be in fmall Plates moderately thickand brillant, or fhining like Diamonds, andof a clear White, and folid, that is, that arehard to break ; for that which is eafily re-duc'd to Powder is not well made.

This Sal Polychreftum cryftallized, is pre-ferable to the firft Sort, how well foevermade, being free from that ungrateful Tafte,and evil Quality, which the Sulphur, that isinfeparable from the other, gives it.

In Selling of this Salt there are greatCheats and Abufes commited, inftead ofwhich thofe who trade in it expofe to Saleonly the Saltpetre itfelf melted and caft in-to a Mafs like a Stone : But it is eafy todifcover the Impofture , for as much as thetrue Sal Polychreft neither cracks nor flafhesin the Fire, but will become red hot ; where-as the Counterfeit flames and crackles as Salt-petre itfelf, and is alfo to be known by itsexceeding Whitenefs, and the cheap Rate itis fold at.

The Rock or Cryftal Sal Polychreft, thatis, as it comes out of the Crucible, wasfome Years fince much in Vogue in Phyfick,but at prefent being out of Fafhon, (as thereis a Mode in Medicine, as well as in everyThing be/ides) is now feldom made ufe of;lofing, as it were, its Virtues with the Opi-nion of the World.

This Salt has had the Appellation of fufi-ble Sulphur or fix'd Nitre given it, as Peno-tus delcribes at large, and which (hews it tobe no new Compofition, fince it has beenknown a long Time by the Name of fix'dNitre.

Of the AritifebriSck Salt.

The Sal Antifcbrilio, or Salt againft Fevers,is made of the fineft Saltpetre, Flowers ofSulphur, and diftill'd Urine, all mix'd to-gether, proceeding after the fame Manner asis directed in Treatifesof Chymiftry, whetherthe Reader may have Recourfe. This Ami-

- y^------7 TV v, •W e 7 , * , - tttUt * "'<*> 'wvc rsecoune. irus Ami-

/ralence and Strength of the Fire. They that febrifick Sale is efteem'd an excellent Remedy

woud be ftill more curious, and wou d have for Fevers, taken at the Beginning of the

z Ul Polychreftum purer and more beau- Fit, or upon the Return of it

from

eightOrains