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Book IV.

Of BITUMENS.

form a great many Operations in Chymiftry,as will be feen hereafter.

It is befides a Specifick in the Itch ; butCare ought to be us'd in the Exhibition of it,for it now and then produces very ill Sym-ptoms, nay even Death itfelf fometimes,

Suiphur, or Brimftone, is broughtLemery. to us from the Carihee Iflands ofthe fVefi Indies^ and is found alioin Italy, Bohemia, Siciiia, and Mflot, beinggenerated of the Fat and Roiin of the Earth,filled with an acid and vitrioiick Spirit: It istwofold, vi%. Natural and Artificial, theRoll Sulphur is the latter; but if yon wou'dmake right Oil of Sulphur, you muft chulethe Natural, or Sulphur Vlvum; but if that can -not be got, you muft make ufe of the other,which yet you are to try, whether it ealilyinflames and burns conftantly, if not 'tis notgood, but is impure and adulterated withRolin, and fuch like Matters, whereby it be-comes harder to kindle, and is ealily ex-tinguiflld, being CahaHine Sulphur.

It is a noble Mineral even before Pre-paration, and is generally appropriated tothe Bread and Lungs, and to cure all Dif-eafes which difturb the fame; it kills Worms,opens, cuts, refifts Purrefadhon and Poi-fon, provokes Swear, and is given in Coughs,Colds, Phthificks, Wheelings, Shonnels ofBreath, &c, Outwardly apply'd, itre-folves all hard Tumours, cures corrodingTetters, Scabs, Itch, Scurf, Morph?w, &c.drys up old Sores and Ulcers. Tho' thisbeing finely ground, is fometimes us'd inter-nally, yet the Flowers are more commonlyus'd, as being a Sulphur open'd and purifiedfrom all Filth, whereby it is Meter for all in-ternal as well as external Ufes.

Of Flow«rs of Sulphur.

Flowers of Sulphur are prepar'd ofPomet. Sulphur calcin'd in Pots made for thePurpofe, and then redue'd into Flo-wers as we fee : The belt and moft beautifulcome from Holland; but of late, fihee theyhave been made zyMirfcilhs, Ri\in and Paris,we have little thence. The true Holland'sFlowers of Sulphur were wont to be broughtus in Cakes that were light, foft, friable,and rather white than yellow ; but throughAvarice and the prefent Wars, there is no

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fuch now ; and the befl that we have at pre-fent is from Marfsilles, which tho' very gooddoes not come near that I've menrion'd ofHolland, that us'd to be in an extraordinaryfine impalpable Powder, of a bright goldenYellow, and of an agreeable Tafte.

The third Sort is that of Roan, whichufua'.ly is of a wht'.ifh Yellow, mid..- up ofSulphur rais'd by a violent Fire, and Meal orWheat Flower, or fine powder'd Starchded to it, which is all a Cheat; in like Man-ner is that which is generally hawk'd abouc,made of th.- Duft or Drofs of Holland Sulphurbeaten up, and then paf.'d thro' a very fineT irTery or Silk Searce, but the Cheat is eali-ly difcover'd by the low Price this fpuricusStuff" is fold at.

Upon the Whole, Holland's Flowers of Saf-phtn are preferable to any other ; next to themthofe of M.trfeillcs, and thefe arc the only twothat ought to be given internally.

The true Fhwers of Sulphurate a NunralBalfam for the Luugs, and endow d witbfo many good Qualities, tint 'fwou'd beendfefs to pretend to recount 'em all.

Flowers of Sulphur aie aifo made afreither Manner, to wit, by adding to it fist Salt-petre, or Sal Pclychrcftum, which is the Me-thod we u r e to make it white ; but there be-ing little Demand for this Sort, it's feidommade, though it be a very good Medic nc,and as agreeable to take is the above-men-tion'd.

To make Flower; of Su'phitr :Take Sulphur grefly powder'd, Lenthalf a Pound ; put it into a GrafsBody, or Cucurbit ; place it in a frnallopFire, and cover it with another Glafs Body,or earthen Cucurbit ; turn the Bottom ;wards, lb as that the Neck of the Lawfc*may enter into the Neck of the Upper;change the upper Cucurbit every half Hi ar,fitting another in its Place; adding likewiYenew or fre'h Sulphur; the elevated Fhwersfweep together with a Hire's Foot, and con-tinue co do thus fo long 'till you have wl.youdefire; Thtfe Flowers ate food agamltDifeafesof the Lungs ; Dole ten or twfclveGrains in any fit Syrup, Pulp, or Eledhiary ;outwardly you may mix them with H.'ig'sLard, for Scurf, Tetters, and the Itch ; bbe cautious of ufing it to Infants, efpeciallyanoint not any wheie upon the Trunk of the

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